Bye bye Beaune - 05/01/13

Ben and Penny are picking us up this morning to take us to the train station as we are off to Innsbruck so we are up early, not wanting to miss at least a small experience with the wonderful market they have every Saturday in Beaune.  The streets are closed and the whole city centre turns into a giant market place......beautiful fresh produce, loaves of bread, candy, oysters, fish, meat and poultry (still with their heads and feet!).  There are also clothes, underwear, hats, baskets....you name it.

But we are soon on the train to Dijon then to Zurich.  We meet a very exuberant gentleman who was head of the LA Cultural Affairs Department in the 80s and also directed a group of Aussie actors in "The One Day of the Year" in Tokyo so there is some very lively conversation to pass the time.

On our way to Innsbruck the family sitting next to us used to live in Clayfield, the father went to school with Gordy (he was the year below so knew Gordy's brother) and his kids were friends with my Godson, Sam!  Talk about six degrees of separation!  The only Aussies we've run into over here have been people we have had a direct connection with!

We book into our hotel - The Weisses Kreuz - First mentioned in the city chronicle in 1465, Mozart stayed here in 1769, so it has quite an extraordinary heritage.  This hotel was recommended so I did no research.  Compact room, postage stamp sized television (no English channels)....it is neat and clean but I probably would have gone for something with a little more room.

 

We wander out to find a restaurant for dinner and come upon an Austrian beer house.  We are sat down at a table with a single diner but soon the conversation is flowing....our companion is a 27 year old seismologist from London and needless to say sever al wines and beers later we are asked to leave at about 12.30am!  A good night was had by all!