Visiting Dr. Law Chi Lim

The major attraction in Burgundy is, obviously, Burgundy wines. But visiting Burgundy is not just about visiting vineyards and drinking wine because there are many other worthwhile activities in Burgundy.

Walking in Burgundy With its gentle rolling hills and exquisitely manicured vineyards, walking in Burgundy is probably the best kept secret in this part of . Travelling on foot has many advantages . With a car , you would end up driving up to one place , get off to take some photos and drive to another site , just to repeat the whole thing again . Such a mode of travelling will not only give you just a cursory impression of the area, but is also very detrimental to your waistline with all the fine wines and food in Burgundy. On the other hand , if you travel on foot , not only can you burn off some excess calories, you would have time to savour the picture-perfect landscape leisurely, not to mention the fresh air that is now in so short supply in Hong Kong. You would be able to visit areas which are off the beaten track and , along the way, you will see ancient abbeys, pretty villages with cobble-stone alleys, stone houses covered with ivy ,and idyllic pastoral landscapes. You can also check out some small vineyards for wine tasting ( and buy some good value Burgundy that you will never find in Hong Kong). OK , you do need some planning , but there is a wealth of information on the internet that you can access and plan your routes accordingly . The Sentiers de France ( www.sentiersdefrance.com) has many suggested routings that one can follow for reference. But whatever route you choose, the one single trip that you must do is the one to Voss Romanee. Here you will be walking alongside some of the most expensive real estate in the world. All the big names are here : La Romanee, Romanee-Conti , Richebourg, and La Tache. Continuing northward , you will pass through the Echezeaux, Grand Echezeaux, and Musigny vineyards. Nearby, the Chateau de , with its 12th century wine cellar and gigantic winepress, is well worth a visit.

The Hospices de Beaune is the name of one of the wine communes of Burgundy as well as the name of a cobble-stoned ancient town in the very heart of Burgundy . It is also considered to be the wine capital of Burgundy , with the presence of most of Burgundy’s major negociants (wine-merchants/traders). Apart from going around the wine houses for wine tasting, the major attraction here is The (or Hôtel-Dieu de Beaune) which was built in 1443 by , Chancellor of Burgundy, as a hospital for the poor. Through the centuries , the hospital served as a refuge for the elderly , disabled , sick, orphaned, and the destitute. The original hospital buildings are one of the finest examples of French fifteenth-century architecture, and is now a museum. It consists of a pair of two-storey buildings, arranged around a stone courtyard. The roof-top is covered with glazed-tiles in red, brown, yellow and green arranged to form attractive interlaced patterns. The current tiles are replicas laid on the roof between 1902-1907. The inside of the museum is also interesting , especially to us medical professionals. The main hall , measuring 50x14x16 meters , is called the Room of the Poor. This large room is furnished with two rows of curtained beds on either side. Each bed in the old days would have accommodated two patients sleeping head to toe. It must have been a luxury at that time, because in

similar places in that era, patients would usually have been put 5 or more to a bed . There is also an interesting exhibit of old medical utilities , including one that would allow a person to self-administer a rectal enema. Also do not miss the wonderful by who was one of the most influential Fleming painters of the 15th Century. This piece is a large originally painted on oak panels , and consists of 15 paintings on 9 panels ( 6 are painted on both sides) . It has also been called the as it depicts , surrounded by holy men and angels , overseeing the ultimate judgment on earth. Archangel is featured prominently in the centre and seen using a scale to weight people’s soul. The wicked with their sins would weight heavier than the righteous and they are dispatched to hell while the righteous ones are welcomed by a saint at the gate to heaven on the other side of the painting. One can see that the tone of the painting is rather gloomy as the number of doomed souls obviously out-numbers the righteous ones . But perhaps this is to warn viewers to lead a righteous life. It is interesting to note that this altar piece was originally placed in the small chapel inside the Room of the Poor so that patients there would have been able to see this huge painting from their beds and be in complete awe of heaven and hell. It must be remembered that in the middle ages, medical treatment options were really limited and probably played a secondary role to spiritual care. In those days , the mortality of patients must be horrendous as Mass for the Dead ( Mass) was offered twice daily in the chapel. Today, this painting is displayed in a special room with a magnifying lens that can be moved mechanically ( horizontally as well as vertically) so that viewers would be able to see every single fine detail of the painting. So, be prepared to spend some time in this room to see the painting.

Need to know 1. The best time to visit Burgundy would probably be early September. The harvest normally would not have yet begun and the vineyards would be happy to receive visitors. There would be grapes on the vines when you walk around. 2. Try to stay a few days in some smaller villages outside the big centres. This would allow you to appreciate the French countryside more.