Monday? No Monday morning blues for us. The overnight rain stopped soon after midnight and we’re raring to go. In fact, we’re last to leave the Camping Car Park at Seurre.
Dijon is capital of the Burgundy region, so it would be rude to miss it. There is a Motorhome Aire just outside the municipal campsite which costs a few €s less than “proper” camping. Oh yes, the Satnav sent us down a road in Seurre which had a 3.5ton weight limit- OK, but we soon saw it was also a damned narrow street, and we didn’t fancy scraping against any houses, so reverse gear was quickly engaged by Andrew…for a good 100 yards or so…scary stuff but well worth it. Back on a more suitable route- (Thanks for nowt, Satnav) Dijon was calling us.
Camping du Lac Kir was easy to find, other than a quick detour having missed the last right turn. We paid upfront for 2 nights, then chose a space in the Aire. After a quick lunch- the usual baguette and fromage combo, we cycled into the city. Mostly along the riverside but also through a bit of traffic, though there are lots of cycle/bus lanes to use.
Wow, what a place! Tourist information gave us the customary self- guided walking tour leaflet- follow the owl symbols on the pavements- and we wandered round, ogling at the magnificent buildings interspersed with medieval homes.
Notre Dame, a magnificent 13th Century church is quite a sight, with its many gargoyles and looted clock on the top. Apparently the original gargoyles were taken down after a moneylender was crushed by one. In the 19th century, 7 sculptors created replacements.
Inside the church, there is a beautiful collection of stained glass windows, including rose windows ; one depicting the origins of the universe and one apparently showing the end of time. Very deep.
Another important Dijonnaise building is the Maison Milliere, built in 1483 by a merchant of the same name. The facade is wood beamed walls and enamelled bricks. This house featured in the Gerard Depardieu film Cyrano de Bergerac.
We saw a sign for an “Exhibition Rude” which sounded interesting. It turns out Francois Rude was an eminent sculptor who was born in Dijon in 1784. His most famous work is the Marseillaise on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. Oh well…at least there was no charge for the exhibition.
Dijon is definitely one of those places where you constantly have to look upwards- to fully take in the architecture.
The very grand Post Office is next to a most unusual Art Nouveau building with pagoda roofs- both designed in the early 20th century by the same architect , one Louis Perreau.
One part of the tour completed, we returned to the Aire, retracing our route mostly along cycle paths. We had expected rain but instead it was warm sunshine. Perfect. Tomorrow we will head back to finish our tour of the city and as Tuesday is one of Dijon’s Market Days there should be some sights and smells to enjoy in the covered market which dates back to 1875. We’re expecting a better experience than Fareham’s Monday market.
Here are some of our photos of Dijon
Tuesday, and we’re back on the bikes for the continuation of our Dijon tour. Is it wrong that I already have a new favourite church here? This one is the Cathedrale de St.Benigne….wow….maybe it’s the exceptional stained glass windows…maybe it’s the fact I can buy 2 small candles for my Euro.
Anyway, enough church talk, the market was big and bustling as we expected, though we were also shocked again by the price of food. So, no little treats for us there. However, we did have a little treat later in the form of a great lunch near the city centre.
The weather was turning a bit drizzly but we were able to seek shelter in a church- very handy. Having had a hearty lunch, I promised Andrew a cheese and wine party back at the van in the evening. Well, I’d bought a baguette and we had plenty cheese and wine to last an evening. Yip, he could hardly contain his excitement.
Having reached the Aire the weather continued to hold, so a bike ride round Lake Kir was suggested. It was a trip of 3.75 km and a delight. We even stopped off for a couple of Monacos (yes, again!) at a lakeside cafe. Perfect timing, we got back, Andrew packed the bikes on the back of the van, we went inside, and the Heavens opened! The rain continued well into the night, but we were warm and dry inside. We sat down with the maps and considered our options. Burgundy had taken more of our time than expected, but Lake Geneva was tantalisingly close, so we decide to revert to Plan A. Tomorrow, Dole was our objective. A visit to, not signing on.