Dali in Beaune

The Dali museum had been beckoning to me since my first arrival in Beaune some weeks ago. I am not much of a gallery person, a fact to which DJ will readily attest. However, there was something beguilingly intriguing about the little museum touched up there in Place Monge with its flags flying out the front. In more recent days I had noticed that it was a permanent exhibition of Dali works. So, with a couple of hours to myself, inside I boldly went.



A delightful Little Old Lady greeted me and seemed surprised that I wanted to part with seven post-tax euros for the pleasure of looking at the exhibition and not making a beeline straight to the gift shop. She not much English, I not much French. It seems that this is the private collection of a Dali fan, who wants to share his obsession.



As "not much of a gallery person" let me tell you that I was mightily impressed; as much by the works on show as the manner in which they were displayed. It was very evident that the collection was put together with a loving hand. I took some photos, but you will need to go there yourself. Mind you, as the only visitor, I was really spoiled!



Having made my exit from the gallery I did venture in to the gift shop, only to find posters spread over the floor and people buzzing about busily. It seems that some posters had arrived and were being scrutinised prior to being tucked away into viewing drawers. One of the bustlers was an aged chap who seemed to be the gallery owner, and MAYBE wedded to the lass on the door.



Anyhow, he was pleased to please me and gave me an additional free postcard to the set I purchased. When I asked for les toilettes, he took me there, plonked himself down on the toilet seat and refilled the toilet paper holders while I looked on with crossed legs. How helpful was THAT?

Saint-Romain Cycle Tour

Caroline and had finished our meeting and she suggested that I head up into the hills to check out Saint-Romain. This I did. This ancient village sits with its back up against some grey/white cliffs up behind Pommard. She said it was a popular bike route from Beaune N indeed I did spy some cyclists doing the loop. Sadly fore I have been unable to find a bicycle hire shop in town that hires road bikes. Apparently there is one near the station, but it is only open during tourist season. There is just one small chance which I shall try tomorrow.



This would be a great loop for an introduction ride out of Beaune. There is a pretty good spin to get out of town and through Pommard, then some gentle undulations, and then some serious grunting up out if the valley to Saint-Romain, and then taking cycling to another to - wait for it - yes - HAUTE SAINT-ROMAIN! That's because the village is in two parts. Upper and Lower. Just like Waldara Drive, really.



At your Haute Saint-Romain you will find my most favourite church in the world. This church is ancient AS! Simple. Elegant. Old. The photo below shows the town from the cliffs above. In the distance lie Pommard, Volnay and Beaune.



Returning to Beaune completed loop of about 30 km. Of course there are plenty of way of extending or shortening the route via the criss-cross of minor roads and vineyard tracks. On the way down the hill I saw a chap emerge from the forest on a mountain bike, so there is plenty of scope for the 'dark side' of cycling here in Beaune as well. Tell Wes.



This last photo (above) is of an ancient chateau dating from the yonks ago century. It is all in ruins. It perches gloweringly over Saint-Romain Lower and affords the visitor commanding views over the valley and town below. There were very clear and concise explanations of its history, but all in excellent French, so the meaning completely escaped me. Sorry. But it's really gorgeous and well worth 'discovering' - especially on a bike!

Rivers and Cafes

I did go for a stroll along the Bouze River. Upstream. Lovely clear water and fish to be seen swimming about like there ain't no tomorrer! Fishing must be prohibited, because otherwise you couln't see fish so close to town. Some were definitely truitte, but other big ones were brown. They were easily scared though and you had to creep yo on them, carefully, carefully.

The river was developed on either side as a park. Quite beautiful. Very soon, and over a little road, the path turned into a much bigger park that contained a small lake and some intriguing play equipment. Sadly, for me , it had closed some 20 minutes earlier at 6:00 pm. I MADE A PROMISE TI MYSELF TO RETURN HERE SOME DAY. That day will be today.

Before that, however, I have returned to Cafe l'Abottoir.




This, you will recall, is the scene of my hasty retreat some days ago when I had eaten too much of the entree and had no room left for the main course. Today is different. Today I am roaring with hunger.


... and just as well, because the set course is whopping. Start with salmon on slices of pain on a bed of shredded lettuce with vinaigrette to die for. This is followed by terrine served by oneself from a huge terrine dish. Next comes the main course - today, stuffed pork, carrots and peas. I have foresworn the cheese dish and have gone straight to the dessert - mousse au chocolat.



Total price? I do not have l'addition yet, so I'll let you know ... [Total cost: €12]

In any event, (have always wanted to write, "... in any event"), the meal was delicious and much more than this little koala could bear.



By the way, the wine is also 'help yourself' from the bottle plonked (sorry) down beside you.

