Fueled by gluten, caffeine, and alcohol - two weeks in France
Jun 6th, 2017, 06:38 PM
#41
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Our second morning in Amboise got off to a late start because we spent so much time enjoying our breakfast at Le vieux manoir as well as conversation with our new friends from England.
As we were making our way up the streets to Chateau de Clos Luce we had an interesting experience. I kept pausing to take photos of flowers and walls and, well, everything. A man saw me and invited us to come see his view. We followed him into his garden and he did have a lovely view of the Chateau d’Amboise. He then showed us a copy of a drawing done by Da Vinci of the town and chateau and said that it was the view from his garden - and I’ll tell you if it wasn’t his exact view it was pretty darn close. He then showed us his room (gite?) that he rents. Our hosts at our bed and breakfast are American and when he discovered where we were staying he told us stories about how it was the talk of all Amboise 20 years ago when the town found out an American couple was buying and renovating the house. Apparently it was BIG news in town and the residents were a bit divided as to whether it was a good thing or a bad thing. Anyway, just one of those fun little experiences that you only seem to have when traveling. I don’t get asked by strangers here at home if I want to see their view.
We finally made our way up to the Chateau du Clos Luce. We really enjoyed our visit to this gorgeous home where Leonardo da Vinci spent his final days.
Of course, I knew he was a genius, but really…he was so incredibly ahead of his time. On this tour you get to see where he slept and worked and ate during his last few years. This smaller chateau is close to the Chateau d’Amboise and an underground passage connects the two.
In the basement of the home there are models based on Leonardo’s drawings. (a sign said they were built by IBM) Things like locks and dams and guns and car-like machines and draw bridges. The gardens of the chateau are beautiful and in the gardens are life size and mostly working models of some of the same drawings. I kept thinking that this would be a great place to bring my grandchildren when they are a bit older. We really enjoyed our visit.
One of the things that our guide book stated was that Da Vinci’s last words were “I have offended God and mankind because my work did not reach the quality it should have.” Well. Not sure there is any hope for the rest of us if the quality of his work wasn’t good enough.
Next we visited the town of Chedigny, passing through some beautiful countryside on tiny little roads along the way. Chedigny is known for its roses - they have an annual rose festival - and although we were too early for the festival the roses were in full bloom while we were there. The scent was divine. So many varieties, climbing on every building and in every garden. Walking through the village made you feel as though you were someplace that wasn’t quite real. It was ridiculously pretty and perfect, ethereal.
We had wanted to visit the Chateau de Loches which was near Chedigny, but realized we had lingered too long at breakfast to see both this chateau and Chenonceau and I was determined to see Chenonceau. This is just not to be missed. We had been told to either get here early or late. Obviously, we arrived late and it was a good choice. There were no lines at all to buy our tickets and people were streaming out as we were going in. The longer we stayed the less crowded it became, a couple of quick rain storms cleared it out even further and by the end of our time there we practically had the place to ourselves. Definitely leave enough time to stroll the gardens as well and view the Chateau from a distance. Chenonceau is elegance in a building. I loved it.
Dinner that night was at Lion D’Or. This restaurant has a Michelin mention and the chef, a native of Amboise, is fairly inventive. The atmosphere is formal, the dining room is a tad stuffy, the tables are nicely spaced apart, and the restaurant is quiet. Very quiet. Sort of like a tomb. Now, I don’t like a loud restaurant, but I do like to be able to have a conversation without feeling like the entire room can hear what I’m saying even when I’m whispering. It was quiet to the point of being uncomfortable. Some softly playing classical background music might have helped. Service was slow. Not French slow, but slow slow. We had to ask for water three times to get any. It took forever to get our dessert. I can’t complain about the food, everything was good, but the experience as a whole left us saying, “meh."
The wine list might have been the highlight as they did have a good selection of local wines - I really enjoyed the Loire white wines.
On to Beaune!
As we were making our way up the streets to Chateau de Clos Luce we had an interesting experience. I kept pausing to take photos of flowers and walls and, well, everything. A man saw me and invited us to come see his view. We followed him into his garden and he did have a lovely view of the Chateau d’Amboise. He then showed us a copy of a drawing done by Da Vinci of the town and chateau and said that it was the view from his garden - and I’ll tell you if it wasn’t his exact view it was pretty darn close. He then showed us his room (gite?) that he rents. Our hosts at our bed and breakfast are American and when he discovered where we were staying he told us stories about how it was the talk of all Amboise 20 years ago when the town found out an American couple was buying and renovating the house. Apparently it was BIG news in town and the residents were a bit divided as to whether it was a good thing or a bad thing. Anyway, just one of those fun little experiences that you only seem to have when traveling. I don’t get asked by strangers here at home if I want to see their view.
We finally made our way up to the Chateau du Clos Luce. We really enjoyed our visit to this gorgeous home where Leonardo da Vinci spent his final days.
