burgundy it s calm, cultivated, serene, where nature is as sophisticated as the people. the traditions are strong here. if you re looking for the quintessential french culture, you ll find it in burgundy. in this show, we ll appreciate superb burgundy wine, visit a medieval hospice, build a barrel, slurp escargots, ponder medieval monasticism, then drop in on a modern monastic community and explore the burgundian countryside. france is the biggest country in western europe. we ll head southeast of paris to explore the region of burgundy, using the town of beaune as a home base to explore its canals, vineyards, and historic sites. burgundy, like much of france, is laced by canals dug in the early industrial age. 200 years ago, canals like these provided the cheapest way to transport cargo. with the help of locks, you could actually ship your goods clear across france, from the mediterranean to the atlantic. today, trains and trucks do the heavy hauling and canals are for rel