Day 21 - Saturday 21st May 2005 

Overnight we had one of the most violent and certainly the loudest thunderstorm I've ever experienced.  It was amazing, we all got up and watched it through the attic skylights.  Scary, but great fun.  It dawned a grey but reasonably warm day and we set off for the markets in Beaune.  On the way down as we were travelling along the N6, we notice a cyclist "fanging" at a great rate of knots down a steep country lane intersecting ahead of us, Cameron hit the brakes and the crazy biker shot across in front of us missing us by a fraction.  Apparently there was a race going on but the cyclist had arrived at the intersection before the race marshals could close it off.  Exciting stuff.  We arrived at Beaune, by the scenic route because of a sign malfunction.  The food stalls are marvellous, we picked up some olives, pate de foie gras, garlic, artichokes, asparagus, saucissons, cheeses, salad, baguettes etc. and dropped it all in the car.  We then toured the "Hotel-Dieu" or the "Hospice De Beaune" a "Palace for The Poor" constructed to ameliorate the misery of the local populace following the Hundred Years War in 1443.  It is a grand edifice, a solid stone building with a roof of multicoloured glazed tiles in geometrical patterns.  Towards the end of the tour there is a hall filled with marvellous tapestries and a room with a Polyptych (a series of panels depicting The Last Judgement), though it was produced in the 15th century, the colours were so brilliant that it could have been painted yesterday.  There was a very large magnifying glass, about 40cm in diameter, in front of the artwork, which the curator could move around to magnify the marvellous detail of various areas of the painting.  We headed on back to the old mill and had a late lunch of the meat and salad from the market.  We then went for a walk around the village of Clomot, past fields of fat suspicious cattle, and capering young lambs. There were a lot of old stone farm buildings, a few being restored as holiday homes, a fortified farm house, an old church and a rather large chateau.  We walked back down a winding country lane lined with hedges and wild flowers.  Bumble bees were bumbling round the flowers (these are pretty big at least 150mm long).  We waved to our friends, the farmers at the top of our lane and then ran for home when the rain started.  I started the fire tonight while Judy and Cameron prepared dinner, we started off with the artichokes, then we had the lamb chops we had picked up in Pouilly-en-A.  Lovely.  We accompanied it all with 2000 Chablis - Grand Cru Les Blanchots and a nice red Burgundy.  Rest of the night was spent round the fire.