After a lovely stay in Saint-Genis-Laval and trips into Lyon, we drove north to Beaune. Krista and Sophie took the train and I met them at the train station. Beaune was to be our last stop before heading home and we spent two days and two nights there. It was very easy to get to and we stayed in an apartment inside the ramparts, walking distance to everything.
What a lovely little town! Our first impression was that it was very quiet. The streets were all cobblestone and very walkable. They were very narrow so there weren’t many cars to dodge. Our apartment was remodeled only a year ago, so everything was really new and shiny and tastefully done (Ikea forever!!!). It was on the ground floor so it was nice and cool even though outside it was hot. The only drawback to the place was that although there were two shiny new bathrooms, neither contained a toilet. There was only one, next to the common area. What a difference from where we began our trip! The THING to do in Beaune is visit the hospice that dates back to the 1400’s. Even though I really wanted to go there, we didn’t. We just didn’t feel like paying to go inside the building. Instead, we wandered the streets and visited a lovely park with a boating lake, a small farm, a concession stand with espressos, ice cream, and other treats (and really good whipped cream!), a playground, walking trails, and horse back riding. We spent a lot of time walking around, but alas, missed the Bastille Day parade and fireworks. While there were tourists because Beaune is a tourist town, there weren’t so many as to feel overwhelming, but just enough to have restaurants and some shops open during a holiday.
Out and about in town:
Sophie pushing Victoria’s stroller:
Lots of pedestrian ways for Fiona and John to race on:
Of course there is a cathedral:
But for the first time on our trip, the cathedral was not open. The doors were locked so I don’t know what it looks like inside. Old, I’m sure.
The hospices from far away:
Saxophone players this way:
Fiona tried escargot and loved it! The following night she had her own order:
The waiter was surprised and impressed that such a young person was eating snails. She also tasted and loved Boeuf Bourguignon and Coq au Vin and we discovered that she really prefers adult foods to food from the children’s menu. That’s my little Fi!
Here is Sophie eating a chicken nugget:
Sophie reliably ordered chicken tenders or hamburger with frites. And I reliably ate many of her frites. Hee hee.
In the apartment:
Coloring in the hallway, next to the laundry bag:
Another carousel? Get out of town!
I told you, they have one on every corner.
The other thing to do in Beaune is go wine tasting. Beaune is in the heart of the Burgundy wine region. The vineyards go right up to the edge of the park we walked to. There were many wine shops and we briefly considered purchasing wine to send home, but time got away and we didn’t. Instead, we purchased wine and drank it. And boy was it good! And much cheaper than an equivalent bottle would cost at home.
The park:
The vines grow right up to the fence:
Hey, will you look at that! Yet another carousel:
Boating on the pond (I sat this one out and nursed Victoria while John rowed Krista and girls around):
I think the cost was about $5US for half an hour.
Krista:
If you look closely over Krista’s shoulder, you will see Wonder Woman leading a bunch of people in some sort of dance routine:
The highlight of the day:
To compare, when we take Fiona to the stable to ride a horse in Thousand Oaks (the only place we can do that without lessons and on a whim) it costs $20 for approximately half an hour. A walk around this park that lasts approximately 10 minutes is 2 Euros, or about $2.20US. No waiver to sign either.
A statue:
Cute ducks we saw, that ate bread out of Fiona’s hand:
Another statue:
We spent hours in the park and after walked back into the center of town and found dinner.
We were only in Beaune for one full day (and two half days). On our last day in France, we walked around Beaune more, did a little last minute shopping, and then ate lunch at the apartment. We got in the car after lunch for the drive back to Charles de Gaul where we were to spend our last night. The drive was nice, but much longer than anticipated, and at the end we were all grouchy due to the horrendous traffic we encountered when we got closer to Paris. Krista and Sophie took the train and had a relaxing ride, and so even though we left much earlier than they did, they arrived at the hotel first. We ate dinner in the hotel restaurant. It was rather disappointing after all the good food we experienced on our trip.
The hotel was right next to the airport although the website claimed it was across from Terminal 2. Really, it was across from the terminal, but outside the actual airport. And also, Terminal 2 is huge and has about seven or eight parts to it. The hotel was a Novotel, and it was ok, until we learned that the shower drain was clogged and water flooded the room. The hotel compensated us ... by giving us a bottle of water. We rose early and made it to the airport with plenty of time. We returned our rental car that by now developed a rather large crack in the windshield.
We ate breakfast at the airport. The little kiosk had all sorts of pastries, sandwiches, and quiche. Our flight was slightly delayed but other than that was uneventful. We enjoyed going up and down the stairs and Victoria, when awake, charmed everyone she met. We didn’t have a bassinet this time so she slept on us. The seats were not uncomfortable. We had some issues getting home because after messing with the rental car for a time trying to load all our luggage and install the carseats, we were informed that the car we were in was tagged for service and could not leave the lot. We hit more traffic on the way home, but made it eventually and all went to sleep soon after arriving.
Even though our trip began on a less than positive note (Fiona’s fever two days before, my mom in the hospital, the heat), it turned out to be a wonderful vacation and we all miss it still. Every where we went people were generally friendly and freshly baked croissants were plentiful. We spent some time at home trying to locate croissants but have not yet found a place that knows how to make them properly. We did find the funny looking peaches. Our garden wasn’t looking so good but has perked up since. Fiona attended the last week of camp, followed by swim lessons.
And that’s it. Victoria moved into her crib in the computer room and we are getting ready for school to start. I often wish I was independently wealthy, enough to be able to travel where ever and when ever. I am glad that Fiona will remember parts of this trip and already told me she misses France and the goats on the farm. I can’t wait until our next adventure, hopefully next summer, I’m just not sure where we will go!
Au Revoir!
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