Monday we left Paris and headed toward the burgundy wine region. We were startled by the many fields of brown, unharvested sunflowers and dried corn that looked like victims of extreme heat and/or drought. Burgundy was a world-wide reputation for wine but the land devoted to vineyards is relatively small. Those in the know informed us that the topology and geography is such that the grapes from one row of vines will produce a very different wine that those just a few feet away.
There are many, many small towns all devoted to wine production so we stopped for one night at Avallon so that we could tour the northern towns of the region the following day. Having eaten mostly at restaurants in Paris, we cooked our first healthy meal in a while and relaxed.
The next morning we went drove to Vezelay and hiked to the top of the hilltop town famous for its Basilica of Saint Madeleine. The Basilica is huge and beautifully simple (especially compared to those in Paris) and holds the supposed relics (e.g., bones) of Mary Magdalene. It was a destination for many a pilgrim for centuries and is a stop on the Camino de Santiago. After touring the basilica, we went out to the gardens for its hilltop views but saw more signs of heat stress in the fields.
Next we headed to Semur-en-Auxois where we got a map from the TI and just walked the streets and ramparts as well as Rick Steves’ suggestions. We parked outside of the medieval walls and walked into the town. It was lovely with it's romantic massive, round towers and broad ramparts. That night we camped at a site in the middle of vineyards and watched as the sun set across the vines. We bought a local wine and Epoisse cheese (from the town of the same name which we had passed) to have with our dinner. The wine was very good but the cheese was too salty.
Wednesday we drove through wine country and vineyards as we traced the wine routes south of Beaune. We toured Château de la Rochepot. It looked like a fairy tale with its patterned roof, towers and well in the courtyard. We enjoyed the very interesting kitchen and furniture.
We then drove up into the cliffs and took pictures of the small burgundian towns below. We were back to threading our large van through medieval streets and Dermot was back to being nervous.
Thursday we drove through a few small wine towns north of Beaune then changed to a campsite closer to town. From here we walked into town and visited the beautiful Hôtel-Dieu which was the hospital in Beaune from 1446 to 1971. The pictures showing the roof are quintessential burgundian, except that the original roof had even more colors making the patterns even more fantastic.
This was mainly a hospice for the poor. Due to the complete lack of understanding as to how disease spread, it's probable that most of those who came here in the early years "would have been better off left in a ditch outside" according to Rick Steves. It is now a museum which includes displays to show how the hospital looked in operation, beautiful 15th and 16th century tapestries, and a splendid masterpiece of an alter piece. There was also a fascinating pharmacy (I took extra pictures for Theora). Of note was that the most common medicine was a cure-all that included herbs, wine and opium.
Beaune is a vibrant town that seems very real and liveable. There are interesting old buildings with carved stone sculptures over doorways and modern shops on the ground floors. There are many nice bistros and cafes inside the walled town and many places to taste wine.
On Friday we took care of essentials, relaxed, then walked to town for dinner at a lovely restaurant. We ordered a bottle of wine I didn’t think we’d finish in one sitting - I was wrong. We then wove our way thru the streets - yes, we were weaving. We were excited to see “Les Chemin de Luminieres” which translates to”The Paths of Lights.” After dark, they project “light animations” onto seven emblematic buildings. The scenes changed frequently and many were enchanting. There was a bell tower onto which they projected an orb of light threading along the side of the building being chased by a kitten and then appearing to enter into the window.
Saturday we visited market day and bought local cheeses, sausage with nuts and figs, fruits, veggies, olives and bread. We then prepared meals in the camper with our haul and went into town at night to see more of the nightly show.
Sunday we packed up and headed south thru vineyards in the Mâconnais région. We stopped at two small towns with lots of history.
Chapaize
This town grew around its benedictine abbey but only the 11th century church remains. Dermot and I marveled at the support columns which leaned outward and we took turns pointing out other structural anomalies. You'd really need faith to worship here! There was also a plaque with the names of the people who died in WWI from the tiny town reminding me of the terrible toll of the war that was supposed to end all wars.
Nearby Bracion is a tiny town with an out-sized history. At its peak there were 60 residents but now there are only a handful. It's big attraction is a romanesque church with thick columns and some surviving frescoes from the 11th and 12th centuries. There was a scattering of paper confetti hearts and other shapes we guessed meant three had very recently been a wedding here.
The town still had a single entry point, defensive walls, a covered market, a castle and was as cute as could be. Link to more history and photos here.
Though the afternoons can be hot, the signs that Fall is coming are all around us.
Very nice post, another lovely trip through interesting small towns with ancient buildings. I loved it and I always love the pictures.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad Barbara! It's so nice to have you along for the trip!
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