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I’m still galivanting around France, allegedly by train, but this week I’ve welcomed back one of my favourite acronyms. TBI.
In the past three years I’ve given TBI a good go. Tina’s Bar Investigations have taken place all across the world. Tina’s Beach Investigations were a key part of my cruise around the Mediterranean 2 years ago. I take this job seriously.
This week as I turned up at Annecy Station to catch my train to Beaune (the centre of the Burgundy wine region), even with my tenuous grasp of French, I could understand that a picture of a bus where it is supposed to show the train platform, is not a good sign.
I tried to mangle (or Frangle?) my way through a conversation about buses replacing trains. In the end a kind German took pity on me and showed me where to wait for the bus to Lyon. No TTI for me today. And so, Tina’s Bus Investigations began…
I’d been in Annecy for the three days prior, because I’d asked the spinning wheel where to go after my visit to Paris. They call it the Venice of France. It is definitely that.
But with a bit of Colorado thrown in.
I always panic when someone says: what is the best place you’ve ever been or what is the most stunning place in the world?
But I’m going to do it here with a proviso:
This is the most stunning view I have ever had while sit-swimming.
Lake Annecy is absolutely breathtaking. I couldn’t get enough of sit swimming in this water. It didn’t hurt that it was eleventy-billion degrees outside. (Thanks for this made-up number LL. I love it.) TBI rating 12 out of 10.
It was too hot to even spin the wheel for decison making, so I asked ChatGPT to partner with me for nighttime TBI. I asked CG to find me a bar with comfortable chairs that was good for solo travellers. The options were good and we did have a lovely chat that night about life… however the bar I chose to investigate, I found on my own.
Les Parcellaires, run by an impressive young couple, Fabien and Cammie, had (here I go again) possibly the best bar stools ever.
I sampled several local wines. I read the wine Bible. The one Australian Pinot on the list is a favourite of the owner of Melbourne’s MuNoir called Bass Phillip, from Gippsland in Victoria. It was too expensive even for me, but I loved seeing it there. Also they have a dog called Champagne.
Fabien gave me list of suggestions for when I reached Beaune, so I was prepared for Bar Investigations. I really needed a drink after the Bus Investigations.
On the plus side, no one had a cat in a bag on the bus. So, it was a step up from Greyhound in the US.
Back to TBI (original).
I arrived in Beaune, the capital of Burgundy, at wine o’clock after my bus nightmares. I’d tried a bit harder than booking.com with my hotel this time and found an independent one called Le Central Hotel. Right from the time I set foot in the place I was back to having favourites.
Joachim (from Chile) was on the front desk. He told me all the bars to go to, gave me a free bottle of sparkling water and carried my bags to my room.
I followed his instructions to the letter. Maybe that’s why at 10pm I’d had too many wines and not enough food. Also it was time to reconsider Tina’s wine bar rules. I wasn’t prepared to move on the comfortable chair rule, but maybe sitting at the bar is not the way to meet people in France.
So I followed the sound of music. There was a concert being held in the town square. I found a bistro where I could eat and sit outside to hear the music. Five seconds later it started to rain. All the people sitting outside needed shelter. Soon, three locals were sitting at my table. What wonderful people. Marine was a winemaker (of course she was.) Clem and Marie lived in Beaune but had met in New Zealand. A bottle of wine was consumed and friendships were made.
Marine decided to order a mystery bottle of Pinot and have it decanted for a blind tasting. I admit I did ask for a general clue but I picked it as Oregon. Can I have a prize?
That place closed so we had to go to a night club. It could have been an Irish Pub. More wine. And I declared Beaune the friendliest town in France.
I don’t know when I got home but the next day I had a hangover worthy of Piano on Chapel. The idea of wine tasting literally made me feel ill.
But with encouragement from team Harris I did leave the hotel for a Crement de Bourgogne (that’s sparkling wine from Burgundy) at about 5.30pm.
I came good today, heading to an impressive wine museum called Cité de Climats et Vins. I learnt a few things but don’t ask me what they were.
Finally I went to a wine tasting at Domaine Chanson. Our guide was very knowledgeable and also tolerant. It was me and two young ladies from New York. We mostly talked about Old Mates, Andy Lee’s new Australian bar in NYC, Stone Tower Winery in Virginia and how they should come to Tassie for New Year. Also, surprise surprise, they know a guy called John who plays frisbee in NYC. They sent him a picture of Jono. Response? What are the chances?
This is what I love about travelling. Have I named it yet? It’s the opposite of shatting, which is when you are walking along minding your own business and a seagull shits on you from a great height.
It’s when you meet awesome people when you least expect it. And you combine all the TBI’s into one. Come on, we already know what it’s called. TWAT – Tina’s Wild Adventure Tours.
