Beaune and back to Paris - Day 12

We continued our journey back to Paris after our breakfast at the hotel in Lyon. We stopped at Beaune, the wine capital in the centre of Burgundy. What is the best thing to do here? Wine tasting, of course! We visited the wine cellar of Reine Pedauque, a famous producer here. There is a nice courtyard after entering an imposing gate.

We entered the cellar for the wine tasting. We got to taste a number of red and white wines but the cardinal sin (to a wine connoisseur) is that the same glass is used for all the different wines.

At the end of the tasting, you get to keep the wine glass as a souvenir. Out tour manager gave a hint on how to pack the wine glass in your luggage to avoid breakage - stuff your socks inside!

The tasting continued at the mandatory wine shop where patrons can offset some of the cost of the free wine!

 

We admired the outside of the wine shop and other surrounding buildings while waiting for our tour bus. 

 

 

We then made our way to Paris and thus my France Travel Blog comes to an end. The trip in Paris itself is given in my Paris Blog here. It was a wonderful and enjoyable trip. Au revoir!

Grasse, Route Napoleon and Sisteron - Day 11

The next morning we left Cannes and went on the Route Napoleon to Lyons. Our first stop was at Grasse, the perfume capital of France. We dropped into one of the many perfume factories, Fragonard. There were old chemistry instrument on display and we toured the modern laboratory.

Checking your fragrant bar of soap and the nicely packaged perfume for your wife or girl friend at the shop. Or both!

We were on the Route Napoleon. This was the route that Napoleon took on his escape from the island of Elba back to Paris. It was a scenic hilly drive into the Alps. The first rest stop was at Castellane. Long queue at the public WC with the chapel atop a cliff keeping a watchful eye on the proceedings.the Gorges du Verdon as backdrop.

Castellane is the starting point for those visiting the Gorges du Verdon. The town has a certain charm.

We continued on the Route Napoleon where Simeon gave us a history lesson on Napoleon. Nice scenery along the route, it makes one wonder how this feat of building the road through the mountains was done.

The lunch break was at Sisteron, a town famous for its sheep. So guess what we had for lunch? Lamb, of course. It was tender, tasty and cheap as the set meal of the day.

The town church and its interior.

Colourful stained glass.

The town square.

Other shots of the pleasant town.

Our next rest stop was at a meadow where we had our group photo taken.

Our careful driver and our clowning tour manager for rememberance.

We reached Lyon in the evening and had our dinner at the hotel. It was out of town and there were no outing tonight after a long bus ride.

Ronald Kwok