France - Day 23

18-Jun-2007

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France - Day 14
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France - Day 17
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France - Day 23
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France - Day 25
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France - Day 28
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France - Day 30
France - Day 31

 

Day 23 - Monday 23rd May 2005

We got up fairly late this morning and headed into Dijon to update the web site.  We had tried a tried out he closest internet access point, which was in Poulliy-en-A., but that was just a kiosk affair.  The internet cafe in Dijon would let me hook up my laptop to their network.  It was still pretty slow and it took ages to update the site.  It was the only internet cafe that we found in Dijon and was in the Rue de la Liberte near the Place Darcy.  It was pretty busy when we first got their and we had to wait for a while so we did a little more touring.  Pity the market was not open on Monday's.  After loading up the web site and e-mailing our friends we set off south for the day.  We quickly arrive at the Cote de Nuits and stopped at a wine merchant in Gevrey-Chambertin.  We came away with a half dozen local wines.  Not 1er Crues but quite pleasant.  Kept heading south past expanse of vineyards with beautiful red poppies flowering at the road side.  There was quite a bit of activity going on among the vines with sometimes one person and sometimes whole groups doing incomprehensible things around the base of the plants. We drove down through Meursault, got lost in the little winding streets, spotted a caravan park and eventually arrived at the Chateau de la Rochepot.  (As an aside there were a very large number of caravans on the road, only one tandem axle.) The chateau, which looks like a fairytale castle, was built from about the 12th century.  Because of its location and fortifications it was never overrun.  We arrived about 5pm just in time for a look round some of the public areas before joining the guided tour for the main building.  The tour was conducted in French, but we were given English language scripts to follow and the guide often provided very good English commentary for us.  Everything about the castle was marvellous, the kitchens were amazing, the guard captain's room was quite sumptuous and the compact gardens in the keep would have been very restful except for the horde of French school children on an excursion.  They were having fun though.  We left the castle and headed north back to "Le Vieux Moulin".  Dinner was another extravagance of local produce and wine.   The weather was delightful outside so I settled back with my glass of burgundy and a Cuban cigar before retiring to the fireside for the rest of the evening.

 

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