Today is all about exploring Beaune and Dijon. The forecast was for afternoon rain, so we decided to do our "walking" in the morning and early afternoon.
We walked to the tourist office and rented an audioguide for Beaune. We headed off on foot to see the sites. First stop was the Hotel Dieu or the Hospices de Beaune - a huge building that was formerly a hospital for the poor. The roof tops in the inner courtyard are absolutely stunning with patterned tilework on many of the roof lines.
The inner courtyard of the Hotel Dieu - Hospices de Beaune - beautiful roof tiles
The "Great Hall of the Poors" at the Hotel Dieu - the side walls are lined with beds for patients
These are the beds where the nuns took care of the sick poor. Red curtains were used for privacy
Beautiful stained glass in The Chapel of the Hotel Dieu
We think this is where the "rich" people were treated - nicer digs!!!!
Beautiful gargoyles on the gutters at Hotel Dieu
The "belfry" tower in Beaune
Beautiful roses and irises in full bloom throughout the city
The Cour Musee du Vin - formerly the Duc of Burgourgne's original home
The Hotel de Ville in Beaune
The Porte Saint Nicholas - entry into old Beaune - Louis XIV entered through this gate
We returned our audioguides and then went to a boulangerie and got sandwiches for lunch. We took them back to our hotel and sat in the garden under the shelter and ate them with a glass of wine. It had started to rain so we enjoyed the garden at L'Octroi Saint Jacques instead of going to the park.
We then got in our rental car and headed up the back highway (not the peage!) to Dijon. On arrival we found a car park very near the middle of town and started out on "The Owl Walk" as recommended by Emilie. Very easy to follow and a great town to walk around. We started at the Cathedrale St. Benigne and then walked to the Place Darcy where an old city gate stands.
Gate to the City of Dijon at Place Darcy
St. Philiberte
The inside of the Cathedral St. Benigne
The Poste Grangier in Dijon - beautiful buildings
Les Halles - a huge market but it was closed since we were there in the afternoon
Bronze statue of Bacchus crushing the grapes in a square at rue Des Forges
We stopped at this restaurant for a coffee (and some glace - ice cream for Larry!)
Beautiful Notre Dame in Dijon - TONS of gargoyles adorn the outside - 3 full rows!
Better view of the gargoyles on Notre Dame in Dijon
Beautiful stained glass windows in Notre Dame - this was just one of many
St Michel in Dijon
The former Duc of Bourgogne's palace - now the Palais de Justice
Better view of the Palais de Justice
Typical scenic street in Dijon - beautiful architecture, clean and scenic
The back of the Cathedral St Benigne in Dijon
The side of the Cathedral St. Benigne in Dijon
We stopped along the way and I bought an assortment of Dijon mustards (moutarde) - some hot, some spicy. Yum.
By this time it was almost 5 pm and it had been sprinkling off and on. So we headed back to our car at the car park off of rue Condorcet. Easy to pay for the ticket and retrieve our car. Tim took the wheel and navigated us back to Beaune. Along the way we found a petrol station that had inexpensive petrol so we filled up (with diesel) for less than 1.30 per liter.
Not too much traffic on the highways until we got to Beaune - and it must have been rush hour. But we arrived back at L'Octroi Saint Jacques safely and parked the car. Time for some wine - so we finished the bottle that we had opened to have "a sip" at lunch. Tim took a nap while Larry worked on the blog and loaded pictures to the computer.
Dinner tonight was at L'Air du Temps - a restaurant just on the other side of the Hotel Dieu from our hotel - very close. I picked that out because my Mom loved L'Air du Temp perfume. The restaurante didn't disappoint. We started with a glass of Cremant (Burgundy sparking). We both got menus - mine with 3 courses and Tim's with 4. I had a ham terrine that was delicious and then beef bourgouignon made with the cheek meet of the beef in a metal pot. Tim had the escargot and then a fish dish. Dessert was spectacular - so, so good. And we had a bottle of St. Aubin 1st cru that I thought was one of the best we have had here. Delicious. I laughed because the sommelier brought the wine and explained in French that he had a big problem because he didn't have the vintage that was on the menu. The menu had 2011 and he only had 2012. I accepted the one he brought but then I explained to him in very bad French that in the US a waiter would NEVER (jamais) apologize for not having the right vintage - they would just serve it. He laughed and enjoyed the joke (which isn't a joke at all, unfortunately).
L'Air du Temp had good friendly service, good food, reasonable prices - and another almost 2 hour dinner with lively conversation that we enjoyed so much!
So during the dinner conversation, I brought up the "peage issue" again and Tim wasn't amused. He hates to be teased. So then he "teased" me about losing my umbrella. I looked and looked and looked this morning through all of my clothes and bags. No umbrella and I needed it as rain was in the forecast. I accused him to putting it somewhere that I couldn't find! He found humor in that. So while we were in Dijon I purchased another umbrella (parapluie) for 10 euros at the Monoprix. I had found a blue one at the "2 euro" store but it had mickey mouse ears and I didn't think Tim would want to be seen with me carrying that umbrella in the rain. More laughs! So just before we left for dinner, I found my original umbrella in my blue suitcase - stuck up in the side. I accused him of putting it there (but I'm sure he didn't) but it was fun teasing him about it. More laughs! We do have fun together.
Dinner ended with coffee - I've learned to order café allonge instead of café americaine - yeah!
A short walk home and then to bed. We have a somewhat leisurely day tomorrow to get to Modene in Provence. We hope to get to the Beaune market in the morning if the weather is good and maybe have an early lunch here at the B&B or in the park before we hit the peage. Should I let Tim drive through the toll booth tomorrow???? (:-)
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