Day 29 - Tuesday 10th October - Cruise

Up earlier than we're used to - 7.15am alarm!  We were in the lounge for breakfast at 8am and ready to get on our coach for the first excursion at 9am. Breakfast is always interesting seeing what different sized people have for breakfast and it's the fatties that fill their plates to the brim with all things unhealthy. As always we've been starting the day with Môet & OJ and we think we're the only ones taking advantage of this luxury. We logged off the ship and boarded our coach with first tour guide Benedicte. We were heading to Beaune to see the Hospice de Beaune. It was founded in 1443 as a hospital for the poor. The buildings are magnificent! The wings of the two storied building are built around a stone courtyard. They have timber galleries or verandahs all the way around and dormer windows built into the beautifully ornate roof tops made of coloured glazed tiles arranged in lovely patterns. Inside the huge wards there are beds built along two sides of the room all connected together and each bed had two patients in it. Each bed had red curtains on both sides and white sheets and red blankets and a rope so they could pull themselves up. There is a small chapel at the end of each room so that the sick could be prayed for by the nuns (perhaps as useful as being bled). The ceiling was wooden with exposed, painted beams and was in the shape of an upside down ship's hull. It's all so beautifully preserved with murals painted on the walls so that the poor could be in beautiful surroundings. We heard all the history of the place and saw tapestries and paintings and I killed my feet hobbling over the cobblestones in the huge courtyard getting to the exit, which was of course through the gift shop. I think I bought a magnet but won't know until I pack all our things up to go home. We then had some free time in the town so we slowly walked around and looked at the shops which were mostly closed but we went into one of the many fancy wine stores and bought a nice bottle stopper and something for the Xmas tree. Then we were back on the bus and back to the ship in time for lunch. We try to have a small lunch but end up with more food on the plate than we'd planned. After lunch it was cocktail time and a rest in the lounge to try desperately to catch up on our blog. It's just go go go because before we knew it we were up on the roof deck for the life jacket drill and then we cruised out of Chalon-sur-Sâone. This called for another celebratory cocktail while we listened to Port Talk which is when we find out about the next day and next port. John decide to go back to the cabin so I  was left to try to remember all the information we were given to relay back to him. Then back to our room to change for dinner where I had frogs legs and duck confit for the first time. The food is delicious as it's always been on these cruises, as is the service. After dinner up to the lounge and music where we've already made friends with the bar staff and musician, Richard. So a digestive, dancing (flat-footed hobbling style), cocktail, more dancing,  then fall into bed and repeat the next day.