We woke to a somewhat cloudy sky. The sun came out while we were in the breakfast room. Did I mention that Lloyd convinced the check-in clerk that we qualified for a free breakfast every day? He is still that silver-tongue-devil? He hasn't lost his gift! Daily breakfast consists of a very large, beautifully decorated buffet with everything you could imagine from fresh fruit, cereals, assorted cold meats and cheeses, a do-it-yourself egg poaching machine, a huge basket of fresh mini-baguettes and croissants, and of course, an open bottle of Burgundy wine.
On the way to the train station, just as we were about to cross the street, Lloyd grabbed my arm because a long line of sports cars was roaring up the street. Apparently we had encountered a Sunday morning road rally called "Pere et Fils" (Fathers and Sons). And they certainly were--all in very expensive sports cars (Porsche, Alfa Romeo, Jaguar, BMW, Aston Martin, etc.). Some were in top-down convertibles so we were able to check out the participants. Guess what they all had in common--they all looked rich!
After watching the race participants, we were off to the Gare du Beaune to catch the train to Dijon--another adventure for us. Lloyd mastered the billete machine and was able to purchase our round trip tickets to Dijon.
It's about a twenty minute train trip north to Dijon, so we soon arrived and were ready for our walking tour of the historic sites in the city.
After quick stop at the Office of Tourism, we were on our way. Several years ago the city fathers of Dijon had small bronze triangles placed along what is called the OWL's Trail surrounding the old city of Dijon. By following this route, a tourist is able to hit all the cultural and ancient highlights of the city. It is quite clever and convenient.
In several hours we were able to visit the Musee of Archeolgie, the Ducal Palace, and also see some of the spectacular tiled old houses throughout the city.
We completed the Dijon town walking tour in less time than we had allocated, and since everything was closed because it was Sunday, we hoofed it back to the train station to catch an earlier train back to Beaune. We still hadn't visited the Hospice de Dieu, built in the late 1400's by a wealthy commissioner to service the ills of the less fortunate of Beaune. It is quite an attraction and we were glad that we got back early enough to see it and before any rain spoiled our walking tours.
Tomorrow we head out for a private vineyard tour, so our feet should get a rest. Stay tuned for more details in our adventure.
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