Chalon Sur Saone and Beaune

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Today's breakfast was eggs Benedict and I must admit it was the best sauce that I can remember having in a long time. We were scheduled for an early departure so we had a wake up call at 7 am for departure at 8:30. We were taking a bus from Chalon-Sur-Saone to Beaune. We had a beautiful ride through the Saone Valley passing vineyards all the way. We arrived in Beaune and were given a tour of the Hospices de Beaune, Hotel - Dieu which was a charity hospital that was built in 1443 and had patients up until the late 1980's. It is a beautifully restored building with a remarkable tiled roof. After the tour of the Hospice we had free time to enjoy the large outdoor and indoor markets. I couldn't resist and purchased some bright red strawberries. They are known for a rather strong smelling cheese, Epoisses (so of course we had to buy some of this as well). We bought the unpasteurized version and I hope to bring it home hidden in my suitcase for all who would like to try it. Apparently it has a very unpleasant odor but the taste is magnificent. I'll let you know later!
Beaune is just south of Dijon and you guessed it, is known for its mustard. Of course, we had get some from the local family run company called Fallot. This area is also known for Poulet de Bresse, a chicken with a red and blue coloring. It is so prized that it holds the AOC, the governmental designation given to the best vineyards. We got to see the chickens on display, some on rotisserie at the market. The market was so busy with locals buying their produce, their chacutterie (meats), olives, cheeses, fruits and of course breads. We had fun exploring this city.
After Beaune, we returned to Chalon for lunch on the boat. We chose not to take the afternoon optional tour and instead wandered the streets of Chalon to get a feel for this town. This town is a main shopping point for the area and Michael and I explored the streets. We walked through the pedestrian shopping mall on the Grande Rue Grande (it was only a 5 minute walk from our dock). They had cute boutique stores and some American stores. We walked to a small park and then back on Rue Gral Leclerc and to the Rue Coutureir passed the Hotel de Ville where we saw a wedding. We decided to stop and have cafe at the Bar de l'hotel de Ville before heading back to the ship.
It's now 5:40 pm and dinner is at 7 pm. We will depart the ship tomorrow at 8:15 am to take a car to the train station. We are lucky as some people will depart as early at 5:15 am! We will take a 9:16 am train to Lyon where we will find our rental car and then head straight back to Burgundy to explore the Caves and Chateaus of both Beaujolais and Burgundy vintners. This will be our first experience driving in France (at least they drive on the same side of the road that we do!) so keep your fingers crossed that we can find our way out of the city and on the right road. We understand that Beaune is about 1 1/2 drive from Lyon so we hope to have lunch somewhere in Burgundy, explore all that we can before heading back into Lyon to check into the Hilton Lyon for two nights.
This will probably be my last blog until Sunday night, after we get settled into the hotel. We are excited to still have one more week in France and can't wait to now explore on our own.
Au revoir! Bon Soir!

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Photos

Hospices de Beaune, Hotel - Dieu
Kitchen

Hospices de Beaune, Hotel - Dieu
Kitchen

Chateau De Beaune
Wine auction

Comments

[Sue Walsh]

hi
I have read your blogs and am amazed at how techno you are! It sounds like you had a fantastic anniversary trip. I hope you bring some pictures to the sales meeting next week. See you then.