The Barge Lady Cruises
European Hotel Barges
 France, England, Ireland,
 Scotland, Belgium and Germany

Last year The Barge Lady, AKA Ellen Sack, was forced to visit nine hotel barges on the Canal du Midi in southwestern France. Oh the horror!

Twenty-four hours from the moment she left her Chicago office, she was nibbling on real Roquefort and frozen grapes, sipping a crisp Muscat dessert wine and chatting with old friends on Emma, their country-house-style barge. After she’d visited Algeria to check in with its owner Oliver, she was forced to overnight on the ultra-deluxe Roi Soleil to watch the chef in his open kitchen prepare her twice-baked cheese soufflés, rack of lamb and a trio of homemade sorbets. Never mind the plethora wine meticulously selected for each course she had to taste. Oh, dear!

After a night spent under gazillion-count sheets to the soft lapping of canal waters, she rushed off to see the new and modern Enchante. Next in rapid succession she stopped to say hello to another colleague, the captain of the Savoir Vivre and then dashed on to the barges Prosperitie, Papillon and Who Knows to be sure they were still up to her rather high standards. Oh my!

Now this might sound like a-tough-job-but-somebody’s-got-to-do-it, but really, I think it’s what makes Ellen being such a useful resource on European barging—and makes up for those Chicago winters.

When it comes to barging, Ellen was there at the creation. Well nearly. She’d followed her sister’s footsteps into the travel agent biz in 1978. When, in 1985, an opportunity to specialize floated by, a thoroughly vetted professional, she grabbed it. Ellen went to work representing a 6-passenger barge in Burgundy when the notion that one could convert an old barge and people would come was in its infancy. Today Ellen represents 43 barges and barging is even credited with saving the French canals from being paved over.

Ellen’s head start, however, is not what made her the go-to agent on European barging.

She made it her business to know each barge she represents—its owners, staff, strengths and weaknesses. And none of this "Oh, they’re all nice" stuff for Ellen. She’s not afraid to tell you what she thinks.

Personally, I don’t use many travel agents given how much research I do on my own, but when it came to this, new-to-me world of barging, I was stymied. How did choose between barges, never mind canals? How could I get good value for money? Avoid crummy food? Have easy access from Paris? I needed help and I needed it fast. Gorgeous pictures of barging abound on the internet, but Ellen’s site was thorough and right up front, she says she’s opinionated. I liked that.

When I called, she answered the phone—herself. If I get stuck somewhere in France without a paddle, this will be a heaven-sent resource, I thought.

Ellen and I hit it off right away. She inquired about my interests and requirements, listened to my response and suggested a barge. After more research, I’m addicted to it, I decided she was spot on. That’s how my college roommate and I got to spent a flat-out delightful week floating through Burgundy on Luciole.

Ellen certainly gets my nod. And should you, like me, dream of cruising through your golden years, not to worry. The barge lady junior, AKA, Ellen’s daughter, Caroline Sack Klein has joined the firm. She answers her own phone, too.

Kate Crawford    October, 2010