South of Beaune and the eve of Bastille. Monday 13th July 2009.

Not far into our little journey this morning we spied these guys on the side of the road. They were from a travelling circus troupe and were an utter delight and pretty easy on the eye too. I loved their old bikes, the second one had to be pedaled to start it up, how quirky!

Our first stop was Chagny. We all hated Chagny, not everything about the little town - the lady in the tourist office was delightful, and the townsfolk were out and about sitting in the sidewalk cafes. There was just something about it that was uninspiring, it really didn't have much to offer. The canal areas were most disappointing. We were on the hunt for a nice picnic spot and pulled in to a shady table along side the canals. AJ was well and truly ready for lunch so we unloaded the Parisien and the sesame baguette and tucked in. The longer I sat there the more I hated our choice of venue. A few boats were moored in front of us but just beyond them was a view of the bottle bank and industrial bins. Cyclists passed on their merry way to which we all shouted 'Bonjour'. The replies came through mouths minus teeth, in heads topped with greasy hair. Where had beautiful France gone? We laughed and AJ told me to appreciate the little things in life and to be thankful. Thanks AJ, I'll remember that.

Santenay on the other hand was a delightful, picturesque and interesting village. It's on the cycle route and is a wine village so cyclists came and went from the village square as we sat under the shade of the umbrellas at l'Oulliette Restaurant. We had already picniced, so AJ and I revived ourselves with lemonade with fraise syrup and JR slammed down a few cold beers. It was hot today so we were all a little wilted so it was a welcome break. The cyclists all arrived with the same idea and I am sure felt twice as weary as we.




We arrived at Chateau de Santanay an hour before closing. It's crowning glory, literally, is its beautiful tiled roof. We were welcomed for a wine tasting by the friendly staff. JR enjoyed the reds, they were a little balsy for me though and the whites a little too floral. AJ was resting outside on a bench and when we returned to him he was fast asleep.

A kilometre along a little windy road leading out of Santenay is a church built in 1220, what a lovely sight to see.

As we drove home through the vineyards, every village beconed us with its aged beauty. We had to press on, we have places to be and people to meet tonight. Mental note to self, return to Montrachet...soon.

We all jumped in the pool, me after putting a pasta sauce of garlic, lardons and tomato on to simmer, developing the deep flavours. We ate poolside as the rumbles of a storm growled in the distance. We hoped it would not come to much and spoil the Bastille celebrations planned for tonight.

Bruno had invited us to Nuits-StGeorges for the eve of Bastille Day. They celebrate the night before in the small villages to ensure they have a party to remember, as people tend to flock to the larger towns of Beaune and Dijon on the actual night of Bastille. We were initially a little disappointed at the celebrations - a mere six or so stalls (Bruno was manning the shooting arcade of which AJ scored a mighty three from four shots! We had expected the food to be simple but good - it wasn't; see the extensive menu... We indulged in the frites, they were, we declared - the worst in the world. The frites were cold, the coke was warm, JR's official review of the beer was summed up in one word, "Drinkable". Fancy celebrating Bastille Day in the heart of the Burgundy wine region and there is not even a wine on the menu!





Hmmm, serve me up a plate of lard! Hang on, make it a double, I went easy on the butter with my toast this morning!

Despite all this, it was simple, intimate and endearing. It was funny for us to see small children, some only seven or so, letting off large fire crackers beside the crowd that had arrived to watch the big fireworks. No one batted and eyelid as rockets shot past them, it was all part of the fun. Quite different to back at home where fireworks are illegal (they are aren't they?). I have traumatic memories of the boys at school chasing me with fireworks, it scared the pants off me.

The big fireworks were special, not big in comparison to back home, but big because life is simple here and a night like this is spectacular just because it is. AJ, JR and I huddled under two umbrellas, sheltering us from the rain and we watched the night sky light up with gold dust - a moment that will forever be etched into my memory.

