Beaune in the Heart of Burgundy

Beaune is a small town in France’s Burgundian region whose major industry is growing grapes and making wine and so, it’s also a tourist town.

Down to Abbey

The perfect ending of our first day in France was dinner in a beautiful restaurant in the cellar of the old Maizières Abbey.  Originally, the cellar was built onto the wall of a 3rd-century Roman military camp. The monks owned it from 1301 until the French Revolution when the Church’s properties were confiscated.

A Curtain of Heavenly Light

Ile de la Cite is an island in the Seine River and the physical and historic center of Paris. Sainte-Chapelle, on the island, was a triumph of Gothic church architecture with stained glass like no other. It was built in the 1240s for King Louis IX to house the supposed Crown of Thorns.

Its architectural harmony is due to the fact that it was built in just six years and had only one architect (unheard of in Gothic times). Most of Europe’s cathedrals took hundreds of years to build, for example Notre-Dame took 200 years to build.

Notre-Dame Filled With Music

Notre-Dame is a 700-year-old cathedral that was, as Rick Steves says, “packed with history and tourists.” So true. A mass was being held so we got to experience it with beautiful music.

The Seine at Sundown…The Views Were Magnifique

Les Vedettes du Pont Neuf cruise began at Pont Neuf, Paris’ oldest bridge. It took us by many of the major sites in Paris including the Orsay Museum, the National Assembly and the Eiffel Tower. The setting sun made it all so beautiful.

Loving the Louvre

I was excited to see the Louvre because I’ve heard about this museum since I was a young college student. But, I was not too thrilled about the prospects of dense crowds and aggressive pick-pockets that we had been hearing about. However, we had a great time.

It was crowded, to be sure, but it was manageable, especially with our guide, Julian. And we didn’t notice any pick-pockets or feel threatened in any way. Again, I know we’ve said it before but, it was amazing to see such famous works of art in person.

Tuileries Garden

We really enjoyed people watching while walking through Tuileries Garden toward the Eiffel Tower.

The Eiffel Tower

Using our street map we made our way towards the Eiffel Tower. It is one beautiful piece of architecture. You don’t appreciate its size until you walk toward it.

The Eiffel Tower was built on the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution to be the centerpiece of the World Expo symbolizing progress and human ingenuity and was not meant to be permanent. But the French fell in love with it and so it still stands today. And it’s easy to understand why the French love the Eiffel Tower. It’s just so beautiful. Similar to owning a beautiful necklace, it doesn’t really serve any practical purpose, you just love it because it’s beautiful and it’s yours.

Arcs and Arches

Just down the street from our hotel was the Arc de Triomphe. This was our last stop before flying home.

We sat on a park bench in front of our hotel waiting for our taxi to take us to the airport and resting our tired feet. Some guy tried the old fake-gold-ring trick on us. Check Rick Steves’ tour book to see what that’s all about.  I quickly felt for my backpack to make sure I still had it and Julie ran into the hotel.

And Now…Where to Next?

This was a trip of a lifetime; made all the more special because we were celebrating our 30th anniversary. We had so much fun, met many new friends, and learned a lot. As we boarded the plane for the long flight home, we began to think about where we will go next.