An Introduction to Burgundy in France (And Our April 2026 Expenses)

My cousin, Griet, and her husband, Wim, decided to join us in France for their eleven-day vacation. Of that time, we spent a wonderful week in the Dordogne, and we needed two solid days of driving back to Belgium. For the three nights and two days that were left, we hunkered down in Burgundy. One day was dedicated to more cute villages and the other to natural settings.

Gien-sur-Cure

For this short stay, we opted for a house in a tiny village surrounded by countryside. Despite being located along a main road, it was quiet at night and we managed to keep enjoying the beautiful weather on the patio whenever we were home.

(As always, click on or hover over photos in galleries to see their captions.)

The mattresses hurt everyone’s backs, but the bathroom was modern and the kitchen sufficed. There was an antique washing machine, which, surprisingly enough, Mark and I already had experience with in Argentina. It came in handy as I wanted to wash all our clothes before arriving in Belgium, where we don’t have our own laundry facilities. Of course, the machine broke on our second day, but we lucked out because a neighbor could fix it immediately. The owner of the home lived next door.

Châteauneuf-en-Auxois

This tiny village on a hill oozed medieval charm, attractive buildings, and peace. We felt it was built in a different style than the beauties of the Dordogne, but it was cute nevertheless.

Our small group strolled around Châteauneuf for about an hour, skipping a visit to the picturesque castle. We had a busy day planned.

Beaune

From Châteauneuf, a 30-minute drive brought us to Beaune. This town – apart from Dijon, which was too far away – seemed to be the main attraction of Burgundy. We finally saw vineyards during our approach to town, after wondering for two days where the famous Burgundy wine was being made as we’d only seen pastures.

Since it was lunchtime when we arrived, our first task was to find a suitable restaurant. Between the menu choices, high prices, and long lines at the place of our choice, it took a while to pick a table and find a dish. Ever consumed with the search for a new home on wheels, Mark and I were also battling emotions regarding a Vario van that was slipping through our fingers.

During our stroll through town, none of us found Beaune that attractive, so we returned to our rental home earlier than planned. To be fair, we did not go inside the Hospices de Beaune (Hôtel-Dieu de Beaune) because of the steep entry fee of €13 per person. When discovering later that this was the town’s highlight, I regretted that decision.

Cascade du Saut de Gouloux

Our day in nature started with a two-hour hike in the forest near a pretty waterfall. We were wise to take our photos of this attraction early because by the time we concluded our walk, the waterfall area was packed.

Chevresse dolmen

A short drive brought us to a parking lot from where we had to climb a hill to check out a dolmen site Griet had found in her guidebook. The spot was peaceful, slightly mystical, and perfect for our sandwich lunch.

Lac des Settons

In the afternoon, our return drive included a stop by a pretty lake, or better, reservoir. None of us had much energy left, so we just went for a little stroll around part of the lake.

We finished our day at a cafe by the lake for a late-afternoon treat: alcoholic beverages for the men and sweets for the ladies. Vacation time!

On April 26^th, after spending three months in Southwestern Europe, it was time for Mark, Maya, and me to complete the last stretch back to Belgium, my home country. Griet and Wim gave us a ride. Our previous visit had been two years prior. Stay tuned!

Expenses for April 2026

April was another bad month for our budget, for a painful reason that left us helpless, disappointed, and frustrated. When we returned our 24-hour rental car in Northern Spain, there were scratches on the driver’s side along the bottom of the cargo van. We had no idea how that happened. They were either there already when Mark picked up the car (being in a hurry, he only briefly checked) or someone left those scratches while the car was parked. We will never know.

We expected our credit card insurance to cover the $655 cost, but they didn’t. Because this happened to a “cargo van” and not a normal passenger car, the damage was ours to pay. It was in the small print…

Our grocery costs in Europe are increasing, just like everywhere else. And the poor exchange rate between the US dollar and euro is not helping… We all know who to blame for that.

Transportation ($379) was relatively high – even without the exorbitant damage fee – but the trains and rental car brought us from Southern Portugal to Southern France. And me to Bordeaux for a day trip. We did spend an extra $300 on fuel and tolls in April as well.

Eating out totaled $249, mainly because we were on vacation. May should be negligible, as we need to make up for all these extra costs. The same is true for paid accommodation, which should all but disappear for two months. The rest of our expenses are in line with previous reports.

Of the $2,351 we spent in April, about $1,700 went to living expenses and the rest went straight into the trash.

Here is the breakdown:

• Miscellaneous ($655 damage rental, $5 vacuuming rental): $660
• Groceries: $428
• Transportation (train tickets, taxis, rental car): $379
• Car ($297 fuel, $11 tolls): $308
• Dining out: $249
• Accommodation: $155
• Alcohol: $85
• Household supplies: $27
• Dog (extra food): $20
• Utilities (internet): $13
• Entertainment: $10
• Medical: $10
• Health and fitness (sunscreen): $7

TOTAL: $2,351

Next up: Our first month back in Belgium, still hunting for a 4×4 Mercedes Vario

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