Arriving Beaune 2013

Quite a gap since I last blogged, isn't it? Sozzles! Anyhow, to get you up to date, DJ and I 'trained it' from Penzance to Beaune in one day! Sounds like a slog, but really an enjoyable tootle through time, space and culture. We had risen early, deep in the bowels of Cornwall, hopped on the train to Paddington, on to St Pancreas, through customs on to the Eurostar, over and under to Paris, on to Dijon and thence to Beaune. A short walk to 28 Rue de Lorraine and we were home! Again: Pheeewww!

... And home it certainly felt like. It's a stunning town and a lovely apartment. I didn't quite carry DJ over the threshold, but we did have enough energy to hoik down to the super marche to get some basic provisions (read "alcohol"). ... Tomorrow Andy and Grazyna arrive.

... And so it came to pass that Andy a d Grazyna arrived, just as I said they would! They had taken the train direct from Charles de Gaulle airport to Beaune. Now this sounds like a good idea, but in reality it takes quite a few more hours because it runs to Lyon first (1 1/2 hour wait) and then north to Beaune. For future reference for you readers of this blog, and to be FAIR to A & G, coming via Dijon involves getting to Gare de Lyon by RER first. This is a teency bit awkward, but in all it saves around 2 hours travel time. Just think on THAT!

A whole new level of pleasure can be attained seeing one's town through new eyes. And did their four eyes shine! Unless they are great actors, A & G were thrilled with this 'city with attitude'. Graz has found a Max Mara shop that had eluded the gaze of DJ and they were. Both were smitten with a tour of the Hospices de Beaune, complete with audio guide in English. Although the motive for building this hospice could be called into question (X believed he could guarantee himself a possy on heaven for his efforts), building a shelter for sic poor people in the 15th century deserves all the praise we can muster today. Care for these people at the hospice spanned 5 centuries, the last nun leaving for retirement only in the 1980s!

We have eaten 'in' most nights, first with a boeff bourignon created by Yours Truly and last night a coq au vin styled by Grazyna last night. SCRUMMO! WE HAVE NOT HAD A BAD BOTTLE OF WIME either!

Yesterday (Monday) DJ and I came up to Dijon to buy two bicycles from Gino at Valandro Cycles, leaving A & G to do some discovering on their own. 8:30 am train for DJ and me. Straight to the bike shop and BLAM: "la ferme Lundi"! BLOODY CLOSED ON MONDAY! Disappointed only briefly, after some time spent staring hard at the shutters on the windows, DJ and I headed for Ikea on the new tram.

Returning to Beaune by train heavy laden with goodies for the apartment (we had intended cycling back from Dijon) we ran into A & G down the street and had a drink with them.

Yesterday (Tuesday) the four of us trained it to Dijon for a good poke around, collected the bikes and trained it back to Beaune. We are now fully equipped with two flat-bar road bikes to take us and/or our besties through the rolling Burgundy countryside. You just HAVE to come now!

Toodles!