Friday, September 11

Friday morning was the scourge of tours – our luggage needed to be outside our cabin by 7:00 a.m. After an early breakfast, we said our goodbyes to a great ship crew, and hopped on a bus for Paris. We first stopped at Beaune, which is primarily known for its hospital: Hospices de Beaune Hôtel-Dieu. It was built in 1443 as a hospital for the many indigent residents in and around Beaune, and continued in operation until 1971. It is a beautiful structure, and was known as a “Palace for the Poor.” An interesting tidbit – the room for the indigent patients had a chapel at one end so they could go to services without going far. Another interesting fact – there were two patients to a bed. (So much for containment of contagious diseases.) There was also a section where paying patients could come for hospitalization and treatment, and they didn’t share a bed. Caregivers were the Sister of the Hospices de Beaune. We had a local guide take us through the hospital and explain more about it.

We shopped a little in Beaune, grabbed a bite of lunch at a sidewalk café, then it was back on the bus to continue our trip. We had one rest stop – the restaurant was just like those at the highway rest stops in the US, except that they serve salads, wine and beer. Surprising that there aren’t more accidents! Our trip took us past several castles and lots of farmland.

Arrival in Paris found us in a traffic jam, which should be expected with a metro population of 11 million! We unloaded at our hotel, the Meridian Montparnasse, and were pleased to find big rooms and a nice bath…a surprise for a major European city. Our guide took us on a stroll around the neighborhood, and we headed to dinner at a restaurant recommended by Grand Circle, close to the hotel. The food and wine were great, and Rita said it was the best dessert she has ever had. Take that with a grain of salt!

Upon returning to our hotel after dinner, we ran into some old friends from Louisville, proving my theory that you will always run into someone you know if you’re away from home for at least two weeks!

One note -- obviously, 9-11 doesn't have the same meaning to France that it does to the US, but it was acknowledged in the French media.