Coffee ....

Not surprisingly, Doug's love affair with Europe has a lot to do with coffee.  So, with the perfect cappuccino at an outdoor cafe being today's goal, we decided to start by exploring Beaune.  The monochromatic yellow and cream stone buildings we're lovely in their simplicity and it took less than 10 minutes to walk across the whole town center .... Even with a stop at every fountain we encountered.

Beaune's real claim to fame, though, is wine.  Every other business is selling wine, making wine or offering wine tastings.  Shop windows are lined with bottles labeled with names that even a non-drinker would recognize.

Aside from wine, Beaune is also known for its Hotel Dieu.  The Hotel Dieu is a charitable hospital founded in 1443 as a hospital for the poor and was used as a hospital until 1971.  Today its courtyard with a beautifully tiled roof and wards are open for a fascinating glimpse of how the hospital's founder offered even Beaune's poorest citizens an opportunity to be treated with respect and to die with dignity.

And then it was time for Doug's long awaited coffee ....

... then a visit to a lovely little park with ducks and a playground.