Of course, I knew he was a genius, but really…he was so incredibly ahead of his time. On this tour you get to see where he slept and worked and ate during his last few years. This smaller chateau is close to the Chateau d’Amboise and an underground passage connects the two.
In the basement of the home there are models based on Leonardo’s drawings. (a sign said they were built by IBM) Things like locks and dams and guns and car-like machines and draw bridges. The gardens of the chateau are beautiful and in the gardens are life size and mostly working models of some of the same drawings. I kept thinking that this would be a great place to bring my grandchildren when they are a bit older. We really enjoyed our visit.
One of the things that our guide book stated was that Da Vinci’s last words were “I have offended God and mankind because my work did not reach the quality it should have.” Well. Not sure there is any hope for the rest of us if the quality of his work wasn’t good enough.
Next we visited the town of Chedigny, passing through some beautiful countryside on tiny little roads along the way. Chedigny is known for its roses - they have an annual rose festival - and although we were too early for the festival the roses were in full bloom while we were there. The scent was divine. So many varieties, climbing on every building and in every garden. Walking through the village made you feel as though you were someplace that wasn’t quite real. It was ridiculously pretty and perfect, ethereal.
We had wanted to visit the Chateau de Loches which was near Chedigny, but realized we had lingered too long at breakfast to see both this chateau and Chenonceau and I was determined to see Chenonceau. This is just not to be missed. We had been told to either get here early or late. Obviously, we arrived late and it was a good choice. There were no lines at all to buy our tickets and people were streaming out as we were going in. The longer we stayed the less crowded it became, a couple of quick rain storms cleared it out even further and by the end of our time there we practically had the place to ourselves. Definitely leave enough time to stroll the gardens as well and view the Chateau from a distance. Chenonceau is elegance in a building. I loved it.
Dinner that night was at Lion D’Or. This restaurant has a Michelin mention and the chef, a native of Amboise, is fairly inventive. The atmosphere is formal, the dining room is a tad stuffy, the tables are nicely spaced apart, and the restaurant is quiet. Very quiet. Sort of like a tomb. Now, I don’t like a loud restaurant, but I do like to be able to have a conversation without feeling like the entire room can hear what I’m saying even when I’m whispering. It was quiet to the point of being uncomfortable. Some softly playing classical background music might have helped. Service was slow. Not French slow, but slow slow. We had to ask for water three times to get any. It took forever to get our dessert. I can’t complain about the food, everything was good, but the experience as a whole left us saying, “meh."
The wine list might have been the highlight as they did have a good selection of local wines - I really enjoyed the Loire white wines.
On to Beaune!
Jun 7th, 2017, 08:07 AM
#44
me too. [enjoying it that is].
Apropos the slow service you report, I don't know what it is with some restaurants - it's as if they are doing you a favour by getting you eat there rather than vice versa. And it's often nothing to do with how busy they are.
Looking forward to Beaune.
Apropos the slow service you report, I don't know what it is with some restaurants - it's as if they are doing you a favour by getting you eat there rather than vice versa. And it's often nothing to do with how busy they are.
Looking forward to Beaune.
Jun 8th, 2017, 10:05 PM
#46
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One of the main places that my husband wanted to visit was Guedelon. The perfect time to visit this interesting site was on our drive from Amboise to Beaune. Guedelon is a castle that is being built in a fairly remote area near an old rock quarry using only methods and materials they would have used and had access to in olden times. They imagine their start date as being 1228. It was actually 1995.
I will confess that I was less than excited about this side trip and when we arrived and saw school bus after school bus full of children - May is field trip season - I was even more hesitant.
However, my husband loved this visit and I ended up really enjoying it also. I know that a place like this might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but we found it rather fascinating.
Interestingly, the same people who began and funded this project attempted to start another castle in the northern part of our state (Arkansas) up near the Missouri border fairly close to Branson. From what I've read the area had everything needed to build a castle such as the stone and lumber and craftspeople, etc. However, they struggled with attendance. It was in a very remote area, and they didn’t provide some of the necessities such as a place to get food on site. They ran out of money and sponsors and It quickly closed down. There it still sits, barely started, and I’m sure never to be re-opened.
Guedelon is a construction site, and can be muddy or dusty so be prepared with the proper shoes. They are extremely serious about only using methods and materials from the past. They make literally everything themselves. They hew the stones, and make the mortar, and make the baskets to carry the mortar, and make their own rope and tiles, etc. There are stonemasons, woodcutters, blacksmiths, tile makers, and every type of craftsman and laborer you might imagine on site. All working in the presence of visitors and building this castle from scratch. And they work hard!
