365/Day 182

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The Real Thing~~

Today, against my better judgment, I went to see “Jurassic World,” the summer blockbuster that everybody’s been raving about. As far as dinosaur movies go, I had only seen the first of the three Jurassic Park movies. The original one, directed by Steven Spielberg and based on the novel “Jurassic Park,” by Michael Crichton, who also co-wrote the screenplay. That was a pretty darn good movie. A classic. This one is not. It is poorly written and horribly acted, with an excessive amount of special effects. So, to redeem myself for spending two hours of my day watching this ridiculous movie, I’ve decided to pay homage to real dinosaurs, the ones that actually roamed the world millions of years ago. Here are some shots taken at the Los Angeles Museum of Natural History.

Burgundy Region Chateaus (2)

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Château de Clos de Vougeot ~~

On our second day in Burgundy, we visited “Clos de Vougeot,” a wall-enclosed vineyard in the region. It was named after the River Vouge, which is actually just a stream separating the village Vougeot from Chambolle-Musigny. The Clos de Vougeot vineyard was created by Cistercian monks of Cîteaux Abbey. The Château de Clos de Vougeot, located inside the wall, was added in 1551 by rebuilding and enlarging a small chapel and other existing buildings at the site. Since 1945, it has served as headquarters of the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin, an exclusive club of Burgundy wine enthusiasts. As in most chateaus, there is a museum of all things wine and an ongoing art exhibit, which seems to be something that happens this time of the year. The trip through Burgundy country provided some beautiful views of other vineyards and chateaus.

Traveling to Vougeot.
Vineyards all along the way.
Approachig Vougeot
Definitely wine country…
Approaching Clos de Vougeot.
The Chateau de Clos de Vougeot.
Courtyard.
The grounds.
The giant photograph of a monk reminds us of the origins of Clos de Vougeot.
The well.
Meeting place for the Chevaliers.
Small Clos de Vougeot museum.
Museum pieces.
Museum pieces.
Museum pieces.
Le vin.
The vineyard.
The vineyard.
The vineyard.
Leaving Vougeot. Small cemetery.
Back on the road.