06-10-1999
This day is almost completely devoid of good events but ended nicely. We started off the day with the usual breakfast and we didn't need to hurry because our train back to Paris is in the afternoon. We ask Bruno where to go for a good deal on wine. He points us in the right direction and we decide to go a little later. The streets of Beaune are starting to look a little boring after two days here. We have been up and down them many times. But we are leaving so we try to wring another interesting bit out of the town.
We walk into the wine shop which is really a restaurant that also will sell out of its cellar. It is in a basement of an old building and is based on this cave like motif that most restaurants in town seem to model themselves after.. The guy is very nice and helpful. The wine is much more expensive then the winery but there is a wider selection. We are ready to order a lot of wine. Many of it is going to be gifts to people. The guy says that wine cannot be shipped to Texas and another state but he can't remember which. We ask if that second state is california, he doesn't know but he will ask someone who does. He gets on the phone. Jo and I continue to look over the list. He gets off the phone and informs us it is in fact california. I about explode. I could kill ernie and julie at this point. I bet it was those fiending gallo boys which helped get this stupid law into the state. I didn't care much at the time that the california laws are a response to French laws which are even more ridiculous. I wanted to buy some wine in france dammit. I have had no wine in france because it is too expensive and Jo can't really drink it since she is pregnant. Now I am going to get nothing. I am more then a little angry. Why the heck did I come to this part of france? Jo and I walked outside and came up with a new plan. We will buy just enough bottles as we are willing to carry, about 4 bottles. I am going to give Jason one bottle for swooping in and saving my ass at work by filling in for me these past weeks, 3 for Jo and I to savor at a later date. I get my 4 bottles and pack them in. I grumble all the way to the train station and I swear I feel every ounce of those bottles on my back. We eat another picnic lunch and catch an early train to Dijon.
In Dijon, all hell breaks loose. Jo and I have 2nd class seats on a bullet train to Paris. We are happy because in just under 2 hours we are going to be in Paris. But we get a little scared when this whole pack of Chinese tourists get onto our gate. The train shows up and we all get on, including the chinese. They mob this train, they are chatting up a storm and really rude and pushy. Jo is really suspicious and lets me know, I can only agree. Now our car is really over packed. People in the aisles, mass hysteria. We are getting more then a little peeved but we keep cool waiting for the conductor to show up and straighten things out. The conductor walks through and literally throws a major hissy fit. He starts asking around why all of these people are there and gets someone's ticket. It turns out that these tourists got on the wrong train, boing. What is funny they got on a train goin in the exact opposite direction they want to go, they are headed back to Paris when they really want to go to Lyon. I hope they pay double for their tickets back, because they are really annoying us. Now we get the shaft. The conductor goes ahead and seats as many of these idiots in first class as will take them, whatever. I hope it makes them sick like it did us. Fortunately for us we got to not sit together and have to put up with this one tourist who didn't make it to first class who has a case of the snores, like a buzz saw. I was tempted to throw trash in his mouth just to be mean. Can you tell I am sick of traveling? THe train was quick and on time as was the RER to the airport. We decide to have our last night in a Paris hotel near the airport because we have a 7am flight. Our first booking is at a 0 star hotel. Jo has a stroke of genius and also books us at a Radisson SAS. It is twice as much money but it is 4 stars.
We catch the free shuttle from the train station and are ushered into luxury. The Radisson is wonderful and worthe the money. We eat dinner there and it is actually reasonable and full of vegetarian stuff. I stuff myself on a cold buffet. It was a stupid thing to do because I had trouble sleeping that night but it was still worth it. Our room is large and we have a real queen size bed. Fantastic. Too bad we will be spending less then 13 hours there, but we enjoy it while it lasts.