Beaune

Beaune -- just 10 minutes in the car to the centre. Richard found free parking and set the GPS directly to the lot. Just a short 5 minute walk to the main Place Carnot. We found the Tourist Office and got a map of the centre -- always good to get your bearings. We started our day on the Promenade des Remparts. These walls and towers circling the old city centre have their beginnings in Roman times but the construction of the current remparts (or what remains of them) are from the 8th-15th century. You were able to exit or enter via stairways along the remparts to explore other areas of the old city centre. We both found Old Beaune to be very enchanting with its old buildings, cobblestone streets and cafes lining the streets. Very French indeed! We are very happy it is so close so we can come back many times to walk the streets and take advantage of events/tours in the city. We found the Cellars of Patriarche Pere et Fils which is housed in what once was the Convent of the Sisters of the Visitation. The Convent was founded in 1632 but was confiscated during the French Revolution in 1789 and bought by Jean-Baptiste Patriarche, a winegrower from Savigny-les-Beaune. His wine trading company later became one of the most important in Burgundy. We did not tour the cellars today as we just wanted to get our bearings of the city and wander today. We will come back specifically to do the tour of the "caves" that apparently wander under the streets of Beaune for 5km and some date back to the 13th century. We look forward to this tour and to the "degustation" following!! We did take one tour today and that was of the Hotel-Dieu des Hospices Civils de Beaune. This hospital was established in 1443 as a "palace for the poor" by Nicolas Rodin, a chancellor for the Duke of Burgundy. It was classified as a historic monument in 1862 and continued to delivery charity and care until 1971 in the old hospital. The building was of the finest materials available at the time and features an amazing tiled Burgundian style roof. The hospice for the poor runs 50m in length with beds running either side. The patients received the best of care in comfortable and very rich surroundings. There is a chapel at one end of the patient salon, a pharmacy, an enormous kitchen where the nuns prepared meals for the patients. It is depicted today as it was then which showed a very innovative pot-lifting system over the fireplace as well as a 3-tiered spit rotisserie. A very excellent tour --it is a remarkable construction and was put to very worthy use over the years to help the disadvantaged. Lunch at a sidewalk cafe -- excellent again!! Followed by dessert of an ice cream cone that was very expensive for the measly portion doled out!! Richard was most disappointed. I (Lois) practiced my French most of the day and feel I'm getting better at it. Truth is one only needs a cursory knowledge of French to get by in shops, etc., unless you meet someone you really want to converse with. I seem to be able to understand it a lot better than I can speak, but most people here can also speak English and are very kind when you stumble with their language. Forgot to mention we had also stopped for cafe au lait and a petite gorgere during the day as well. All in all a great day and we look forward to going back to discover and re-discover Beaune. Their big outdoor market is on Saturday so we will be back for that. Tomorrow being Friday, the market is in Nuit Saint Georges. We will cycle there to see the market and explore roads beyond perhaps. It looks like some rain may be moving in here overnight so we have fingers crossed it won't last long.