BOURGOGNE, FR

 BEAUNE CHILLING, BAD TO THE BEAUNE, AND BEAUNE APPETITE.

We flew from Naxos to Athens to Paris, took the Metro to the 14^th arrondissement (south of the Latin Quarter and St. Germaine) and walked 10 min in the pouring rain to our hotel.  Ah Paris!  Even in the dark, cold, and rain it casts a spell on you.  After shaking off the wet and checking in we wanted a warm, French bistro after weeks of Greek food.  We don’t like the red awning restaurants along Paris’ major boulevards, so we asked our check-in host if he could recommend something intimate to our preferences.  He pulled out a card and said “others’ have liked this place”.  I was skeptical since he had a stack of their cards.  We walked to the major thoroughfare and sure enough it was under a red awning.  “Non!”.  (Ticked me off that we asked for a recommendation to avoid this kind of place, and because he gets a kickback, that’s exactly what he recommended).  We passed a small poisson restaurant with condensation fogged windows on a side street and went in.  Delightfully Parisian!

 

Before Teigan arrived the next morning we walked the two miles to Notre Dame.  The entire block is fenced off with photos, cartoons, and diagrams to repair after the 2019 fire. Quite the process. 

The spire collapsing on fire in 2019

It's taken several years just to stabilize the building and then clear it.  It was scaffolded at the time of the fire which it melted and fused.  Many blocks were threatening to collapse so they used robotics to clear debris before stabilizing them.  They document each stone and statue they remove and conserve it.  Now they are in the process of building the wooden arches that will support the flying buttress stones until it's all self supporting.  Then the'll tackle the "forest", the timber framed roof.  Quite the tragedy but not unlike what many cathedrals have gone through over the centuries.  We are just a witness to history.  

Notre Dame sans Spire and with explanation

Notre Dame new buttresses on wooden jigs

One personal reflection is comparing it to rebuilding damaged Chartres Cathedral.  After lighting destroyed one of its spires in 1506, they rebuilt it some 300 years after the original construction.  Of course by then there was a different Gothic Style.  So the cathedral is famous by embracing the styles in which is was built and rebuilt.  Today the plan is to replicate Notre Dame's spire exactly - I wish it would have been done to reflect our century.  

Chartres Cathedral with 1506 spire on left and 12th century on right.

Teigan met us at our hotel and we walked to the rental car at the train parking structure. After far too long to process us we left the city.  Driving out of Paris it was nice having three navigators: Teigan, Robin, and Sari from Google.  We only missed a few turns.  After driving for three and a half hours through the wind and rain we arrived at Beaune in the gloaming.  Our AirBnB, owned by retired Emil, had a gated gravel courtyard for parking (nice amenity in these small towns).  He wasn’t available to check us in so an old woman who spoke not a lick of English explained how everything worked.  Sort of understood.  The location was on the edge of the historic Centre Ville and very convenient.  

Courtyard and gate of AirBnB.  Room on right.

As we walked the town in the dark, rain and cold, our foodie Teigan looked for a restaurant.  With low blood sugar, and getting punchy, the puns came one after the other.  Robin was Beaune Chilled; Bill was Bad to the Beaune (why do I always get this?); and our foodie was Beaune Appetite in the best Julia Child accent.  

One of several plazas in Beaune on a sun break the next day.

We spent the next three days exploring the wines of Bourgogne in and around Beaune.   Most wines in the world are some kind-of blend based what the vintner wants to express in the grapes for the final taste.  Unlike Bordeaux and Rhone for example, Bourgogne region only grows two grapes by law: Pinot Noir for red and Chardonnay for white (there is a third, Aligote, but not much).  Most of the new world wines are called by the primary grape.  In the old world it’s more by the region’s terroir from general region to specific plots or Crus.  I finally got an on-the-ground understanding of Bourgogne’s Terrior and their labels: Cotes, Region, Premier Cru and Grand Cru. To keep this brief, I’ll only say that California has given the chardonnay grape a bad reputation:  It’s oaky, buttery and cloying.  We usually reply “A, B, C” when asked what kind of white wine we like (Anything But Chardonnay).  However, a white Burgundy is crisp and complex.  Fabulously balances fruit with acidity and minerality – the way we like them.  They all are a true expression of their Terrior.  (If you like Calif. chardonnay, please take no offense – it’s only MHO.)  We are also not great fans of Pinot Noir, a little light for us, but again in Bourgogne it takes on a different complexity and we thoroughly enjoyed several bottles.

One of many small Bourgogne villages with their vineyards sleeping.

While staying in Beaune we visited Dijon, famous for its mustard. While we think of Grey Poupon as Dijon it’s not made here but near LA.  However, the recipe was originally from Dijon developed by an Englishman (Mr. Grey) and a Frenchman (Monsieur Poupon).  France's main brand is Maille, which is owned by Unilever, a client of Teigan’s firm. She says they pronounce it “My”.  

Teigan bundled in front of Maille store.  Very Spicy mustard.

The city has a great history as the Duchy of Bourgogne from the 12^th to the 16^th centuries and a fabulous Beaus Arts Museum in one of the palaces.  The Centre Ville is a UNESCO site.  They also have a Hotel-dieu - Hospice of Beaune.

The Hospice for the poor was built by a wealthy trader in the Middle Ages. The poor suffered terribly after the 100 years war and plagues.  He donated the funds toward the end of his life and I think he wanted some good deed on his ledger as he looked toward his maker.  The roof is typical colored tile of the region and the interiors are splendid.  As they lie in bed (two to a bed) the altar is in front of them so they don't have to get up to go to mass.  Very considerate.

The three of us reflected in a plaza tree ornament with the palace in the background.

Next post:  Alsace