The castle has been under construction for more that 20 years and there is still a long way to go. You can see and wander through parts of the half-finished castle, then walk the grounds surrounding the main construction area. You will find the dye maker, the blacksmiths, the kiln, the wood shop, etc as you walk around - it is almost like a little village. The craftsman continue their work as you watch and usually will talk to the visitors as well, explaining what they are doing. Many do not speak English, in fact, while we were there we did not hear many other English speaking tourists, most of the visitors were French. For the most part you could figure things out just by watching and reading the English brochure that you are given when you enter. Occasionally we would come across one of the workers who could speak English and that did add to our understanding.
We had a really enjoyable time here and thought it would be another great place to bring the grandkids one of these days!
If you are not sure if this is something you'd like to see (it is a bit off the beaten path) they have a good website with lots of info and photos that you can check out to give you more information.
I will confess that I was less than excited about this side trip and when we arrived and saw school bus after school bus full of children - May is field trip season - I was even more hesitant.
However, my husband loved this visit and I ended up really enjoying it also. I know that a place like this might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but we found it rather fascinating.
Interestingly, the same people who began and funded this project attempted to start another castle in the northern part of our state (Arkansas) up near the Missouri border fairly close to Branson. From what I've read the area had everything needed to build a castle such as the stone and lumber and craftspeople, etc. However, they struggled with attendance. It was in a very remote area, and they didn’t provide some of the necessities such as a place to get food on site. They ran out of money and sponsors and It quickly closed down. There it still sits, barely started, and I’m sure never to be re-opened.
Guedelon is a construction site, and can be muddy or dusty so be prepared with the proper shoes. They are extremely serious about only using methods and materials from the past. They make literally everything themselves. They hew the stones, and make the mortar, and make the baskets to carry the mortar, and make their own rope and tiles, etc. There are stonemasons, woodcutters, blacksmiths, tile makers, and every type of craftsman and laborer you might imagine on site. All working in the presence of visitors and building this castle from scratch. And they work hard!
The castle has been under construction for more that 20 years and there is still a long way to go. You can see and wander through parts of the half-finished castle, then walk the grounds surrounding the main construction area. You will find the dye maker, the blacksmiths, the kiln, the wood shop, etc as you walk around - it is almost like a little village. The craftsman continue their work as you watch and usually will talk to the visitors as well, explaining what they are doing. Many do not speak English, in fact, while we were there we did not hear many other English speaking tourists, most of the visitors were French. For the most part you could figure things out just by watching and reading the English brochure that you are given when you enter. Occasionally we would come across one of the workers who could speak English and that did add to our understanding.
We had a really enjoyable time here and thought it would be another great place to bring the grandkids one of these days!
If you are not sure if this is something you'd like to see (it is a bit off the beaten path) they have a good website with lots of info and photos that you can check out to give you more information.
Jun 9th, 2017, 06:57 AM
#47
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We arrived that evening in the pretty town of Beaune. The original part of Beaune is circled by a road that basically follows the outline of the old walls of the town, some of which are still standing. It is one way so if you miss your turn you will have to go all the way around again. Our bed and breakfast was on this ring road and we ended up circling the town three times before we finally found the driveway of our new home.
We stayed at Les Jardins de Lois which is conveniently located. One simply walked across the street to be in the old section of Beaune and it was easy to drive out of town as well. Les Jardins de Lois has plenty of guest parking. There are old buildings and new on the site and the owners have done a good job of incorporating the two. We stayed in a large ground floor room that overlooked the beautiful, huge peaceful backyard garden. The room had a king size bed, plenty of storage, a bathroom with a fancy schmancy shower, and was very quiet. I noticed that it had air-conditioning but we didn’t need to use it while we were there.
Our cheerful hostess Anne-Marie greeted us on arrival. We met her husband, Philippe, the next day and found him quite likable as well. They are not only hotel owners, but also own a small winery and their wine cellars are on the BandB property.
Breakfasts were delicious here with all the usual croissants, pastries, fruit, cheese and meat. Anne-Marie also made eggs to order every morning. This was a nice surprise! One of the other guests told us at breakfast that their room did not have an in room shower - they had to go down the hall - so you might want to ask about this if you decide to book here.
That evening we went to the restaurant Auberge Le Cheval Noir for dinner. It was just a short walk from where we were staying and has a Michelin mention (which I am learning doesn’t always mean much!) The dining room is sleek and modern. It was a beautiful evening so when we were asked if we wanted to sit on the deck outside we said we would. Most of the restaurant guests were seated outside and we ended up at the last table which was nearest the street and loud with traffic noise. The deck was raised a bit above the ground and there was foliage beside and under it. About halfway through our meal I saw a rat poking around. He was about a foot below us, but I will admit I’m not a fan of rodents and it freaked me out. I kept imagining him climbing up onto the deck which made me feel very jumpy and as if I had to constantly keep an eye out for Mr. Fat Restaurant Rat and his cohorts.
All that said - the food here was really good. Just sit inside!
