Last weekend saw me in
Beaune, France. That’s pronounced ‘Bone’
and sits in the middle of Burgundy.
Let’s go ahead and get the
knee-slappers out of the way…
Visitors there are: Beaune to be wiiiiild!
As they say in the Burgundy
restaurants: Beaune Appetit!
Went for wine, but the city
was Beaune Dry! (Drum roll please!)
Bad to the Beaune!
Running out of these. How ‘bout you: Toss me a Beaune!
Ok, reprobates, let’s get to
the splendid weekend visit.
Most travelers’ first thought
is to kneel in the temple of Señor Google and beg the oracle for a list of THE
most popular things that will allow for significant name-dropping when he
returns.
Not I! This romantic adventurer rolls into a city to
hear the heartbeat, listen to the sounds, observe the natives, and relish the
ambiance. Settling into a crowded café for a bottle of local
wine is a great and necessary beginning. Far as I’m concerned the Google
approach ignores conversation or foreplay. Never wise on a first date.
A couple of ‘bonjours’ and a glass or two of wine later,
you’re relaxed and ready to tread the cobbles in earnest.
In Beaune’s case, my strategy
was to wander the streets and pick up on the melody of this historic city:
people sipping wine in cafés, parents walking their children, merchants
selling, shoppers shopping, neighbors visiting on the street corners, all in
the constant presence of ancient stone walls, cobbled streets, gently flowing
streams, and gardens that carelessly blend the colorful with the stately old.
I’ll delve into quirks of
history and sights of interest in another blog.
For now, let’s just take our time and steal glimpses into the avenues
and backstreets, the grandeur of the stone buildings, and the fascinating
details.
Beaune’ s a beautiful,
graceful lady who should never be ignored.
Usually, I confine myself to
a dozen photos or so. But, to give you
the full flavor, there are forty photos today.
Don’t’ worry. No captions. Sip and taste at your leisure, or gulp away.
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