Bonjour Beaune

We had decided to end our European adventure with a few days in France; one night in the wonderful ski village of Valloire, with chalets littering the mountain-side, and then on to a town we had stayed in before.

We had fond memories of this place, with its beautiful centre, its rustic ways, and of course, its wine.

And unsurprisingly, the town of Beaune is one of my parents' favourite places to visit.

We arrived at our hotel, Le Home, which was utterly gorgeous, with shabby chic interiors, floral wallpaper, and a sophisticated, Parisian feel. 

It was a shame my dress clashed a bit with their prints...

Having dropped off our luggage, we ventured off to the traditional square for a glass of wine in one of the many bars, and then for dinner at the local bistro, taking time to snap some photos in the early evening sun.

^ Yet another excellent quote from the lovely Julia Child...

The next morning, I woke after a brilliant night's sleep in the soft, comfortable bed, and was greeted downstairs with a delicious continental breakfast. We had a quick wander around the hotel grounds before setting off back into the town.

 I was also lucky enough to meet the master of the house while we were there.

I can thoroughly recommend staying at Le Home if you're in the area - who doesn't love a little bit of luxury? You can find their details here.

Our first stop that morning was the local tourist train, "Visiotrain", as we had remembered riding it a decade ago and were fairly shocked to see it was still going {!}

We trundled through the narrow streets, snapping away...

... before escaping out into the nearby vineyards to gaze at the expanse of grapes in front of us.

An hour flew by, and it wasn't long before we were disembarking and peering in the windows of the various shops and boutiques.

We picked up some local moutarde and a few bits and pieces for the home when I began to feel peckish {I know, I know, always hungry} Choosing one of the patisseries just off the main square, I stuttered some broken French but managed to leave with two splendid freshly baked quiches - Comte for the girls, and stinky Epoisses for the boys.

But lunch must always be followed by pudding on holiday, so we gladly pointed out which sugary delights we wanted in the bakery next door.

Our last hour in Beaune was spent, obviously, studying the local wine. Beaune is in the Côte de Beaune area of Bourgogne, one of the most famous wine-producing regions in the world. We tasted a couple in one of the many 'caves du vin', lingering over the Hautes Côtes de Beaune. 

After adding a few bottles to our already heavily-laden car, it was finally time to head back to our wonderful England. It really was the trip of a lifetime, but there's no place like home!

You can read all the posts in my European Adventure series here.