Beaune, Burgundy

Friday 18th September

Beaune

The morning was wet and grey but not cold. And Hemingway’s aphorism about Paris being a movable feast can certainly be applied to all of France. Today we started with a tour of the Fallot Moutardie (mustard) factory which ended with a tasting of 4 different mustards and small sample pots - which we used on our ham, fromage and tomato baguettes for lunch.

Followed by Michael driving all of us to Chateau de Pommard the biggest and best? Wine maker in the whole Burgundy region and who continues to thrive and prosper from cellar door sales alone. Included in the tour of the wine making process and cellars was a tasting of 4 different wines and a 43% proof spirit, followed by entrance to the Dali exhibition in the chateau’s own gallery (the owner is an art and Dali buff and has some amazing sculptures in the courtyard: an enormous melting clock, a unicorn, St George slaying the dragon, etc.,). The exhibition included small sculptures and prints but did not represent the more contentious, shocking, challenging, controversial aspects of Dali. But the glimpses of the vineyards through arches and giant doorways of the mansion, in the heat of the afternoon were “superb” (the French do incline towards the use of superlatives).
Another aspect of the French psyche we have gleaned is we think there still may be a castle mentality in their makeup. Especially due to the existence of high walls everywhere, through which occasionally as a heavy wooden door opens we catch a scene of a beautiful garden in a courtyard surrounded by apartments, or whole factories which are just not visible from the street.

Then a short nap before participating in a Wine Tasting of three local producers where we may or may not have educated our palates in the appreciation of fine wines, including an understanding and articulation of the wines’ finer points. But we will bore you to death with our expertise when we return.
Then to round off a perfect day we all attended a Jazz concert by two bands: Festen Quartet & Amina Sextet. This was a novel experience for me but I reckon I got Jazz for the first time and it was a lovely walk home at nearly midnight in the warm rain.