Colorful Celebrations in the Historically Rich Region Feature Cultural Events, Music and Gastronomic Offerings
(TRAVPR.COM) USA - 6th May, 2016 - While European vacations are popular in the summer, many travelers are discovering that the fall season also offers a wide range of colorful and memorable festivals that make it a great time to visit, too. Le Boat, Europe’s leading operator of self-skippered boating vacations, offers boats in many locations throughout Europe which are ideal for watching and participating in the festivals. Like convenient “floating hotel rooms”, they feature their own kitchen, bathroom, spacious cabins, and living room areas that can accommodate from two up to twelve people. They are perfect for couples, families and small groups who want to see the country at their own pace, following their own itinerary.
“Many celebrations in France trace their origins back hundreds of years,” said Shannan Brennan, Le Boat’s head of Distribution and Marketing, U.S., Canada and Latin America. “The South of France is especially exciting in the fall, when harvest season goes into full swing.”
In the Middle of Fun
The walled city of Aigues Mortes is never more alive than in October, when it holds its annual medieval festival to celebrate the memory of Louis XX, later christened Saint Louis, who was King of France and the town’s illustrious founder. Louis used Aigues Mortes as a port on the Mediterranean from which to embark on his famous crusades. The city‘s name, which literally translates to “dead waters”, is derived from the salt pits that surround it.
The annual fall festival of Aigues Mortes celebrates the memory of Saint Louis. This year, it will take place October 8th – October 16, 2016. Throughout the week, a medieval market features local artisans selling clothing and artifacts from the Middle Ages such as long cloaks, mail coats, swords, and bows. There is also a wide range of traditional food and drink, with the nights filled with medieval dancing, historical processions, musical presentations, street theaters, and acrobats. Festival goers can participate in medieval cooking courses, coin minting and archery, among other activities. Historical reconstructions include giving Saint Louis the key to the city. The week-long celebrations conclude with a colorful fireworks display and the lighting of the ramparts.
Le Boat’s 43-foot Royal Mystique and the slightly larger and more luxurious Mystique are ideal choices for families and groups who wish to attend this festival. The Royal Mystique, one of Le Boat’s most popular rentals, features two cabins and two bathrooms that sleep up to six. Mystique offers three cabins and three bathrooms that sleep up to eight people. Both boats come with complete entertainment systems, heating and air-conditioning, a sundeck with dining table and molded seating, as well as fully equipped modern kitchens.
Spicing Up Your Vacation
Originally grown in the Middle Ages, the cultivation of the Crocus sativus – or saffron crocus – had all but disappeared until some twenty years ago when local growers started to revive it. With up to 200 flowers needed to produce a single gram of saffron, the spice is practically worth its weight in gold.
A celebration of this unique spice, the annual saffron festival is held in the picturesque town of Carjarc, located in the Lot Valley of Southern France. Held this year from October 24 – 25, the festival is a foodie’s delight, withall-saffron markets offering syrup, jams, cheeses, pâtés and other local products flavored with saffron. The weekend also features a saffron competition in which some of the area’s best chefs from the "Bonnes Tables du Lot" demonstrate their culinary skills.
For those who want to see the festival, Le Boat’s Royal Mystique and Horizon cruisers are the way to go. Perfect for couples and small families, Horizon was designed exclusively for Le Boat. It features two cabins and one bathroom, a spacious living room and roomy sundeck with sunbathing area, table, sink and BBQ hotplate. The Royal Mystique offers two bathrooms and two cabins that can sleep up to six.
“Whether you visit Europe in the spring, summer or fall, you’ll find Le Boat ready to accommodate you with cruisers of every size and for every traveler – from couples, to families and small groups,” said Brennan. “We guarantee to match our guests with the perfect boat for their vacation.”
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