My husband loved his snails and his beef bourguignon. I had a delicious tuna starter and had bravely (for me) ordered pigeon for my main course. It was my first time to eat pigeon and the meat was way darker than I had expected and after seeing the rat…I don’t know. I just couldn’t finish it. It had nothing to do with the taste and everything to do with my mind. In an unsuccessful attempt to overcome my rat and pigeon mental block to try to relax I drank more wine. More wine is always a sensible solution, right? The wine list was excellent and most were available in half bottles which I love because you get to try more varieties!
A slightly tipsy night time stroll through old Beaune was a nice ending to the night.
We stayed at Les Jardins de Lois which is conveniently located. One simply walked across the street to be in the old section of Beaune and it was easy to drive out of town as well. Les Jardins de Lois has plenty of guest parking. There are old buildings and new on the site and the owners have done a good job of incorporating the two. We stayed in a large ground floor room that overlooked the beautiful, huge peaceful backyard garden. The room had a king size bed, plenty of storage, a bathroom with a fancy schmancy shower, and was very quiet. I noticed that it had air-conditioning but we didn’t need to use it while we were there.
Our cheerful hostess Anne-Marie greeted us on arrival. We met her husband, Philippe, the next day and found him quite likable as well. They are not only hotel owners, but also own a small winery and their wine cellars are on the BandB property.
Breakfasts were delicious here with all the usual croissants, pastries, fruit, cheese and meat. Anne-Marie also made eggs to order every morning. This was a nice surprise! One of the other guests told us at breakfast that their room did not have an in room shower - they had to go down the hall - so you might want to ask about this if you decide to book here.
That evening we went to the restaurant Auberge Le Cheval Noir for dinner. It was just a short walk from where we were staying and has a Michelin mention (which I am learning doesn’t always mean much!) The dining room is sleek and modern. It was a beautiful evening so when we were asked if we wanted to sit on the deck outside we said we would. Most of the restaurant guests were seated outside and we ended up at the last table which was nearest the street and loud with traffic noise. The deck was raised a bit above the ground and there was foliage beside and under it. About halfway through our meal I saw a rat poking around. He was about a foot below us, but I will admit I’m not a fan of rodents and it freaked me out. I kept imagining him climbing up onto the deck which made me feel very jumpy and as if I had to constantly keep an eye out for Mr. Fat Restaurant Rat and his cohorts.
All that said - the food here was really good. Just sit inside!
My husband loved his snails and his beef bourguignon. I had a delicious tuna starter and had bravely (for me) ordered pigeon for my main course. It was my first time to eat pigeon and the meat was way darker than I had expected and after seeing the rat…I don’t know. I just couldn’t finish it. It had nothing to do with the taste and everything to do with my mind. In an unsuccessful attempt to overcome my rat and pigeon mental block to try to relax I drank more wine. More wine is always a sensible solution, right? The wine list was excellent and most were available in half bottles which I love because you get to try more varieties!
A slightly tipsy night time stroll through old Beaune was a nice ending to the night.
Jun 9th, 2017, 11:36 AM
#48
oh dear, Kay - a rat is quite off-putting, isn't it? I know that they say that you're never more than 5 metres away from one at any time, [and i know that we have them because we keep chickens] but you still don't want one watching you eat.
When we visited Beaune on the river cruise i did last year, my main complaint was that we didn't have long enough to do much in Beaune itself. After the guided wine-tour and tasting in a cellar, I managed to buy a nice tablecloth in the market, and sone chocolates and that was about it, so I'm looking forward to you telling me what I missed.
When we visited Beaune on the river cruise i did last year, my main complaint was that we didn't have long enough to do much in Beaune itself. After the guided wine-tour and tasting in a cellar, I managed to buy a nice tablecloth in the market, and sone chocolates and that was about it, so I'm looking forward to you telling me what I missed.
Jun 9th, 2017, 12:06 PM
#49
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Still following and enjoying. I often used waiting for dinner as a time to write my trip diary notes or to copy from menu. Sometimes the restaurant people mistake me for a critic and speed up! Doesn't always work.
Jun 9th, 2017, 07:43 PM
#50
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annhig - very off-putting! We didn't do as much in Beaune and surroundings as we had hoped because of bad weather, but we still enjoyed our time there very much.
TDudette - what a good idea - I might have to give this a try.
TDudette - what a good idea - I might have to give this a try.
Jun 9th, 2017, 07:46 PM
#51
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Photos from Loire Valley. Again these are mostly DSLR with some iPhone pics thrown in for good measure.
https://kkfrance2017.shutterfly.com/pictures/125
https://kkfrance2017.shutterfly.com/pictures/125
Jun 10th, 2017, 01:44 AM
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Lovely! Makes me want to go back to the Loire Valley. Some years ago DD and I loved every bit of our visit there except she became deathly ill from an unexpected allergy to buckwheat crepes. We were able to visit Chenonceau, our favorite chateau. We had expected to take turns driving, but I had to do all the driving since she was too sick. I will say the Loire Valley was a very easy area for driving. Very little traffic and no problems finding our way.
