Dijon, France - Part Four, Avallon and Vezelay

Tuesday found us in Avallon, where we walked the town with the church and archway.

As you can see, the tower covers the street.

Lunch was wonderful, a roasted turkey leg, in a garden at Dame Jeanne www.damejeanne.fr

Then it was on to Vezelay for the Basilica, Basilique de la Madeleine viewing. It, honestly wasn’t what I was expecting and not really in a good way. Large beautiful building, under construction for the last five years to be finished February 2020. The "tour" (there was no tour as such) guide took us up scaffolded stairs to the third floor where he lectured on the entire project while we stood there in the heat, dust and construction noise, viewing the main sculpture of Christ (In my mind similar to the one in Autun but apparently quite different, couldn’t see it myself.) 

Unfinished and in the process of being redone, workers tools in evidence on benches.

I kept thinking of ways to politely excuse myself but not wanting to do damage to Christoph’s reputation, I endured very reluctantly, honestly it was about a half an hour I will never get back of supreme unhappiness. Christoph, however, was very excited to go there and see it again, understood the French guide completely and learned a bit more than he knew before. He did say the guide was technically correct but had a rather dry delivery. 

I wanted to see a place that makes cassis, or current fruit products which is a tradition in this area, syrup mixed with champagne or wine is called a Kir Royale. Christoph found a small independent place up in the hills above Nuits-Saint-Georges, fairly close to Dijon. It seemed to take an age to get there but little to come back, the usual, although I think we were steered (thanks Sofia) the longer distance going. Anyway, we didn’t get to see production as such, just the store but the owner was friendly. It’s called la Ferme Fruirouge at Hameau de Concoeur, website www.fruirouge.fr

Now I've "met" some of the local food specialities, the mustard, the cassis, and while I haven't had the snails, I have had the egg cooked in red wine, croque monsieur (grilled ham and cheese), diced ham in parsley aspic. I am booked on a food tour in a week so we'll see what that turns up.

Cheers, Bev

Dijon, France - Part Three, Dijon and Autun

Sunday we stay in Dijon, we decided to take a day here in the city and Christoph showed me around. The biggest icon here is an owl! A small sculpture in the wall that you touch with your left hand, closest to the heart, for good luck. 

Okay, agreed, doesn't look much like an owl, but it suffered human damage a few years ago which outraged the citizens of Dijon.

There are three walks “The Owl’s Trail” around the city which pass by major monuments to educate you about the city and get a person exploring it easily. Small triangle shaped plaques adhered to the ground point the way. 

Like this one and all the others, placed about two metres apart.

Going to the tourist office you can get a book that explains all the places, monuments and their history in brief. It’s a brilliant marketing move in my mind to get tourists exploring the city more and with educated guidance. After going to other towns, we found in Avallon they have a frog as guide, and other towns use the city hall. 

Avallon's version of the City walk.

Distinctive artist, we saw much of his work on street corners in Paris, sorry cannot remember his name.

Much more on Dijon in other posts.

Monday finds us in Autun, visiting the Salle Capitulaire Cathedral, Saint Lazare d’Autun. 

Front entry, not open, we used a side door, you will see a similarly carved entry way in another post.

It is under construction, which you will read again about other churches. We climbed the 50 stairs, not as many as getting to Adrienne’s I wager, to the “attic” where they have saved the original cornices (carved in stone) from the tops of the columns. 

Theme is the garden.

This attic space was under lock and key, unlocked by a volunteer who looked extremely bored before we arrived. When we came out the place was hopping with more tourists so that would likely make him happy. 

Patron Saints of the cathedral. The carving was very detailed and beautiful.

Autun is a pretty little town with the cathedral being the drawing card for visitors. Lunch was at “the best coffee in the world” Malongo Cafe which was cafe on the outside and Indian cushy den on the inside for the evenings, which I thought an eclectic mix. 

Coming back it was the now usual stop for coffee and pee break at Ville de Nolay. 

This is where they hold the market, the roof is made of cedar, floor of slate. 

The toilets are town owned and the strangest I’d ever seen, and believe me I’ve seen my share… A metal ring in the shape of the seat and a basin in the floor, toilet paper thankfully included and it cleans itself after every use. Actually I’ve seen self cleaning toilets in France before and it really is a good idea, well enough about them. 

So far we've avoided annoying things like heavy traffic and mounds of tourists, which is both pleasing and efficient.

Cheers, Bev