|
|
Burgundy, France, July 2002Burgundy was the second leg of our three stop anniversary
trip. HistoryIn the middle-ages Burgundy (including Flanders, Luxembourg and Picardie) was governed separately from the rest of France. In fact it was one of the Capetian rulers who arranged to have Joan of Arc turned over to the English. The Dukes ruled the area independently from their seat in Dijon until Louis XI defeated Charles le Temeraire in 1477. At one point Burgundy stretched all the way to Holland, Lorraine, Alsace and French Switzerland. You can still see the multi-colored tile roofs in many of these places. Some say this Flemish style became popular after Philippe the Bold married Marguerite of Flanders. The area was a great religious center as well as a political power. The Abbey at Cluny in essence controlled the church in Europe for four hundred years. Maybe it was this power that helped Burgundy escape the ravages of war and the changes wrought during the industrial revolution to the rest of France. Burgundy remains today much as it did in earlier times, small villages surrounding by vine covered hills and watched over by Romanesque style churches. DetailsLodgingThe Hotel Ibis Beaune Central had mailed me excellent directions but, I missed the turn so we got to make a complete loop of the Beaune ring road. Are room was actually larger than I expected (67 Euro). It was spotlessly clean, equipped with modern furniture and had good storage. The best part of all is that it was right outside of the city walls and only a short walk to the Hospices de Beaune. DiningI made the unfortunate choice of choosing a restaurant that was not in the guide because the place I wanted to eat had a line. It was awful. I ate the first course but, it was so hot and stuffy inside that I had to go stand outside for awhile. We my main course fish arrived it was inedible. We then did something I have never done before, we paid for what we had eaten and left. Avoid Follets Brassierre on Rue Pasumont at all costs. I resolved that night to either make reservations and/or be patient enough to wait for a table. The next night we ate at Le Gourmandin on place Carnot. We opted to sit inside since it looked like it might rain again. It didn't but it was kind of cool. Our dinner was enough to erase the unpleasant memories of the night before. The cheese course was especially good as was the duck we both had for the main course. Continue Photos |
|
To book a trip or get more information send an email to
kelly@apostcardhome.com or call (281)334-0427
|
