SAINT-LEGER-SUR-DHEUNE, France -- We promise ourselves we'll bike into a nearby village, burning a few calories before settling in for a lunch of roasted game hen, just-from-the-garden greens and a selection of silky local cheeses. But the oaks dotted with mistletoe, the creamy Charolais cows and crimson geraniums edging the Canal de Centre seduce us, and instead we put up our feet on the veranda of our barge and, as our captain Glen says, let the countryside come to us.

Say the word ``barge,'' and your companion's eyes may narrow in a suspicious glare normally reserved for the temporarily insane. Barge, as in a flat-bottomed boat used to haul grain and other industrial matter? Why would you spend good money to spend a week on a barge?

But the luxury barges run by French Country Waterways and other upscale companies here are anything but rustic. The salon aboard our 12-passenger vessel, the Adrienne, is fitted with an Oriental-style carpet, thickly cushioned couches and a bar that never runs dry. Our generous cabin features a king bed and private marbled bath in ``Louis'' décor. The friendly staff is attentive without being cloying.

And the food? We'll be raving about it -- and the wines chosen for this cruise years ago, then stored for aging -- for months to come.

``It's a high-end operation. Everything is well-organized. The food is wonderful. And you learn about the wines and the countryside,'' explains Jean Gordon of Wilmington, Del. She and husband Harry are on their fourth voyage with French Country Waterways -- though their first on this particular route. ``The attention to detail, the food, the staff -- put it altogether and it's really nice'' -- which is why she and Harry have chosen this trip to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary.

For six days, we'll float through the famed Burgundy region, traversing 42 locks over 87 miles along the Canal du Centre, the river Sane and the Burgundy Canal. Our sail will be leisurely enough for walkers to reach the next lock before the Adrienne, slow enough that our comfortable bus can whisk us to nearby towns for excursions and get us home again in plenty of time for dinner. We'll meet local winemakers and taste the remarkable bounty of the pinot noir and chardonnay fruit that can change oh-so-dramatically from one patch of soil to the next.

EXCESS ABOUNDS

Above all, we'll dine -- on fresh brioche, foie gras, flaky cod perfectly poached on vegetables just pulled from the land, thick steaks from the local charolais cattle and artful desserts that taste as delicate and delicious as they look.

All, save the morning breads, are whipped up in a small but smart kitchen by our chef, Cyril. By the end of the week we've dubbed him a culinary god.

``We eat according to the season, and according to geography,'' explains Glen, who also serves as guide. All courses, wines and the waist-defying cheeses (the Delice du Pommard gets the week's rave award) that accompany every meal are delivered with explanation -- making the trip more than just a vacation, but blessedly shy of a lecture.

Our fellow travelers are all Americans: Harry and Jean; Doris and Herb from Philadelphia; Cheryl and Jim from Denton, Texas; Hamp and Nancy and Corinne and Joe from Athens, Ga. Most are modern retirees -- energetic former professionals who have traded in long office hours for yoga, volunteering and travel.

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