Wine? Yes please!

Today started well a traditional large quassaunt dipped in hot chocolate. It was then time to do my return to England Covid test, which one does three days out or nearer the time. It plays on your mind, what if I fail it. Well if you do you have to tell the authorities who cart you off to a Covid hotel, full of other Covid failures. Here you pay a fortune to stay until you pass a test! I bought my test on line through a respected company, you then photograph the outcome having logged in and they confirm if you do not pass go and go to jail. Luckily my test was fine so I can now travel home. Once, that is, I have completed the passenger locator form, which I can’t do outside of 48hrs before your arrival time. I’m sure better brains that me decided to make one a potential three day process then linked it to a 2 day out one! So it niggles in the back of your mind that you have to log in again, if you let it. I find with enough red wine not much niggles! Having got as far as I could test wise, I then drove to the Rock of Solutre, an area of outstanding beauty. There I found a beautiful valley to have some lunch with my car, and do a final toast to my parents. Sadly I learned last night that my favourite folk singer, no female singer of all time Nanci Griffith passed away last month, aged 68. Nanci wrote and performed many wonderful songs, some of which still resonate very deeply with me to this day. So I raised a glass to Nanci too and thanked her for the music. I’m sure she will entertain many with her songs and story telling upstairs. I then came back to my digs and went round the corner to a very famous wine producer, Louis Jadot, for a freeby tour and tasting, courtesy of Vincent whom I met the other day. I played a straight bat and enjoyed the sights and smells, basically hundreds of oak barrels full of highly prized vintage wine, then didn’t misbehave at the tasting! I walked away amazed by the attention to detail of the top names, and prices the Grande Cru wines command. I came back to my digs very content, and have since booked myself a slap up meal at a local French restaurant recommended and booked for me by the hotelier, who plays golf! We are now best friends! I have pushed back my tunnel crossing on Friday so I can do the whole drive to Calais on Friday and enjoy another day here in Beaune tomorrow. More to follow!Read more