BEAUNE, FRANCE

Rick Steves' Best of Europe in 14 Days

Sept. 8-9, 2008

A four-hour bus ride from Paris took us to the little town of Beaune in the wine country of eastern France. Except for the red tile roofs, the verdant countryside reminded me of Snohomish, Washington, where my grandparents owned a dairy farm.

For me, the time on the bus always flew by. It was a chance to sit back and enjoy the scenery while leaving the driving to Lou's capable hands. On the bus, Dave would prepare us for the upcoming sights, perhaps with a language lesson or a brief glimpse into a region's history.

Along the way, we might spot a picturesque castle, or learn about the white cattle, called Charolais, which are raised for the region's specialty dish, boeuf bourguignon (beef burgundy).

The streets of Beaune are quintessentially quaint, lined with lots of little shops and restaurants. See the "Tabac" shop above? We learned that's the place to buy stamps and postcards, not just tobacco products.

Here's our group gathered in the lush courtyard of the family-owned Hotel des Remparts in Beaune. Even our room keys reflected the region's best-known export!

We loved the candle-lit wine-tasting that evening in the rustic wine cellars of the Caves du Couvent des Cordeliers in Beaune. The wine is aged in oak casks as it has been for centuries. My favorite was a dessert wine (yummy!); Gene's was the pinot noir.

You can probably guess what we ordered for dinner that night in a little café in Beaune!

In our free time the next morning, Gene toured the Hotel Dieu in Beaune, which formerly was a medieval charity hospital and is now a museum. The main art treasure there is Last Judgment by Roger van der Weyden. I browsed through a few of the shops instead, enjoying the more attainable treasures!

Overall impressions of Beaune:

a captivatingly slower-paced town than Paris or London

charming shops and shopkeepers

another chance to use my rusty French!

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