21 August: Bye Paris, Hi Dijon

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We had a genuine sleep in today. We had packed the night before, had a taxi booked for 10am, so there was time to kill. Breakfast was coffee and croissants at the Friends Cafe nearby, and we were on our way to Gare de Lyon .

The trip through mid morning Parisian traffic is a nightmare and the 16€50 for the taxi was worth the cost. There are roadworks and detours everywhere and I wasn’t interested in trying to negotiate the public transport system .

Gare de Lyon is a regal stone building perched above the Marais District, and one of the best restaurants in Paris is at the station. I had read about it in a Melbourne newspaper and wanted to see it when we were leaving for Dijon. It is like a trip back in time. The pastel painted murals on the ceilings and walls, combining with the soft furnishings and etched glass lighting created a mood of classic France.

The station was teeming with people coming and going, porters with trolleys, railway staff, and long breakfast queues at the various food outlets. Parking and drop off points out the front required a skill and daring to navigate the narrow roadways lined with cars parked at all angles. The parking cops were having a field day.

Winding through the French countryside at 297 kilometres an hour, the train is the only way to go.

Sitting comfortably in the top level, fields of dull stubble and lush pastures with french charolais cattle grazing flew past, leaving little time to notice much. Small clusters of cream cottages with terracotta tiled roofs surround the pointy slate steeple of the local church , the focal point for the community, give the French countryside a warm feeling, and I knew we were done with the city. Less people and a slower pace will be welcome. Occasional wind farms crop up, but otherwise, after Paris, farms dominate the countryside.

It took only 90 minutes to reach Dijon, Tim picked us up, and we arrived at our apartment 5 minutes later. It’s on a busy corner in an older building but it’s very comfortable and a short walk to the old town.

We had a few hours in Dijon today and my first impression is very positive. It’s exactly like those cool French villages you see in movies. except it’s real and we’re here. Most of the town we walked around today dated around the 13th to 17th Century and the museums and other places of interest are all free to visit.

It has a booming foodie scene, and what else to eat in Burgundy for dinner but Beef Burgundy. Apologies to the Charolais cattle.

I’ll leave it here for now and check out Dijon tommorrow. It’s getting late.

Catch up then.

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Photos

The Friends Cafe
Last breakfast in Paris

Train Bleau
Restaurant inside Gare de Lyon

The Duke Of Burgundy Palace.
Now an art gallery, museum and tourist attraction. Civic duties are still performed there.

Follow The Owl Trail
These Owls trace an historic walk through the old town in Dijon.