October 6 - Beaune

This morning we went to Beaune.  This city is the main centre of the Burgundy wine growing area.  Burgundy wines are world renowned and each year there is an auction in Hospices de Beaune of these fabulous local wines. This auction is steeped in century old traditions.  The three other couples we are travelling with went to these wine cellars and had a tasting.

Each year, professionals, connoisseurs and wine lovers gather on the weekend of the third Sunday in November for festivities in the purest Burgundy tradition. Numerous events punctuate this weekend of festivities: street performances, folklore parade, gourmet village feasrs and a half-marathon through the streets and vineyards of Beaune.  Beaune’s great wine houses compete to be the most creative and organise prestigious tastings. In Beaune and on the vineyard slopes, winemakers offer tastings of old and new vintages in their cellars. Gathered into wine-making brotherhoods, they organise gala dinners and inductions of new ambassadors of Burgundy wines. The highlight of the weekend, is the auction organised by Christie's. It takes place on the Sunday afternoon in the Halles de Beaune. 

We've been to many wine tastings in the past and decided instead to go a mustard factory.  Here we were shown how mustard seeds are harvested and ground up into a paste.  This paste is combined with other spices that then provide their unique taste.   We made our own mustard but I must admit it did not taste very appetizing.

Brian crushing mustard seeds

The mustard seed tastes a bit like a nut, and then it takes on a bitter aftertaste, which is then followed by some heat.  One fact that we didn’t know was that about half all mustards seeds used in the production of Dijon mustard are imported from Canada.

A ward in the Hotel Dieu

We then went to the Hospices de Beaune . With its gabled roof colorfully tiled in intricate patterns, the Hospices de Beaune is one of Burgundy’s most iconic sights. Better known to some as the Hôtel-Dieu, it was founded in 1443 as a hospital to provide free care for the poor after the Hundred Years' War.

The interior looks medieval. It centres on the grand salle, more than 160 feet long, with the original furniture, a great wooden roof where many of the hospital beds were located.


The Hospices carried on its medical activities until 1971, its nurses still wearing their habit-like uniforms. Many of the old medical instruments are on display as were the beds, the pharmacy and the chapels.  Most of the instruments are downright terrifying.  The enema dispenser drew the largest laughs but still made most us cringe.

The showstopper at the Hôtel-Dieu is Rogier Van der Weyden's gigantic 15th-century masterpiece The Last Judgment. The painting was meant to scare the patients into religious submission.

The Hospices own around 150 acres of the region's finest vineyards, much of it classified as Grand and Premier Cru.  

Courtyard of the Hospice

From the courtyard you can see the magnificent tiled roofs, but from the village the roof is a dull black slate.  Apparently this was done to confuse thieves.

Our first sailing was from Chalon sur Saone to Tournus, where we docked for the night.

During the evening we had the captain’s gala welcoming diner.  It was a scrumptious five course feast.  For the main course we both had veal.  For our wine we had Cabernet Sauvignon from Chateau Andrea.  We love it on board because the wine glass is never empty. 

After dinner we went to the lounge where John regaled us with his musical accompaniment to Buddy Holly tunes on his spoons. Later in the evening Joan served the late night appetizers to entire lounge and ended her evening with a pole dance to the enjoyment of all.