When we were walking around in Amboise, we glanced at the headlines of a newspaper. To our astonishment, the article was about a disaster in our little town in Cajun Louisiana. We could not believe our eyes- a train carrying some lethal gas had derailed and a third of the town had to be evacuated. We spent some horrified moments trying to figure out if our part of town had been affected. DH was out of town on a business trip, so our vet tech friend was looking after our pets. She had to stay at our house because she could not get back to her house in the mandatory evacuated area!
When we were walking around in Amboise, we glanced at the headlines of a newspaper. To our astonishment, the article was about a disaster in our little town in Cajun Louisiana. We could not believe our eyes- a train carrying some lethal gas had derailed and a third of the town had to be evacuated. We spent some horrified moments trying to figure out if our part of town had been affected. DH was out of town on a business trip, so our vet tech friend was looking after our pets. She had to stay at our house because she could not get back to her house in the mandatory evacuated area!
Jun 11th, 2017, 10:49 AM
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Really enjoying your report. Loved that you were invited to enjoy the gentleman's view and that he shared gossip about the owners opening Le Vieux Manoir. I would love to know what the locals think of Gloria . . .
And now I have to research Chedigny. There is always someplace new to explore.
And now I have to research Chedigny. There is always someplace new to explore.
Jun 11th, 2017, 12:45 PM
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Saraho - Someone getting sick is one of the things I worry about when traveling! So sorry it happened to your daughter! I agree that the Loire was very easy to get around by car. I was still doing all of the driving. What a scary thing to see headlines about your hometown!
Thank you, MarnieWDC
Scootoir - he was guarded with his gossip, I think mostly due to the language barrier. (His English was good, but basic) I wanted to hear more and wondered the same thing as you, but didn't know how to communicate that I was open to hearing more and wouldn't gossip and tell. Lol.
Thank you, MarnieWDC
Scootoir - he was guarded with his gossip, I think mostly due to the language barrier. (His English was good, but basic) I wanted to hear more and wondered the same thing as you, but didn't know how to communicate that I was open to hearing more and wouldn't gossip and tell. Lol.
Jun 11th, 2017, 12:46 PM
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We have often wondering why it is that most of the people we meet while traveling are so agreeable and compelling. Are people who travel simply more interesting? Or are they just more relaxed because they are on vacation? Or…
We met so many wonderful people on this trip and have commented several times that we wish we knew more people in real life similar to the ones we meet while traveling. We have wonderful friends at home that we love dearly, but we just seem to click easily with other travelers.
Anyway, we met another American couple while at Les Jardins de Lois, We kept discovering more and more that we had in common and ended up having such great conversations with them each morning about books, and where we had been, and where we wanted to go, and the state of the world, and how being a parent of an adult is sometimes harder than being a parent of a two year old, and…it was just so enjoyable. I love those encounters where you feel that you have known someone forever even though you’ve just met.
Our first full day in Beaune was rainy and cold. We started with a visit to the Hospices de Beaune. This was one of my favorite sites of the trip. I’m from a medical family and we ARE those people who can’t get through a meal without discussing things most people would consider unappetizing and inappropriate dinner table conversation - but once you get a group of medical types together the conversation tends to go sideways. I loved seeing the hospital and hearing about the various treatments and seeing the collection of old medical equipment and pharmaceuticals. Makes you wonder what we do now that will cause people a few hundred years from now to shudder.
This hospital was founded by a private donor in the middle ages right after the plague had decimated the area. It is really a lovely place! Beautifully preserved. Beds line a great hall and nuns cared for patients from every economic level. The hospital was in use until the 1980’s!
You are given a headset in English to follow. It is well done, perhaps a bit silly as actors play the husband and wife founders of the hospital to tell you about what you are seeing. Even so, I listened to every bit of the information including the extra bits that you could choose to hear or not. I thought the whole thing was fascinating.
Beginning in the 1400’s various benefactors gave the hospital vineyards so they are also known for wine making and host a wine festival and auction every year which is a big deal and sounds like quite the spectacle.
We had a late lunch in a cafe somewhere in the town. I didn’t write it down, but it was good! In fact, all the food we had while in Beaune was good even when we were just getting a quick bite.
It was pouring and chilly after lunch so rather than wandering from place to place we decided to visit Patriarches Pere et Fils. I’ll be honest, this is probably not something we would have done if the weather had been better, but we had read that there were miles of cellars and it sounded like a good way to get out of the rain! You pay a flat fee, are handed a tasting cup and basically sent on your way.
First you encounter a couple of computer stations where you can listen to the history of the winery and the old monastery where the cellars are located - I think there were 4 of these stations along the way. Mostly you just wander through the cellars in dim light beneath the streets of Beaune passings thousands and thousands and thousands of dusty bottles of wine. Some are locked up behind bars but most just right where you can touch and see them. Perhaps it was slow the day we were there, but most of the time in this section we were totally alone. There were moments it actually felt a bit creepy.
