billbauer

I know that I've said this before but this time I've actually "almost" caught up the blog.  This is Thursday.  We returned to Paris on Tuesday taking the high speed train to Gare de Lyon and a taxi to our hotel, Hotel Relais Bosquet, 7th Arr., near the Eiffel Tower.  Thanks to Tom & Marvin for recommending this little hotel in a great neighborhood. After getting grounded in the neighborhood, we head to the Eiffel Tower where we have booked a window table at the Jules Verne restaurant on the second level.  As you can see, we spiffed up a bit from our usual dinner wardrobe. Getting ready to go up: Our window table turned spectacular when a double rainbow appeared.  Even the wait staff was stunned and stood looking along with all of the diners. The tower's shadow: Night time fell during our six (seven?) course, three and half hour dinner. Highlights of dinner. Butter (hey, you take your highlights where you find them): Who knew foie...

Today's adventure was to the Chateau de Commarin, a moated "farming", as opposed to defensive, Chateau which has been owned by the same family for twenty-six generations. After lunch on board and our final "barging" of the week, we hit one of the culinary highlights: a visit to the Michelen starred restaurant at the Abbaye de La Bussiere, transformed from a Cistercian Abbey. We take appertif drinks on the patio, Kir, a local cocktail made from creme de cassis (blackcurrant liqueur) and white wine and dinner in the "bistro" dining room. Scallops and beets with tomato bisque: Beverly's adventuresome entree: snails: Sea bass: More molten chocolate cake: More dessert: Sadly, our stay on the Bonheur has come to an end.  We tearfully say good-bye to Paul and Annie after breakfast in the morning and Paul drives us to the train station at Dijon-ville and escorts us to the platform.

Today we visit the hilltop village of Chateauneuf-en-Auxois, a medieval village with a magnificent Chateau come fortress dating to the 12th century and used by one of the Dukes of Burgundy. The Chateau, with its high vantage point, has stunning views across the countryside.   The Canal-de-Borgorgne can be seen running from mid-left to the Village on the right in the picture below: Lunch today is taken at a creperie in the Chateau village. This afternoon we "barge" and take dinner aboard the barge.  Pictures presented in earlier posts.

Our next morning we took a beautiful, scenic drive to the Beaune (pronounced "bone"), the historic wine capital of Burgundy. It was market day in Beaune.   We tour the Hotel Dieu, a hospital founded in 1443 and used as a hospital into the 1960s and home to many beautiful tapestries. After the tour, we have our wonderful wine tasting lunch with Olivier LeFlaive in the famous wine village of Puligny-Montrachet sampling wines including a premier Cru and Grand Cru wine.