After breakfast we stepped off the ship and onto the quai to begin a walking tour of the town.
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| Avalon Scenery in Tournus |
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| The Quai,Tournus |
A stroll through the cobblestoned streets revealed many charming sights.
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| Tournus, Burgundy |
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| Tournus Church |
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| Streets of Tournus |
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| Sunflower |
The shop windows were equally appealing.
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| Macarons |
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| Strawberries and Cheese |
The Abbey of St. Philibert was the highlight of our visit. From the outside, the church appeared heavy and imposing.
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| Abbey of St. Philibert, Tournus |
But once we entered the main nave, I was surprised by the warmth of the rose-coloured walls and stained glass windows.
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| Abbey of St. Philibert Interior |
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| Abbey of St. Philibert Interior |
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| Stained Glass Window |
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| Zodiac Mosaics in the Ambulatory |
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| Cloister of the Abbey of St. Philibert |
I noticed these plaques set into the paving stones of the streets near the Abbey. Do they possibly depict St. Philibert?
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| Marker in the Streets of Tournus |
We returned to the ship for lunch. Then we boarded a bus for the optional excursion into the Mâconnais district of Burgundy for a chardonnay wine tasting. The ship would sail on to meet us in Mâcon.
Burgundy is lovely - the definition of bucolic. We travelled through charming towns and lush valleys where Charolais cattle grazed on the hillsides.
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| The Mâconnais, Burgundy |
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| Charolais Cattle |
We stopped at the Rock of Solutré, a limestone escarpment which towers over the vineyards below.
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| Rock of Solutré, Burgundy |
Then we carried on to Chateau Pierreclos for the wine tasting.
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| Chateau Pierreclos, Burgundy |
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| Burgundian Tiles, Chateau Pierreclos |
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| The Medieval Castle |
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| View from the Grounds of Chateau Pierreclos |
I was surprised to learn that the cost for one oak barrel is approximately 600 euros. After purchasing a bottle of Pouilly-Fuissé and a vine peach liqueur from the gift shop we returned to the ship in time for Happy Hour (2 for 1 Kir Royale), followed by the Welcome Gala Diner.
We remained docked in Mâcon for the night and enjoyed a beautiful view from the deck after dark.
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| Mâcon at Night |
In the morning we would have an early departure to Lyon, the third largest city in France.
Next: Lyon - Frescoes and Traboules
Thanks for sharing these for my Travel Photo Tuesday theme. What a beautiful part of the world. Although I love the variety of these shots and in particular the landscapes, I think my favourite is actually the beautiful simplicity of the sunflower!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kellie. I'm partial to that sunflower myself. It was growing where it shouldn't have, in a crack between the street and a wall. I use it as my profile photo.
ReplyDelete