We drove from Switzerland to France. We stopped at a bakery cafe in a shopping center along the way. Some tour members chose from other eateries in the shopping center. We opted for sandwiches instead of hot food so we could meet one of our goals of having fresh French baguettes. The ladies behind the counter upsold us the most delicious tarts and pastries; a Tarte Au Citron, a chocolate eclair, and a box of profiteroles. What a great welcome to France!
Back on the road, we enjoyed hanging out on the bus with our tour friends. Jason painted a watercolor picture of a door in Venice. Jody gave us dinner recommendations and helped us make reservations in French. She went over some helpful phrases and let us know what to expect in interactions. One tip she shared is to always say, "Bonjour!" upon entering a shop to be polite. Then we should practice/exhaust our French vocabulary to prove how abysmal it is before asking, "Parlez-vous anglais?" This strategy was effective for our family as we navigated France. We were able to communicate well enough to order at restaurants, visit the market, and get around Beaune and Paris.
Wine Tasting
Our first stop upon arrival in Beaune was Bouchard Aine & Fils for wine tasting. It was very educational as we learned about the different levels of grapes upon the hillside and how it impacted the quality of wine. They also taught us different details about wine production. The winery offered us our glasses for a souvenir, but most of us knew they'd never make it home in one piece. I took a cork instead.
Hotel Dieu
After wine tasting, we traveled to Hotel des Tonneliers with a little time to get settled before our orientation walk around Beaune and tour of Hotel Dieu, a historical hospital. The hospital was fascinating, founded in 1443. The building was beautiful and the museum informative. I enjoyed seeing the medical treatment displays, though a bit gruesome.
"Travelling- it leaves you speechless then turns you into a storyteller." Ibn Battuta
With the evening free, we enjoyed a French Bistro, Le Belena, where I tried foie gras. Quinn and Jason enjoyed duck and Elowen had a steak, I had chicken for my main entree.
After dinner we wandered around the town, enjoying window shopping at all the art galleries.