Bienvenue à Beaune (Welcome to Beaune!)
The first stop on our travel itinerary was Beaune. I had seen pictures like the one above of Beaune and thought that all of the buildings would look something like that. Little did I know that the location pictured above used to be a hospice.
Although the buildings didn't look quite like the one above, they still had some character, especially our hotel. When we entered, we were guided out to the little court yard garden in the middle of the property where we were welcomed by the owner and her staff.
After taking a short break to get settled in our rooms, we took a short stroll around town to get oriented with our new surroundings. RS Tour Travel Tip: Pay attention on these neighborhood orientations. Small towns like Beaune can seem easy enough to navigate on your own, but they can be just as easy to get lost in.
Following our walk around the neighborhood, we were treated to a wine tasting and demonstration in the wine cellar below are hotel. I thought they were only going to give us one white and one red wine, but we had several of each.
Wino Travel Tip No 1: Be careful ascending the stairs after a wine demonstration in a wine cellar. You may bump your head or miss a few stairs on the way out.
Wine tasting was fun, but not as exciting as trying new foods! Guess what we had for dinner? On Rick Steve's Tours they try to cater to most tastes and gave us choices. I tried the salad because I thought it would be safe. Little did I know what lurked along the edges of my salad bowl...but alas it wasn't so bad.
SUPRISE! Its escargot and head-cheese? What is this head-cheese? It had a nice flavor to it, and so did the escargot. Unfortunately I cannot say either "tastes like chicken." The escargot tasted strongly of garlic and butter and smelled really good. I just had to get past the fact that I was eating snails. And then there are those cute contraptions they give you to extract them out of their shells. And again I ask, what is head-cheese? I Googled it and found that it is a meat jelly made with flesh from the head of a calf or pig. Meat Jelly...
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It was definitely a step outside of my food comfort zone.
The rest of dinner consisted of normal foods we'd seen or had before like beef bouillon and potatoes. The best part of dinner though was getting to know our tour group and trying new things of course, even if a little meat jelly is included.
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Beaune - Day 2
We arose early to beat the crowds and headed over to the Hotel Dieu. We found our way there pretty easily and walked right in. In the main courtyard, it was as if we were the only ones there. We picked up audio-guides to learn more about the hospice.
It was built by the Duke of Beaune’s Chancellor, Nicolas
Rolin and his wife as a refuge for the poor following the Hundred Years’ War.
It was said the Rolin had it commissioned not only to benefit the poor, but to
atone for his earlier sins and secure a place for himself in heaven. The most unique piece in the hotel by far was the Last Judgment Altarpiece by Rogier van der Weyden.
We left the Hotel Dieu with 1/2 hour to get back to our hotel to catch the bus. Since we had ample time, we stopped and picked up some scrumptious macaroons at a local boulangerie (bakery). Then we started walking...and walking...and walking...until somehow we ended up near the edge of town. I attempted to ask directions with the French I remembered from college and high school, but we kept getting turned around.
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We eventually managed to find our way just as our tour group was lining up to head to the bus. Phew! We cut that a little too close. RS Travel Tip No. 2 : Don't be late when its time to catch the tour bus. You don't want to be the one(s) to delay the trip. Its so embarrassing. So we were the ones to get lost in the smallest town on the tour, but at least we worked together and found our way.