Best of Burgundy Day 8
Best of Burgundy
DAY 8 - Monday - 9-26-05 - Explore Route des Grand Crus and Beaune
We woke up to a cloudy morning but by the time we went up to breakfast the fog was starting to clear. We ate with Gloria and Jerry from Travers City in Michigan, Gloria is a librarian and they are both readers so we had lots to talk about. Our captain made a U-turn with the barge and we left the Saone River to get back into the canal system heading northwest. At the second lock (9:45 AM) we departed the barge and met our coach driver, Clemont who took us on a 45 minute drive heading to Beaune.
We stopped at the revered walled site of the Clos de Vougeot, where Cistercian monks are believed to have made the first red wines 1000 years ago. The abbey was originally built in 1280 and was almost completely destroyed in the French Revolution. It is situated on the Centfons River and a very rich and fertile valley. The monks still work the fields, raise cattle, and make specialty cheeses, wines, jellies, and honey.
We continued along the famed Route des Grands Crus, the northern half of the famous Cote D'Or. This limestone ridge, which runs from Dijon south towards Macon, is home to the vineyards that have made Burgundy so famous. Planted with Pinot Noir vines, an old and tricky variety of grape that tests the skill of both growers and wine makers, the landscape is divided into small plots and dotted with villages. To travel through is to bring a restaurant wine list to life. There were a few crews still picking here but most of the harvest appears to have finished for the season.
At 11:20 we arrived in Beaune, the main town of the Cote d'Or, whose rich soil produces many of the world's finest wines. This old walled city was exciting to walk through as we wandered through its winding cobbled streets dotted with outdoor cafes and open-air markets. Our first stop together was the famous 15th-century charity hospital, Hotel Dieu (also called les Hospices de Beaune), now a museum housing the original sick beds and art treasures accumulated over the centuries. The amazing part was that it was used as an active hospital until 1971. Directly across the street we were able to find an internet in a web café so we quickly downloaded the journal and photos and then checked our mail while the others were finishing the tour.
As a group we were treated to a wine tasting at Le Cellier de la Cabiote - (Click Here) where our hostess Marie, gave us an excellent array of white and red wines famous in this region of Burgundy. After trying at least six different varieties of wines and a black currant liqueur all followed by a light cheesy puff pastry, we did not feel the need of a heavy lunch. We stopped at a stand up café where I had a large piece of mushroom and cheese pizza and Gennie had a small broccoli and cheese quiche. We sat in the little park and shared a coke while we watched people and spoke to a Brasilian couple from Bahia.
After lunch I located an ATM that are found in conjunction with the French Post Offices so there were no service fees. We had a little more time to walk around, take photos, and browse in a few shops before meeting our friends at 2 PM.
We walked to the bus and then continued our drive along the Route des Grands Crus. We continued to pass some of the most famous vineyards in the world, where the rich dark red wines are created. On our way, Michel gave us information about the regulation of wines and how they are strictly named for the regions and not the type of grape. He also gave us a lesson on the terms used to describe the tastes of wines.
We made a brief stop at the Château de Gilly where we were able to take a few photographs of the beautifully manicured gardens of this 4 Star Hotel and Restaurant. On the other side of the road we visited the Château du Clos de Vougeot, a 124 acre vineyard surrounded by a stone wall. Below the Château we saw a group of young people sorting the newly harvested grapes so six of us walked down the hill to watch them wash, grade, and cut the large stems from the small Pinot Noir grapes. A young woman stopped production to give us all a sample, YUMMY!
Even though the streets were barely wide enough for the bus, our driver was able to maneuver through these tiny villages where all of the citizens are somehow involved in the wine industry. Famous wines have been made here since 640 AD. We stopped in the middle of one of the vineyards and Michel allowed us to walk between the rows to see the pickers actually clipping the grapes from the vines. These were Chinese students who are on a year work visa to study and pick.
At 4 PM we knew we had missed our rendezvous with the barge at the designated time and place so our bus driver tried to catch it by taking short cuts through the back roads of Burgundy. We arrived at the next lock only to see the Lafayette cruising away again. We quickly raced ahead and met it at the next lock. We boarded and cruised on towards our overnight mooring point of Petit Ouges. I had a chance to work on our photos while Gennie went for a short walk. I took the laptop to the bar and several tour members had a chance to see some selected presentations from some of our previous trips. At 7 PM we were called to dinner and we sat with Max and Irene from California and talked about traveling and their graphic design business. This dynamic couple (Max is the healthiest 87 I have seen) have been traveling all over the world and really put Gennie and I to shame with the number and variety of their travels.
Accommodations: Lafayette - - - Meals: B, D
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