Beaune, FranceJul 23, 2012
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Interesting process to see them position the gangplank
Map of the old city of Beaune, France
Major sight was the Hotel Dieu, a hospital for the poor
| Our first breakfast on this Viking ship. It was crowded and a little difficult to navigate the tight buffet area. With our “little black boxes” (listening devices) and ear piece we boarded a bus for the drive to Beaune [Bone] in the Burgundy Region. We had an excellent guide with a great sense of humor. The main sight today was the Hotel Dieu, a 15th century hospital for the poor sick folks; quite a wonderful place for those days and the poor health conditions. On to a wine “cave” (their word for an underground cellar) for a wine tasting. Good review demonstration of how to taste wine; just wish I'd have liked the wine. (Actually the tiny pieces of bread they served to clear the palate were quite good!) After some free time we were back on the bus to return to the ship for lunch. We tried their buffet lunch in the lounge but though the food was quite tasty, sitting in barrel chairs to lean over tiny low round tables did not work for us. Safety Drills on river boats are short and simple: don your life vest, climb the steps to the top deck, find your assembly # hanging on the railing, answer 'yes' when your room number is called, and ...that's it! A Snap! (There are no life boats on board as the canals and rivers are not much deeper than the height of the top deck.) We tried the French Tea at 3:30 and were disappointed with their 3 “French pastries”. At the 6:45 Captain's Welcome Cocktail time we had a free drink and met some crew. The Captain's dinner at 7:30 was quite good. Our evening entertainment was our Program Director giving a French cheese lesson and tasting. Of the 4 selections we preferred the new-to-us Comte. As it turns out it is supposed to be the one most popular with the French people. Thus endeth our first day with Viking River Cruises. |
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