Sat 21 May - Beaune

This morning we got up early to drive down to Beaune (about 100kms from our village). This is one of the bigger cities/towns in Burgundy and it was by far more picturesque then Dijon. The outdoor and covered markets were fabulous, selling everything from truffles to soap. One stall was selling bread by the kg. Huge loaves (about 2m long) were cut to size ! We stocked up on supplies of fresh strawberries, bread, veges and olives. The man on one of the vege stalls was wearing an All Black shirt! With our market bag full we headed to Hotel-Dieu. This is a hospital which was built in 1452 to house the poor who were sick. It was built in a very opulent style, unlike anything the poor of the time would have seen before. The Grand Hall Povres , where the sick had beds (beautiful wooden beds) also included a chapel. Other buildings in this complex included a kitchen, restored to its original state, a pharmacy where all medicines were made and several other rooms used to house the sick as well as works of art.

Next we visited the Musee de Vin (wine museum) for some history and insight into the local wine business.

Lunch was next and we found a lovely restaurant close to the market. This is only the 2^nd meal we have had at a restaurant since we arrived and it was superb! 18 Euros each for an asparagus and salmon cold soup, veal marinated and cooked in herbs with mashed potato, seasonal veges, a fabulous jus and pesto followed by a fruit crumble (washed down with a bottle of white Burgundy) which was delicious! The food in provincial France seems to be so much better than Paris!

After exploring a few more alleyways and streets we headed for home passing through lots of lovely villages on the way.