Days: 18 - 19
Oct 3 - 4, 2006
Euros
Conversion rate on
our visit:
$1.27 = €1.00
Beaune
                            
       
What We Had
Cloudy
Upper 60s F
Averages
High: 74° F Low: 54° F
 Current Conditions
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Page Index
What We Learned
•  And introduction to wines and wine tasting
What We Saw
•  La Galerie Chateaufarine (shopping center)
•  Beaune (the town)
•  Hospice de Beaune
Where We Ate
•  Le Berger du Temps
Where We Stayed
•  Hotel Le Clos

  What We Learned And introduction to wines and wine tasting
Oct. 3, 2006



After dropping off our bags and taking a quick tour of everyone's rooms (all very nice) we headed to the hotel's conference center for a wine tasting. We learned a lot about the different types of wine, where they came from and, most importantly, how they tasted. Our instructor did a great job of showing us how to evaluate a wine both by smell and taste. While we're not really wine drinkers, we now (at least) have a rudimentary understanding of what we should be considering if we decide to try some.
 
  Where We Ate Le Berger du Temps
Oct. 3, 2006
Not as stable as we were before the wine tasting, we strolled down the road to the Le Berger du Temps for dinner. The Le Berger du Temps was cozy and the food was tasty. After we ate, Dick made a presentation to Matt (our driver) on behalf of our tour group. It was very obvious that Dick had a lot of experience. He conveyed our appreciation for all the Matt had done for all of us VERY well! Speaking of Matt...what an outstanding job he did. Acting as our driver, he quickly became part of our group. He "rescued" us from Venice and the music he played, a lot of fun. He was leaving us the next day, after he dropped us in Paris. Great job Matt!

Le Berger du Temps
14.16 Rue des Gravieres
21200 Montagny les Beaune
Tel: 03.80.24.14.27
   
 
  What We Saw La Galerie Chateaufarine (shopping center)
Oct. 3, 2006


Leaving the Lauterbrunnen Valley we could clearly see the lake on the other side of Interlaken. The landscape was green hills dotted with small lakes and meadows. The cows wear very large bells when they go up into the high pastures in the spring. When they return to the lower pastures in the fall the bells are removed and stored in the eaves of the houses. At the border of Switzerland we reentered the European Union when we crossed into France. For lunch we stopped at a shopping center in Bescancon France located just off the highway. It was a great opportunity to see how the average French person spent time at a mall. Inside, we started at the cafeteria which had a far better selection then the equivalent we've seen. This time it was a little tricky to pick what we wanted. In France, there are VERY few signs in English and the workers didn't speak it either. Of course, it's pretty much the same in the U.S. (in English of course). None the less, we piked our dishes and had a great lunch.




After eating we decided to see the rest of the mall. The stores are pretty much the same type we have. The back of the mall was a large "wing" store very similar to Wal-Mart. The prices were interesting because they are required to show both the cost in Euros and French Francs (a little confusing). The items they had in the store seemed the same we have here. By the way, it's probably a good time to mention that the people we interacted with in the store were as helpful as they could be (remember no English) and were friendly. So much for the stereotypes surrounding the French.
La Galerie Chateaufarine (shopping center)
Rue de Dole
25000 Besançon, France
 
 
  Where We Stayed Hotel Le Clos
Leaving Beaune, we traveled a short distance out of town to the Hotel Le Clos. Situated away from the city, the hotel was a beautiful country inn. We learned from the owners that they had renovated it. The pictures of the "before" and "after" were stunning! The place was nothing more then a ruin. The couple (working with a hand full of workman) performed a miracle. The hotel today was BEAUTIFUL...one of the nicest stays on our trip.

Hotel Le Clos
Montagny-les-Beaune
21200 Beaune, France
Tel: 011 33 3 80 25 97 98
FAX: 011 3 80 25 94 70
         
 
  What We Learned
Cow Bells - We would have liked to purchase a cow bell but they cost thousands of dollars!
 
Shopping Malls - The shopping mall we stopped at reminded us a GREAT deal of the malls in America.
 
Wines - We both knew there is a lot to learn about wines, but the wine tasting gave us a good understanding of the wines of France.
 
Matt's gift - Dick did a hell of a job giving Matt our gift of appreciation.
 
Bathroom - Ah a little bit of home! The bathroom in our hotel was the first time on our tour that the faucets, toilet, and the way the toilet was flushed was the same as the U.S.
  What We Saw Beaune (the town)
Oct. 3, 2006


Back on the road to Paris, we first stopped for a night in Beaune, in the heart of the Burgundy district. Beaune is named after the first animal killed by the king. Beaune is French for bear. Once the seat of the Duke of Burgundy, the walled city was a wonderful example of Medieval France. The city had narrow cobble stone streets and the houses had multiple chimneys for heating with beautiful courtyards behind their walls. Beaune is the wine capital of Burgundy's wine region and we saw an old press in a wine museum.
 
  What We Saw Hospice de Beaune
Oct. 3, 2006


The Hospices de Beaune lies at the center of the city. Hospice de Beaune - a system of charitable hospitals, the first called the Hôtel-Dieu, was established in 1443 after the Hundred Years War ended. Nicolas Rolin, Chancellor of the Duke of Burgundy Philippe le Bon, and his wife Guigone de Salins created a hospital for the poor. The Hôtel-Dieu is now a museum that makes a fascinating visit. We accidentally wandered into the back entrance of the Hospice and were quickly lead out the front.
Hospice de Beaune
2 Rue de l'Hôtel Dieu
21200 Beaune, France