Still recovering from whatever bug I picked up…drop dead exhausted at times and not much appetite
..
Before leaving Colmar on Monday, we stopped to visit Chateau du Haut-Koenigsbourg. This castle was built in the 12th century, on a mountain top, 755 m above sea level. Germany possessed the castle (and the Alsace region) until the Treaty of Versailles in 1919. The restored castle is designed on what it would have resembled in the 15th and 16th centuries. Furnishings and weapons were acquired at the beginning of the 20th century to illustrate the life and changing weaponry from the Middle Ages to the Thirty Years War. Besides the typical household rooms, the castle has a chapel and a hunting room.
Window view looking out into Alsatian villages
Beaune is the wine capital of Burgundy. The area is filled with grape vines and wine houses. The city centre is within the original stoned wall. The centre is now a drinking, eating, and shopping area (in that order
.). Todd had one of his best meals to date at Le Galion in the city centre escargot and duck breast in a green peppercorn sauce served with delicious scalloped potatoes (he generously shared
).
We are staying at a B&B just outside the wall. Beautiful gardens and many seating areas are part of the 4500 sq/m backyard. The owners produce their own wine from various plots of vineyards in the Burgundy area. All red produced here is Premier Cru Pinot Noir. A free tour of the cellar and tasting is offered we indulged .
Just inside the walled city is Hotel-Dieu, a hospital for the poor, built in 1443 by the chancellor at that time and his wife. The finest materials were used to ensure their existence for centuries. It was classified as a historic monument in 1862 and has maintained its principles of charity and care. In 1971, a new hospital was built nearby and caries on the principles of the past. The Hospice de Beaune continues to fund itself with the production of their own wine very renowned and very expensive ..
Just outside the city wall is Beaunes only remaining mustard factory Fallot Company. It produces 5% of Frances mustard. After WWII, cultivation of mustard seeds grew less and less profitable until it was finally abandoned in the area, forcing companies to go outside of France, especially to Canada, where mustard is a more profitable crop for Canadian farmers. Currently the mustard plant blooms again in the area. Both Dijon and Burgundy mustard are manufactured at Fallot and come with the added flavours of walnut, honey, black current, green peppercorn, white wine, gingerbread, basil, or tarragon.
Wine and Mustard from the same neighborhood !
Our last night in Beaune, we had our best meal to date (I even ate about 2/3 of mine .). The meal started with a complimentary beet dish; Todd had a steak, grilled tomato, and baked potato; I had Beef Bourguignon, grilled tomato, and baked potato. A great meal to end our time in Beaune .
Observations
– A LOT of people smoke in France.
– A LOT of people have dogs saw it all one night,
dog sitting on the chair at the restaurant patio
. Given a special dog water dish by the waiter
. Shared the owners ice cream for dessert
.
Most regularly used phrase between us Dont step in the dog sh#t .