I left Colmar on April 25th and went straight to Bourgogne, a nearly neighboring region where I had arranged a stay with a family. I was to spend nearly two weeks working as a farmhand, which is not exactly my wheelhouse, but I was prepared to give my all. I was received by the most incredible family who run a gîte on their truly lovely farm. After spending a lot of time eating pie and twiddling my thumbs in Colmar, it felt so good to apply myself to some manual labor and to be immersed in French family life.
This is the first of many homestays that I have found for this spring//summer and I don’t expect that it will be topped. Each day I performed different tasks, from tying raspberry bushes? plants? to posts, which is a brambly affair, to painting an endless ceiling, from which I still have a decent amount of paint in my hair. So much in fact that an acquaintance politely offered, “I don’t know how to tell you, but a bird has flown over you.” Hehe. My labor was compensated with room and board, in a warm family environment, which is always a desirable accommodation.
Each morning before I began there was homemade bread and jam, and lunch and dinner always included garden-grown vegetables, harvested and stored from last year. I hung around with the family and their myriad and diverse visiting guests. There were beautiful views, amazing food, and, as always, much and more to learn.
This family was conveniently located near Dijon, which I was able to visit on a day off. I loved Dijon and found it to be super refreshing after spending so much time in Alsace, which is fantastically unique, if not slightly repetitive in its devotion to half-timbered architecture. No shade. I wandered around for a long time and ended up in the Musée des Beaux Arts right as it began to rain, a lucky break for someone who keeps trashing her malfunctioning umbrellas. There were portraits of the Dukes of Burgundy but I was very distracted by the fact that their nicknames and their portraits didn’t seem to correspond. For example, Jean 1er de Bourgogne is nicknamed The Fearless, but his portrait is just him holding a ring in a very fancy hand. Likely I am missing the context but I found the whole thing funny decided to take a selfie and add it to the collection. My work is not supported by the museum.
My education pass, furnished by the French government (Thank you Zaddy) granted me free access to a hôtel particulier, which is a sort of former aristocratic home that has been converted into a lavish museum. This space was called the musée Magnin, named for the brother and sister who collected art in their home, which now serves as a gallery. But! The rooms have been preserved and so instead of a gallery feel, it is more like being in a decadent home that is heavy with paintings. I loved the art but I also loved the decorations and general splendor: heavily ornamental furnishings and fabrics. Reminded me deeply of Rihanna’s recent evocation: More is More. It also satisfied the perverse part of me that desperately wants to explore strangers’ private spaces.
After the rain, I walked around the city and didn’t take very many good pictures of the general architectural splendor, which was vast. There was a lot of green space incorporated into the city as well and I found myself drawn to green things. Plants and paints. Also I visited an excellent market bursting with vendors and took a picture of the only repulsive thing.
After another week of wonderful work and family immersion I visited Beaune, another nearby city/town (never sure when one becomes the other.) I was prepared to like this wine spot, but I ended up loving it, preferring it to Dijon, which surprised me. Surrounded by walkable ramparts and covered in ivy, Beaune was painfully beautiful, albeit crawling with tourists like myself.
Beaune is known for its Hospices, which is a former hospital run by nuns, that now has an insanely expensive charitable wine auction. I considered not entering which would have been a huge oversight and I’m glad I did. 10/10 would recommend, although the free audioguide is very campy and boring.
My time in Bourgogne was exactly what I needed after a long stay, spent in one fashion in Alsace. Spending time in nature and a family environment meant having a space for learning and rumination, as well as comfort and supportive communication. The proximity to the city allowed for independent exploration and the type of cultural foolery that I like to employ during my discovery. These two weeks passed too quickly but were the balm for all of my restlessness; the balance between city and country, work and rest, felt like a revelation. I know I will be back and I look forward to admiring beautiful Bourgogne in a different season.
OUIOUTHERE 