We left Paris from the Gare de Lyon. It was a bitter-sweet moment, as Paris is hard to leave and we'd only seen a portion of what the city has to offer. But it was time to move on. We got to the station way too early and relaxed over coffee to wait for the fast train to Dijon. The last time we caught a train in the Gare de Lyon was about 27 years ago. The helpful ticket agent told me the train would be on track 'E.' He added, "That ees 'E,' monsieur, as een Eeetaly." This time, things were well posted on the schedule board and we knew which track the train was on.
Many other things would be different now. We had embarked on a long trip through France and Italy, two of the world's more expensive countries on our way to several more easterly countries, with a rational budget very much on our minds. From here we would have no more free places to stay after leaving Annick's gracious hospitality in Bonneuil sur Marne. We would soon find out how affordable it would be.
My attitude is, "There are actual Europeans living in Europe; they're not all rich; and they manage to travel without going broke." We'd travel like they do, and this next leg would test our abilities. Meanwhile Carolyn found a place online in Dijon, our next stop, that seemed to fit the bill.
We whisked past the industrial outskirts of Paris and into the countryside, past massive wheat farms and small villages, and soon found ourselves in Dijon. Outside the train station we tried to reconcile the guidebook map with one posted at the very modern and quiet tramway system that ran about every ten minutes. We found the street we needed but weren't sure how far it was to the hotel. We really hate to waste money on a cab, so we decided to drag the bags and see if things started to make sense. Soon they did. It was maybe half a kilometer to the hotel, which we chalked up to good exercise.
The Hotel Sauvage, dating from the 15 century, is set inside a charming, ancient, courtyard – in fact, much of the extensive central city has a middle-ages feel to it. The price for the hotel was right (52 Euros/night, about US$69) – there was no A/C, but we thought we could live with the warm temperatures if we left the window open. But a fan would have been nice. An outside restaurant in the courtyard just below our window promised to provide 'soothing' sounds of wine being served (one of our favorite sounds!) well into the night. We would see how it goes….
Across the street was a square filled with open-air eateries. Each evening as the night grew dark, lights cast an intriguing web-like pattern across the area that helped reduce the glare. We would enjoy many fine meals with wine under the summer sky and retire late into the evening to our hotel room waiting just steps away.
The restaurant below our room somehow didn't keep us from sleeping after a long day of walking the city, followed by fine dinner and good wine!
There were small food markets near the hotel, and a large colorful daily market just a few blocks away at Les Halles (designed by Gustav Eiffel), so we could easily grab a picnic lunch to enjoy in the park near the train station. Sadly, Les Halles in Paris was demolished in the 1970s and replaced by a monstrous shopping mall (http://www.aparisguide.com/leshalles/).
Lunch in the Jardin D'Arcy...
The winding streets of Dijon are probably like much those of Paris before Hausmann carved the Grands Boulevards through the old city. And the old buildings go on for many blocks. Not too surprising since Dijon is a very old city, first established by the Romans as a stop-over from Paris to Lyon. It has grown slowly, only doubling in population over the past 100 years to a modest 150,000+. The city was spared the destruction of most recent wars, so half-timbered buildings dating from the 12th to 15th centuries are common. The cathedral dates from the 1300s, and the palace of the powerful Dukes of Burgundy (or Bourgogne) dates from the 1700s and 1800s.
Then there was the seductive antique book shop just up the street from the hotel.
You can't visit Dijon without buying mustard. The Maille shop is a true gourmet experience, with flavors you'd never imagine. We didn't do the 'tasting', but bought some to carry along.
(Mustard: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dijon_mustard#Dijon_mustard)
We passed a poster for an organ concert in the 1000 year old Dijon Cathedral and decided to attend. All the chairs are turned to face to the rear, toward the massive organ high in the balcony. The Belgian organ maestro spent all his time behind the organ, only peeking out briefly to acknowledge applause, so I never got a picture of him; but he filled the ancient space with reverberating sound. It was a fine way to spend an afternoon.
Dijon is the center of the Burgundy region, and home to fine red wines. With dinner, we'd order a 'pichet' (37.5cl pitcher) or a small bottle (50cl) of the house wine and found it to be all we needed. I think that few places in Burgundy would dare to serve a poor house wine.
Despite all the beautiful produce available at Les Halles, vegetables are rarely on the menu in most restaurants. We passed a Moroccan restaurant, remembered the excellent steamed veggies they serve in 'tajines,' and decided to have dinner there, following it with a wholesome banana split! It was indeed a savory moment.
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A DAY IN BEAUNE
A half-hour train trip south takes us to the charming old walled city of Beaune (pronounced "Bone" or Bone-uh"). The train leaves you right on the 'doorstep' of this town, and it's a short walk to the center where lunch and wine are awaiting. We normally skip the wine at lunch, but since wine is the main event in Beaune, this was an occasion for a glass.
After lunch we followed the meandering trail along the old city walls. It's not a long hike, but we stopped often to absorb the views. This small town (Pop. about 23,000) is a distinct change from the general bustle of Dijon. Tourists crowd the central square in summer, jostling for gifts and trinkets. But there were few who wandered the ancient city walls.
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Back in Dijon, we spend our last night enjoying a light dinner in a narrow alley, and wandering back through the streets to absorb the magic of the nighttime. Have you ever looked up and wondered who lives in that well-lighted window on the second level, and just what their life is like? Yeah, me too.
We lingered to watch the play of lights in the fountains of the magnificent 'square' (actually a large half-circle) in front of the old Dukes Palace; the colors of the water call to the children while their parents enjoy a final sip or two of the fine wines of Burgundy.
Dijon held a certain fascination for us because it's a true working city, with a university and numerous cultural events. But it's time to be leaving. In the morning, we'll take the train south through more of France's famous wine country, to the confluence of the Rhone and the Saone, to the city of Lyon. — PRW