We drove home along the Route des Grand Cru. The vineyards along the way were blackened by night as were the villages. Despite being cloaked in darkness, the villages were marked by explosions of colour shooting high into the sky above them. We knew that below the bursts of glittering colour, communities were coming together for a night of simple pleasure - just as we had done.

Birthday Boy! Saturday 4th July 2009.

Skype did not stop this morning with calls to wish JR a happy birthday. While Mum and Dad were on skype, they watched JR answer the phone in the background, the person on the other end hung up when he answered with ‘bonjour’. Soon after, their phone at home rang. It was Linny and Pete from New Zealand. Linny said to Dad, “You have given me the wrong number to call John for his birthday, some French guy answered”. We all laughed at her thinking JR was French, although he is getting pretty good. So, Linny and Pete called back and John had a great chat to them, it was lovely.

Birthday cards had arrived at Combertault so it was nice for JR to have mail from home, thanks to all who thought of him. We spoiled him with beautiful coasters made of stone from a nearby village called Nuits-Saint-Georges, they are decorated with prestigious wine labels and will be a lovely souvenir of our time in Bourgogne. Alex had made a special card and gave JR his favourite box of Bouchee chocolates. JR was so surprised as none of us had seen them since leaving Australia until now. Grandma and Papa gave him matching coasters to the ones I had bought to make up a beautiful set that I am sure will be treasured always.

We set off for the Grand Cru wine road and settled in at Restaurant de la Tour at Nuits-St-George, the same village the stone was from used to make John’s coasters. Restaurant de la Tour is owned by two brothers who specialise in regional dishes; we ordered accordingly. I began with escargot cooked in their shells (I can hear you oohing and ahhing Francake!) with parsley and garlic butter, they were delightful – John tried them and thought so too. The meat was quite tender but had the typical resistance expected of escargot, but certainly not the rubbery consistency sometimes experienced when these little delicacies are overcooked. They had been cooked so perfectly, the parsley in the butter was still a bright green making them a delight to look at. I am happy to say I did not flick a snail or shell across the restaurant, I diligently clamped them and pried the flesh from the shells without incident. I cannot wait until my next encounter.

Next was Boeuf Bourguignon, all dark and mysterious on the plate, served with a tangle of buttery pasta, we all ordered the same for our main course, yum! I finished with a gingerbread infused crème brûlée. You all know I am a big fan of the brûlée and although it was a lovely flavour, the addition of gingerbread left me longing for the velvety texture of an unadulterated brûlée.

We wandered around the village, again, so pretty, neat and clean. I found an interesting little shop called Fruirouge & Cie who sell products of foie gras, escargot in many guises, jams, syrups, preserves, rillettes, confits, soups, oils, etc, made by a group of passionate and dedicated farmers from all over France. We dropped into a nearby village to speak to the couple who organise it but they were away on business, I will email them and set up a meeting – how exciting.

With me behind the wheel after John’s enjoyment of a local pinot noir at lunch, we drove around the back roads lined with lush vineyards, whose vines are becoming laden with brand new bunches of green grapes. The transformation is lovely to see after only seeing bare vines during our time in Lyon and surrounds.



After enjoying a wine from the vineyards of Chateau de Premeaux with lunch, we decided to call into the estate to enjoy a wine tasting, one of JR's favourite passtimes. I was interested to learn that they do not necessarily want the international tourist trade as these visitors only usually purchase a bottle or two instead of the bulk quantities the locals purchase. Claude and Arnaud were warm and friendly and we did have a lovely tasting of some soft and fruity reds, the first tasting of many we hope.




We sung happy birthday to JR back at home and ate our rich chocolate cake. It was yummy and I think AJ did a great job. He decorated it himself too. We made JR shut his eyes and surprised him with a bunch of fresh rosemary from the garden. JR had been craving his favourite sea-salt and rosemary potatoes since leaving Australia, we have asked and asked at markets and so far have not been able to buy it. Now we have the healthiest rosemary bush in our garden, just in time for a big, birthday batch of rosemary potatoes. Happy birthday JR!