After walking for a while you come to the first of several areas of the cellars where they have wines set up to taste. You get to try 3 whites and 7 reds. Occasionally there would be a person around to answer questions, but mostly it was all self service. Most of the wines were not particularly good, but if you did happen to find one you liked no one seemed to care how many “tastings” of it you had. There appeared to be no particular rules about anything and we experienced no pressure to buy.
A young couple from London with a toddler in tow struck up a conversation with us and we tasted the last several wines together. They were so friendly and pleasant and told us that they come to France at least once a year to buy wine. It was fun to visit with them.
We had a really good afternoon here enjoying this enjoyable and unique experience.
Coming up out of the dark cellars and stepping out of the showroom we found ourselves blinking in sunlight! The rain had stopped and blue sky could be seen.
As we wandered back onto the grounds of our B and B we were greeted by Philippe and asked if we would like to come down into his wine cellar to taste his wines.
More wine tasting? In a cellar? Certainly!
Dinner this evening was at 21 Boulevard. This is a restaurant in a 15th century wine cellar - yes, we spent a significant portion of this day in cellars drinking wine! What better thing to do when it is cold and rainy in Burgundy? This restaurant had a very nice ambiance, the service was pleasant although a little spotty. The wine list was wonderful and gigantic, it comes in a big heavy binder, like the 2 inch binders you used to use in school, but we asked for and received very good recommendations. The food was good. Overall, we very much enjoyed our dinner here. My husband had the snails to start and then farm poultry with epoisses sauce and mashed potatoes. I started with parsleyed ham and accompaniments and had the pikeperch filet with butter sauce and carrots as a main.
We met so many wonderful people on this trip and have commented several times that we wish we knew more people in real life similar to the ones we meet while traveling. We have wonderful friends at home that we love dearly, but we just seem to click easily with other travelers.
Anyway, we met another American couple while at Les Jardins de Lois, We kept discovering more and more that we had in common and ended up having such great conversations with them each morning about books, and where we had been, and where we wanted to go, and the state of the world, and how being a parent of an adult is sometimes harder than being a parent of a two year old, and…it was just so enjoyable. I love those encounters where you feel that you have known someone forever even though you’ve just met.
Our first full day in Beaune was rainy and cold. We started with a visit to the Hospices de Beaune. This was one of my favorite sites of the trip. I’m from a medical family and we ARE those people who can’t get through a meal without discussing things most people would consider unappetizing and inappropriate dinner table conversation - but once you get a group of medical types together the conversation tends to go sideways. I loved seeing the hospital and hearing about the various treatments and seeing the collection of old medical equipment and pharmaceuticals. Makes you wonder what we do now that will cause people a few hundred years from now to shudder.
This hospital was founded by a private donor in the middle ages right after the plague had decimated the area. It is really a lovely place! Beautifully preserved. Beds line a great hall and nuns cared for patients from every economic level. The hospital was in use until the 1980’s!
You are given a headset in English to follow. It is well done, perhaps a bit silly as actors play the husband and wife founders of the hospital to tell you about what you are seeing. Even so, I listened to every bit of the information including the extra bits that you could choose to hear or not. I thought the whole thing was fascinating.
Beginning in the 1400’s various benefactors gave the hospital vineyards so they are also known for wine making and host a wine festival and auction every year which is a big deal and sounds like quite the spectacle.
We had a late lunch in a cafe somewhere in the town. I didn’t write it down, but it was good! In fact, all the food we had while in Beaune was good even when we were just getting a quick bite.
It was pouring and chilly after lunch so rather than wandering from place to place we decided to visit Patriarches Pere et Fils. I’ll be honest, this is probably not something we would have done if the weather had been better, but we had read that there were miles of cellars and it sounded like a good way to get out of the rain! You pay a flat fee, are handed a tasting cup and basically sent on your way.
First you encounter a couple of computer stations where you can listen to the history of the winery and the old monastery where the cellars are located - I think there were 4 of these stations along the way. Mostly you just wander through the cellars in dim light beneath the streets of Beaune passings thousands and thousands and thousands of dusty bottles of wine. Some are locked up behind bars but most just right where you can touch and see them. Perhaps it was slow the day we were there, but most of the time in this section we were totally alone. There were moments it actually felt a bit creepy.
After walking for a while you come to the first of several areas of the cellars where they have wines set up to taste. You get to try 3 whites and 7 reds. Occasionally there would be a person around to answer questions, but mostly it was all self service. Most of the wines were not particularly good, but if you did happen to find one you liked no one seemed to care how many “tastings” of it you had. There appeared to be no particular rules about anything and we experienced no pressure to buy.
A young couple from London with a toddler in tow struck up a conversation with us and we tasted the last several wines together. They were so friendly and pleasant and told us that they come to France at least once a year to buy wine. It was fun to visit with them.
