Fall Break - Burgundy

Beaune Market

Beaune Market

Hospices de Beaune

Hospices de Beaune

Hospices de Beaune

Hospices de Beaune

Hospices de Beaune

Hospices de Beaune

Maria and Steve at Rapet et Fils pur degustation de vin rouge & blanc

Pernand-Vergelesses

Beautiful views outside Pernand-Vergelesses

Vineyards are shared in Burgundy.

Serious wine made from this vineyard - memories from Steve's DC&E days

Main Street in Bouilland - could it be any more charming?

Our Hotel in Bouilland

We love France too! After Steve spent a couple of days at work, we headed to Burgundy for a weekend in one of the world great wine regions. And what a good decision that was. The foliage on the trees and vines were in full color and the views were spectacular. The trip was a delight for the senses, starting with a gourmet meal at our hotel including foi gras risotto and guinea foul with a 2001 Morey St. Denis - a favorite of Steve's. Good Burgundy can be so darn good. We spent Saturday morning on Beaune to visit it's market and the Hospices de Beaune and wine museums. In the afternoon we headed to taste wine at Domaine Rapet et Fils for a full slate of reds and whites from grand cru, premier cru and village vineyards. We drove around the area and spotted many of the famous vineyards that contributed to so many wonderful meals with friends and family. A weekend was not long enough; a return visit is in our future.

Fall Break - Venice

We have the book Olivia Goes to Venice. Kate loves this book; who doesn't like Olivia? After reading this a few times Kate made us promise to take her to Venice. Now that is a promise we wanted to make. After departing Bellagio, we took a leisurely drive to Venice for a few days there. We picked a perfect time to go as the city was less crowded than during the summer. It was wet, but we got our gondola ride in early enough to stay dry. It was an amazing feeling to walk around the city that was once so powerful, and was once so powerfully rocked by the plague - 40,000 dead. I could only imagine what the city must have looked like as it prepared to launch (and bankroll) the 4th Crusade and that the Venetian navy was once the most feared on the open seas. The inside of Basilica Catterdrale Patriacale di San Marco was breathtaking. We spent time on the local island of Murano watching the glassworkers making pieces of the famous Venetian glass; Kate and Steve toughed-out the rain for a quick jaunt to Burano, home of Venetian lace. We found our hosts warm most and inviting. We were glad to keep that promise to Kate.

Fall Break - Lake Como

We love Italy, and there is so much of Italy to love. One of the great things about living in Switzerland is that we are so close to Italy. We take advantage of that as often as possible. Fall break was cut short this year because of a business obligation Steve had, but we made the best of it with quick trek across the Alps. Normally we take the Mt. Blanc Tunnel, but this time we headed through Bern and over to the Gotthard Pass and took the 15km Gotthard Tunnel. This was a first, as was the car ferry we needed to take from Lugano to Bellagio. We stayed at a lovely hotel in Bellagio with spectacular views. We took advantage of the ferry system and traveled to nearby Varena, a small and sleepy town. We hiked to the castle to take in the views before settling down to more wonderful Italian cuisine. Wine with lunch became an easy norm to adapt during holiday. We had dinner at a local farm  and sampled many of the local cuisine including polenta, a favorite of Maria. We had a wonderful time.