Last legs ....

This is our last driving leg …. to our Beune destination. An early start again hoping to follow some of the country roads that we think the race will follow. Found our way into Autun successfully ... parked, found a tourist info centre and a map showing where the race would pass through the town. We were set!! Have checked it out ... and Lex has decided on a vantage point ... if we can get from Beune to Autun on that day!!! On the road again...

Ooops, missed the turn again … and we are headed directly for Beune. But look what’s around this corner … the top of a magnificent chateau!!! We headed towards it, as you do … to discover a beautiful, narrow winding road crowded with beautiful old buildings … many of them wine cellars. Too early for that … and not a good plan when we’re driving … so we continue up to the chateau .. which just happens to be open .

It was stunning …. from the outside as well as on the inside. We were able to wander around some parts on our own but needed to join a guided tour (in French) to see the main buildings. Amazing to hear that something so grand was built in one year (somewhere in the 1200s I think) was substantially demolished after the revolution … and reinstated to its former glory in the 1800. Dates may be incorrect, but you get the idea.
Driving on from there … there’s just miles and miles of vineyards. What a sight. Couldn’t believe our eyes. Vineyards and ‘caves’ (cellars) with degustation (tasting) everywhere!!!! But we were driving so didn’t stop.
Into Beaune … another medieval city with narrow winding streets and a ring road going around the old city walls. Our hotel is just outside the old city part. Wireless access … only from the foyer, but better than nothing.

We arrived at our hotel in time to see live coverage of stage one of the race on TV … with English commentary!!! Lex sat riveted to the TV at the final stages as Aussie, Robbie McEwen fell in a crash, but got up to eventually rejoin the breakaway (supported by his team) and come from nowhere to win the stage!!! How awesome. True Robbie McEwen fashion. Lex sat glued to the TV, watching for Robbie who is a known sprinter and also known to be invisible until right at the end. The commentators missed him until he rocketed to the front, but Lex didn’t. What a finish.

We had also watched some of the prologue from London on TV at Chissey en Morvan the day before, recognising all the buildings, monuments etc along the route because we had walked most of it. Great to recognise so much from personal experience.
Photos uploaded to Flickr...