We had a really good afternoon here enjoying this enjoyable and unique experience.
Coming up out of the dark cellars and stepping out of the showroom we found ourselves blinking in sunlight! The rain had stopped and blue sky could be seen.
As we wandered back onto the grounds of our B and B we were greeted by Philippe and asked if we would like to come down into his wine cellar to taste his wines.
More wine tasting? In a cellar? Certainly!
Dinner this evening was at 21 Boulevard. This is a restaurant in a 15th century wine cellar - yes, we spent a significant portion of this day in cellars drinking wine! What better thing to do when it is cold and rainy in Burgundy? This restaurant had a very nice ambiance, the service was pleasant although a little spotty. The wine list was wonderful and gigantic, it comes in a big heavy binder, like the 2 inch binders you used to use in school, but we asked for and received very good recommendations. The food was good. Overall, we very much enjoyed our dinner here. My husband had the snails to start and then farm poultry with epoisses sauce and mashed potatoes. I started with parsleyed ham and accompaniments and had the pikeperch filet with butter sauce and carrots as a main.
Jun 11th, 2017, 12:52 PM
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KayTKay, I feel for you at dinner with the rat nearby, and I am afraid annhig is right about how close we are to vermin. Many years ago we enjoyed dinner at Chez Agnes, a quirky restaurant near our Paris hotel. The next morning as we walked past we spotted a mouse in the window of the restaurant. Agnes' dog must have kept the mice at bay when the place was open.
Jun 11th, 2017, 01:44 PM
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So many plans, so little energy.
We were going to drive the wine route, we were going to see new towns, we were going to walk through vineyards, we were going to…nope.
This ended up being our crash day. We spent a leisurely morning chatting with our new friends over breakfast. It was Saturday so we followed that with a nice, long visit to the Beaune market. There was a section with antiques and flea market types of items so that was fun. After lunch, we returned to our room ostensibly to get the car. Yeah, that never happened.
Instead we spent the afternoon alternating between napping and reading and walking in the garden and napping some more.
This evening we had one of our most interesting experiences…ever.
I have always wanted to ride in a hot air balloon. We decided to schedule one in Burgundy. It had been cancelled the day before due to weather, but they had room for us this evening.
We were to meet at the airport and because it wouldn’t come up on our GPS our hostess, Anne-Marie, ended up having us follow her there. Very kind of her.
Now, I’ve never done a hot air balloon ride anywhere so I don’t know the protocol anywhere else, but here is how it went down in Burgundy.
There were 8 passengers, 2 guys who were to follow us on the ground, and our pilot. The balloon was not up and ready when we arrived, in fact the balloon arrived after we did. We watched as they prepared and filled it in the middle of a field near the small airstrip. I was a little nervous before we took off, but not at all once we were up in the air. The ride is so smooth and quiet and it was a gorgeous and calm evening.
Everyone was French except for my husband and I so the pilot would speak to everyone else and then translate for us. The evening ride was more than an hour long and was truly stunning as the sun started to set and the fields and vineyards seemed to glow. Now, France is very far north. The days are long in the summer there - the sun sets quite late!
We first landed in one field that had some type of grass crop (possibly a type of feed? We asked, but the answer got lost in translation) The grass was too high for us to get out and especially too high for them to put away the balloon. We went back up into the air and come down again in a mowed field near a group of houses. Of course everyone in the houses came out to see what was happening. The drivers on the ground went to ask permission for us to touch down. Um, we were already down, as well as permission to drive their trucks on the field and put away the balloon.
Apparently this is they way they always proceed, they land first and then ask permission to do so.
Permission was granted, so the passengers and pilot all climbed out of the basket, then…time to put the balloon away. Passengers were expected to help. It is not at all that we minded doing this - except for the fact that I quickly realized that all the restaurants would be closed by the time we were done and not knowing that this would happen we hadn’t eaten before hand. Everyone happily helped push all the air out of the balloon and then helped roll it up and then helped stuff it in the bag and then helped lift it on the trailer. I wondered if this was the way it was done everywhere? Do the passengers in the US help put the balloon away after a ride? I also wondered if people in the US who didn’t know that they were expected to help would be as accommodating and cheerful as this group was?
It was about 10:45 and very dark and cold by the time we finished and were loaded up into the van to be driven back to our vehicles. But we weren’t done yet!
We pulled out of the field onto a dirt road and then our driver exclaimed, “Time to drink!” So we all climbed back out while our hosts set up a little table and passed around flutes of Cremont, a local sparkling white wine. A huge bag of Lays potato chips was poured into a bowl and passed hand to hand around the group.
There we were standing in a circle with a group of strangers on an empty dirt road in the dark drinking champagne and eating potato chips and I promise nothing has ever tasted so good. My nose and hands and feet were freezing and everyone around us was speaking French and laughing and I felt almost euphoric, oddly joyful.
It was my favorite moment of the entire trip.
