Ruth:
As soon as my sister heard we were going to France she started researching different towns that we shouldn't miss and adding them to my google map of the trip. Beaune in the heart of Burgundy, was one of the first towns she included. We have not followed all of her suggestions but today we did taking a side trip on a beautiful bike route through vineyards and manicured towns to Beaune.
Beaune is famous first for it's wine, but secondly for the 15th century Hotel de Dieux, a hospice that cared for the sick from its opening in 1443 until the hospital was moved to a newer facility in 1971. Initially, in the hall for the paupers it was two to a bed, but with a view of the altar for mass.
It is a long day when you bike 50 Kms and then set off to sight see and I am looking forward to a day off the saddle in the near future. We completed the first thousand kilometres of our trip today, and we have not had a rest day since we were at the Atlantic.
Gordon: Of course, any day is enhanced by the sight of a Chateau de Vapeur or a Last Judgement. We have been fortunate in seeing both recently.
The Hotel de Dieu in Beaune houses a magnificent 15th century Last Judgement polyptych by the Flemish painter Van Der Weyden. The colours, the realism of the facial expressions, and the emotional content of the painting are extraordinary. If I had been a 15th century peasant it would have scared me onto the straight and narrow.
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