France 101 - Beaune - Chocolates, cakes , lovely gardens and a cracking municipal site

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Steadily heading north we finally bit the bullet and rang Eurotunnel. We got a crossing for Thursday at 1.19 which gives us a day to get to Beaune and visit the town, another day to get a few hours from Calais and a short hop, skip and a jump on Thursday morning for the train . £43 paid that was the easy bit. The hard bit was trying to contact them. The British number would not work neither would the french one. We tried times many and got various messages in French which we could not understand or got a beep and then silence. Never had this before. Still there is a first time for everything. Eventually after much trying , many permutations of the numbers the nice man the other side answered and took our booking.

All we have to do now is drive to Beaune through the beautiful Burgundian countryside. Vines as far as the eye can see . We are in wine growing country. The municipal site is a good one. I thought it was closed when I arrived as I stood in front of the door which would not open. I could see madame inside and I waved. She waved back. She sort of waggled her finger at me. I thought I was being chastised . She pointed to the left and then waggled again. Eventually she came over waggled her finger at the sensor and hey presto the door magically opened for me. I paid my 17 euro and she directed us to pitch 11. A hard standing pitch with ooodles of room for everything you could ever want. The sun was shining and it was warm. Typical as we were within throwing distance of Calais. The weather though true to form wasnt going to stay nice for long.

First job a quick shower in the lovely showers. A real treat before we walked back to find out what we could do with the barrier keys in the morning as reception would not be open at 7 when we wanted to leave. I will put a bucket out she said . She did. Left on the step in the morning was the biggest jam jar I have ever seen. Industrial size jam or marmalade tin already with keys thrown in.

The gardens everywhere in the town were a delight. The campsite had pink stocks, pink daisies and all manner of pink flower. This theme of colour was echoed through the town until we reached one part where the colours for the flowers were changed to yellows and whites. All very pretty. We had been to Beaune before but this time we found gateways we had never seen before. Huge palatial houses never spotted on previous visits . A busy town square in front of the Hotel Dieu. We have been inside on our last visit so gave it a miss . Along the way back I purchased chocolates , thin discs covered in pistachios, hazelnuts, a piece of ginger and something else. I bought four cakes , two with raspberries and strawberries delicately laid on top by Madame and her daugher who were partisserie chefs. Another two cakes one coffee and the other raspberry and thin flaky pastry. All neatly parcelled up and placed on tiny gold cards. I felt a million dollars carrying these treasures home to Suzy. I felt even richer eating them savouring every mouthful.

On the way back we were accosted by an American lady. Do you speak English she asked? Yes we do. She was looking for a cave and was wandering all over the streets. We admitted to not knowing where there was one but felt she was the wrong end of town. With hindsight and a bit more walking we felt guilty as we found said cave just up the road. We had sent her the wrong direction.

Back at Suzy we made plans for our run up to Calais. We planned to stop at a campsite we had stayed at a few years ago at Serancourt le grande. However it is all grass and the weather had turned again stormy. A grey sky leaden and full of rain which eventually fell on us. We changed to another site Le Haute Paille again one we had frequented on another trip. This one was out of town , grass and nowhere to eat on our final night . That settled it - its Guines or bust. A meal at the Ferme Gourmand or bust . We made it Guines easily. Paid up , parked up like Billy No mates, I took the first swim of the holiday and we dined on thick pate more like a terrine , tomato soup , beef in red wine with cauliflower, half a carafe of wine, two espressos and ice cream for Glenn and local stinky hard cheese for me. The holiday is over. Bientot mon ami .

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Comments

[Home and Away]

Sad words...the holiday is over...
and I'm sorry the weather was so bad. I'm Following others who are vacationing in southern Europe...Spain, Portugal and southern France...and it is raining everywhere. I hope the weather improves by September when I have to walk across northern Spain.

[JenGog]

sad indeed
Yes Bob it is sad especially when the sun has repeatedly shone here since we got back. Ah well still had loads of adventures and plenty to remember. I hope it is not too hot for you in September and that if you get rain it is just at night .