My husband and I agree that sparkling wine and potato chips will be our new anniversary tradition!
We were going to drive the wine route, we were going to see new towns, we were going to walk through vineyards, we were going to…nope.
This ended up being our crash day. We spent a leisurely morning chatting with our new friends over breakfast. It was Saturday so we followed that with a nice, long visit to the Beaune market. There was a section with antiques and flea market types of items so that was fun. After lunch, we returned to our room ostensibly to get the car. Yeah, that never happened.
Instead we spent the afternoon alternating between napping and reading and walking in the garden and napping some more.
This evening we had one of our most interesting experiences…ever.
I have always wanted to ride in a hot air balloon. We decided to schedule one in Burgundy. It had been cancelled the day before due to weather, but they had room for us this evening.
We were to meet at the airport and because it wouldn’t come up on our GPS our hostess, Anne-Marie, ended up having us follow her there. Very kind of her.
Now, I’ve never done a hot air balloon ride anywhere so I don’t know the protocol anywhere else, but here is how it went down in Burgundy.
There were 8 passengers, 2 guys who were to follow us on the ground, and our pilot. The balloon was not up and ready when we arrived, in fact the balloon arrived after we did. We watched as they prepared and filled it in the middle of a field near the small airstrip. I was a little nervous before we took off, but not at all once we were up in the air. The ride is so smooth and quiet and it was a gorgeous and calm evening.
Everyone was French except for my husband and I so the pilot would speak to everyone else and then translate for us. The evening ride was more than an hour long and was truly stunning as the sun started to set and the fields and vineyards seemed to glow. Now, France is very far north. The days are long in the summer there - the sun sets quite late!
We first landed in one field that had some type of grass crop (possibly a type of feed? We asked, but the answer got lost in translation) The grass was too high for us to get out and especially too high for them to put away the balloon. We went back up into the air and come down again in a mowed field near a group of houses. Of course everyone in the houses came out to see what was happening. The drivers on the ground went to ask permission for us to touch down. Um, we were already down, as well as permission to drive their trucks on the field and put away the balloon.
Apparently this is they way they always proceed, they land first and then ask permission to do so.
Permission was granted, so the passengers and pilot all climbed out of the basket, then…time to put the balloon away. Passengers were expected to help. It is not at all that we minded doing this - except for the fact that I quickly realized that all the restaurants would be closed by the time we were done and not knowing that this would happen we hadn’t eaten before hand. Everyone happily helped push all the air out of the balloon and then helped roll it up and then helped stuff it in the bag and then helped lift it on the trailer. I wondered if this was the way it was done everywhere? Do the passengers in the US help put the balloon away after a ride? I also wondered if people in the US who didn’t know that they were expected to help would be as accommodating and cheerful as this group was?
It was about 10:45 and very dark and cold by the time we finished and were loaded up into the van to be driven back to our vehicles. But we weren’t done yet!
We pulled out of the field onto a dirt road and then our driver exclaimed, “Time to drink!” So we all climbed back out while our hosts set up a little table and passed around flutes of Cremont, a local sparkling white wine. A huge bag of Lays potato chips was poured into a bowl and passed hand to hand around the group.
There we were standing in a circle with a group of strangers on an empty dirt road in the dark drinking champagne and eating potato chips and I promise nothing has ever tasted so good. My nose and hands and feet were freezing and everyone around us was speaking French and laughing and I felt almost euphoric, oddly joyful.
It was my favorite moment of the entire trip.
My husband and I agree that sparkling wine and potato chips will be our new anniversary tradition!
Jun 11th, 2017, 02:21 PM
#60
what a lovely experience and a great memory Kay.
Apropos of vermin, a few years ago in Sri Lanka, while we were staying in a beautiful old mansion in the Tea Country, I awoke one morning to find that DH's shoe was in the bathroom - he had apparently thrown it at the rat that in the night had run through our bedroom and out through the bathroom window. Thank goodness I'm a heavy sleeper!
We saw no more sign of it thank goodness and I had more or less forgotten about it until that night at dinner, I sensed rather than saw a rustling under the sideboard in the dining room. Yep, it was our friend with the scaly tail again. As there were other guests around i said nothing but we ate up pretty quickly I can tell you. And we kept our bedroom and bathroom windows shut from then on!
Apropos of vermin, a few years ago in Sri Lanka, while we were staying in a beautiful old mansion in the Tea Country, I awoke one morning to find that DH's shoe was in the bathroom - he had apparently thrown it at the rat that in the night had run through our bedroom and out through the bathroom window. Thank goodness I'm a heavy sleeper!
We saw no more sign of it thank goodness and I had more or less forgotten about it until that night at dinner, I sensed rather than saw a rustling under the sideboard in the dining room. Yep, it was our friend with the scaly tail again. As there were other guests around i said nothing but we ate up pretty quickly I can tell you. And we kept our bedroom and bathroom windows shut from then on!