Oh yeah! And then coffee ...

Scrummy AS! All in the company if the working men (mostly) who must come every day.

A driving/fishing adventure

Another unseasonably warm day here in Beaune today. Yesterday was not so good, but grey and occasionally watery drizzles possess a certain charm while motoring through the countryside in rural France.

While driving about a couple of nights ago with the intention of charging the car's battery, I chanced upon a road leading NW out of Savigny. I had made a little promise to myself to explore further the next day.

What? What's that you say? Flat battery? What a goose! How did THAT happen? We, it happened because I am a silly goose and left the lights on while I took the audio your of the Hotel-Dieu the other day. Remember, I did it for you, so you cannot be critical! [Or CAN you?]

Anyhow, orf I nipped on this sunny day. Up through the hills. Not quite in the Morvan, but alongside it. Lots of forest, but no shortage of gorgeous little villages and hamlets. On the other side of the range I found another canal. You KNOW how much I love canals! This, you will recall, is in quite the opposite direction to the earlier canal mentioned in another blog. At one stage I found myself driving along the towpath. No chance of turning around, so I was looking for a bridge that would take me to the road on the other side of the canal. This eventually came into view ( I knew it would) and I drove up the ramp with the intention of driving over the bridge on the left.

Ahead of me, though, were three simple fisherfolk, going about their tasks with good humour. One of these chaps was in the process of catching a good-sized trout (truitte in French - "twee"). I could tell by the huge splashing in the water that the said fish was creating in a vain attempt to preserve its life (wouldn't you?). It was too much for me and I motored over the road and parked near them.




Turns out that it was a rainbow trout of more than good size. The chap was happy to have his photo taken in celebration of his mastery over Nature. Here are the photos.




This is the sort of adventure is one can one can have in the Cote d' Or! New chums around every corner. New canals to discover and fishies to be pulled from them (IF you are clever enough and use the right sorts of maggots for your bait).

Hotel-Dieu

Sunday's ramble was topped off with a visit to the Hotel-Dieu, the huge building that Sunday's ramble was topped off with a visit to the Hotel-Dieu, the huge building that dominates the centre of Beaune. This was a hospital, set up by Nicolas Rolin - a very wealthy chap indeed - and his wife, Guigon de Salins. They decided that a hospital was needed for the poor. This they did in 1443. I took the audio tour and bought the book, so now I am a complete expert on everything there is to know about it. Here are some questions you would probably arks me (along with some erudite answers).



Question: Was the Hotel-Dieu set up by this immensely wealthy couple in order to gain the favour of God? Answer: probably
Q: Is the name of the river that runs through Beaune really the Bouzaise River? A: Yes.



Q: Is the Boozy Creek a tributary of The Bouzaise? A: No!
Q: Does The Bouzaise flow right underneath the Hotel-Dieu, thus facilitating the capture of drinking/washing water AND allowing the getting rid of effluent? A: Yes!
Q: Is the Hotel-Dieu an astonishing feat of medieval engineering, beautiful an well-worth a visit?A: Yes, yes, yes and YES!!!



In the photos you can see the beds lined up on either side of the hallway - 15 each side. The outside courtyard shows the splendid roof. Mostly it was the poor who were catered for, but there were other parts for those who could pay. A real public/private model! Patients resided here until 1966 apparently!




An annual wine auction is held each year in Beaune of wine produced in the area and donated to the Hotel-Dieu to keep it and the new hospital going. Caroline has an American client, Bill, who bought a number of nearby wineries and donated them to the Hotel-Dieu in memory of his late wife. Don't get your hopes up, Dear Jude!dominates the centre of Beaune. This was a hospital, set up by Nicolas Rolin - a very wealthy chap indeed - and his wife, Guigon de Salins. They decided that a hospital was needed for the poor. This they did in 1443. I took the audio tour and bought the book, so now I am a complete expert on everything there is to know about it. Here are some questions you would probably arks me (along with some erudite answers).

Question: Was the Hotel-Dieu set up by this immensely wealthy couple in order to gain the favour of God? Answer: probably
Q: Is the name of the river that runs through Beaune really the Bouzaise River? A: Yes.
Q: Is the Boozy Creek a tributary of The Bouzaise? A: No!
Q: Does The Bouzaise flow right underneath the Hotel-Dieu, thus facilitating the capture of drinking/washing water AND allowing the getting rid of effluent? A: Yes!
Q: Is the Hotel-Dieu an astonishing feat of medieval engineering, beautiful an well-worth a visit?A: Yes, yes, yes and YES!!!

In the photos you can see the beds lined up on either side of the hallway - 15 each side. The outside courtyard shows the splendid roof. Mostly it was the poor who were catered for, but there were other parts for those who could pay. A real public/private model! Patients resided here until 1966 apparently!

