Slept in this morning, despite going to bed around 10pm last night and feeling great. The only thing I need to take care of today is lesson planning for this week. The weeks go by faster and faster!
The tour with Gilles, Maggie and Megan was even better than I had expected. I still have no idea how to thank Gilles for taking the day to drive us around and stopping along the way to do some wine tasting. We left at about 9am and went to St. Gengoux le National, a small town in the Burgundy region of France. We walked along the streets of the medieval quarter and then went to the cave (winery). We did some wine tasting before deciding on which wine to buy. We must have tried at least 6 different wines and it wasn’t even 11 yet!
After buying a few bottles, we went to Cluny and saw what was left of the Abbey. According to Gilles, the abbey used to be the biggest building in France until it was torn down during the French Revolution to use the stone to build the house. Now, all you can see are the foundations and what is left of the pillars.
We had lunch in Cluny and then went to a Chateau. It was closed, unfortunately, but it was still nice to see it from the outside and look out at the bare vineyards that surrounded the castle. From there, we stopped at the Roche du Solutré – a prehistoric site that many prehistory buffs like to visit. Archeologists are still able to find the bones of horses and other animals that primitive humans used to chase up to the cliff and over the edge to kill them. We could have gone to the top, but is was very windy and making the temperature feel colder than it really was.
We then started to head back to the Beaujolais area. I didn’t know that the Beaujolais region was divided into several different types of Beaujolais. Each section produces a different variety of Beaujolais wine – each with its own unique taste and composition. We stopped in Fleurie, Morgon, and St. Etienne d’Oul…something to try to the different Beaujolais. I had never done so much wine tasting in a day! At one point I thought that I wouldn’t be able to taste the difference anymore since we had already tried so many. But, I was able to taste the slight differences between one wine and another without any problems.
We then started to head back to the Beaujolais area. I didn’t know that the Beaujolais region was divided into several different types of Beaujolais. Each section produces a different variety of Beaujolais wine – each with its own unique taste and composition. We stopped in Fleurie, Morgon, and St. Etienne d’Oul…something to try to the different Beaujolais. I had never done so much wine tasting in a day! At one point I thought that I wouldn’t be able to taste the difference anymore since we had already tried so many. But, I was able to taste the slight differences between one wine and another without any problems.
"Wine is the most beautiful gift that God made for man." - Platon
We got back to Villefranche around 5pm. Gilles spent his entire Saturday taking us around. Maggie and Megan had a great time too. Had it not been for Gilles, I don’t think that it would have been possible to take a tour like the one he gave us.
We got dropped off at my apartment and I was able to show Maggie and Megan my new pad. (lol) We then walked along the Rue Nationale and then made our way to the train station. They went back to Lyon and I came back to my apartment, watched a movie, and then went to bed.
Now, I’m going to do some cleaning and then get started on lesson plans. Another week, and yet another month, is about to being.
The countdown to Christmas and New Year’s will start soon.
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