Near the end ...

When I Dijon I always take at least one lunch at Restaurant O'Bareuzai. Right here on Rue Francois Rude! Me and countless numbers of French chums especially like to gather here after finalizing our purchases at the market. It's grouse!



Sadly, that is where the story of Groombles having lunch with all French chums ends. The real story is not pretty. The fact is that, having ordered soup and grande cafe, a quick reference to my watch indicated that there was a shortage of time to get to the station at 13:26 for the trip to Paris. I found the waiting chap and told him of my dilemma, but he shrugged and indicated that it was too late - the order had gone in. Now I have more than a sneaking suspicion that this was something of a porky. Nevertheless, I returned to my seat and waited. Finally I HAD to leave, and this I did. Quickly. I shall return some day and order soup and a grande cafe again. In the meantime the chap is just going to have to suck it up and get on with his life. I know I did the wrong thing. I just know it. But clocks cannot be turned back and I AM sorry. A bit.

The corollary to the story is that the train was a good 20 minutes late leaving Dijon Central. I would have made it easily. The main thing is that I am aboard and hurtling across the sunny, green landscape. Dear Jude had booked a first class seat, do I am in the lap of luxury and just about to head off to the dining car for that coffee I missed out on ...


... We cut now to the Rue Moufetard, where Gen Blanch and I have just finished a a wonderful dinner together. Gen had the cod and I had the calves brains. Both were beautiful, but mine was tastier. Gen has just left to attend to family responsibilities. I am left to ponder what life would be like here in Paris ...



You see, the thing about Paris is that there are SO MANY PEOPLE! Today, Saturday, was the first weekend day when the sun was shining. EVERYBODY (but everybody) was out enjoying the sunshine. The result was chaotic catastrophe! Shoulder to shoulder the Parisiennes took to the streets bustling and bumbling along the boulevards, rues Nd squares. People everywhere! More than just a little bit scary! I am not sure that this is a good place to bring up your kids. Maybe THAT'S why Dear Jude and I chose Wangaratta.

So this is the end of the trip. Tomorrow (Sunday) I head off to Charles de Gaulle airport to hop on an Air China flight for home. It has been great. It has been intriguing. It has been educative. It has been wonderful! Home is great and it is the place to which I must now repair.

YBP,

Graeme!

Maps, caves and parks

Finally I looked at a map. I remember a chum at school (Macleod High School) saying once that a map is good for showing you where to go, but not do good at telling you what you will find when you get there. I am not sure that this is absolutely true, but anyhow that is what I remember him saying. [the name of this kid escapes me, but I remember him to be something of a beatnik ...].



The map I looked at today was of Beaune and surrounding areas. And you know WHAT? Beaune I almost completely surrounded by canals! They are a good way out, but they are there nevertheless.



Another thing you'll find a lot of is 'caves'. For the uninitiated, these are cellars at which one can sample the produce (degustation), usually for free. So far I have been to a total of zero such degustation centres, except for the one last Sunday in Beaune. For that, where there were many wineries represented, the cost for a sampling glass was €10.



But every single corner you turn around here you will find a cellar ready to tip a couple of vats of wine down your gob. That, for me, will be living in the fast lane! But you need to have some poor sap to go 'designated driver' so that you 'do the right thing' driving-wise.



Tonight - Thursday afternoon, Paris time, I decided that enough was enough and I went to a degustation joint in Echrevonne, just down the road from Pat's joint. Jean was 'da main man' here and escorted me deep into his darkest cellar to run through the list of wines he produced. He knew Pat and asked if I had met Sache. 'Yes' to both. Pretty soon after, some peeps from London arrived. These were long lost friends and all were heading out for dinner later on. These Brits were in their way for a ski in the alps.

Jean took us through the full gammet (sp?) of wine. Starting with the whites and working our way through. I can tell you now that I am a TOTAL EXPERT on the nuances and various notes of the wine grown hereabouts. Mind you, this does mot come easily and normally takes years of painstaking study at prestigious universities. I picked it all up in a trice!

Sadly, I am restricted to only two bottles back into Australia, but Dear Jude and I will quickly see to them, you can bet your sweet bippy on that! Once again, words escape me, but this was yet another experience toiler feel that the Beaune district is the place to be!

Just prior to my drive 'home' to Echrevonne I walked out to the garden that had been denied me by the lateness of the hour some days prior. This park lay upstream of the Bouze River. Such a peaceful and relaxing place! There are some photos dotted through this blog. One of them is of the local rugby ground. Go Beaune! This last photo is of the Bouze flowing off towards the town centre.

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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