An annual wine auction is held each year in Beaune of wine produced in the area and donated to the Hotel-Dieu to keep it and the new hospital going. Caroline has an American client, Bill, who bought a number of nearby wineries and donated them to the Hotel-Dieu in memory of his late wife. Don't get your hopes up, Dear Jude!


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Beaune Sunday

So the Sunday plan was to hop up late, ring Dear Jude, put some washing on and squirt into Beaune to chase some Sunday Beaune Action! It's cold today and raining, so I do not have high expectations of great things. But here I am. In the same restaurant as I landed in on Day One. I am near the door, so when someone enters/leaves, a cold giraffe enters as well. Seems as though that's all right because a lady just came in with a cold giraffe AND a cute little cold doggie! Here is a photo of two chums lunching together I'm the Beaune manner.



Inside the marketplace today is a collection of winery representatives flogging their produce. €10 entry gives you your VERY OWN glass and then off you go tasting, tasting, tasting! The problem was that drinking alcohol was the last thing I felt like that early in the day, so I wandered around a bit and then left. Sober and happy (photo of market place wine sale below).



My lunch just arrived - a Bourgogne pasta specialty. In the Grazyna Kulig way, I have included a photo BEFORE I hooked into it.



Yesterday was Beaune market day. It was the second market I had run into since arriving in France two weeks ago. Typical market, occupying a dedicated market hall and spilling out onto the streets. Weds are not enough, so here are some photos.

While strolling around I heard the quiet voice of Sache: "Hullo Brian". "Sache!". "Great to see you! Actually it's Graeme." And guess who ELSE was with him? YES! Stella and Goofy! Both with their very best market manners in place. Both of them VERY well behaved. I asked Sache to teach me the rudiments of wine drinking and he agreed. He will call
me. I must say it was a hoot to bump into a familiar set of faces at the market. Very homely and welcoming.


I might have mentioned that old Sache is about to set up a business taking visitors around the countryside tasting and sampling the local wines from the many, many wineries offering 'degustation' and sales. Let me say that there would be NO BETTER QUALIFIED PERSON than our Sache for such an enterprise!



That'll do youse for now. I know I was slack for a day or two just past, but I was in the process of settling on to Maison Pat and getting to know the friends and family. I hope to be a better correspondent from now on.


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Pat's House

Here I am in Echevronne! In Pat's house! Pat and Xavier tootled off to Xavier's joint yesterday afternoon, leaving me in charge of this huge house for the next week. How generous is Pat?




The house, at one stage, was the home of the Echevronne priest and there was a little chapel on the grounds somewhere. Also there was a graveyard somewhere on the block. Pat, who has lived here for some thirty years, has dug up bones and teeth at one time or another in the course of tending her garden. THAT is not a 'problem' any of us has encountered now, is it?




Apparently Pat's husband took off with one of his students a couple of years ago, leaving her in the house. Xavier came on to the scene, via an online meeting, about 6 months ago and things have been 'progressing well' since then. Problem is that there has been no divorce, much to Pat's annoyance, and - to further complicate the issue - Pat's husband has tired of the girlfriend and cannot get rid of her (according to Pat). Xavier has not met Pat's husband, but has seen photos. He reckons he saw him in town yesterday, but shied away, not wishing to speak with him.

So here is a possible scenario, more scary than the Walk in the Black Forest of last Sunday:

1. Groombles is tucked up nicely in Pat's house in Echevronne.

2. Pat and recent friend have taken off to friend Xavier's house on her way to a wedding in Manchester

3. Pat's husband (PH - I don't know his name) decides he has had it with the girlfriend, and head home to his house and wife in Echevronne to re-state his claim.

4. Enters the house with shotgun ("just in case").

5. Spies Groombles all tucked up in house, all comfy cosy.

6. Imagines Groom-Choom to be Xavier (they haven't met).

7. No French words of explanation come quickly enough - he is still trying to commit the word for 'eleven' to memory.

8. PH raises the firearm in a jealous fit of tormented rage and ...

9. ... the rest we shall leave for the work of your imagination.

10. By the way, the French word for eleven is 'onze'.

Nothing of the sort is going to take place now, is it? No! Unlike the forest adventure, where Lou calls of "HULLOOOOOOO!!!" could possibly ward off misdirected gun shots, there is little to be done to prevent the above occurring. I shall just have to keep my head down.

One thing is for sure. Pat has been very generous indeed to let me stay here for the next week. It is a very comfortable home with a big screen television with lots of dubbed movies to watch at any time of the day. Or sport (rugby, soccer, curling). Or news (Sarkozy vs Hollande). Or ...