22 August: Late Start, Dijon Market, Wandering Around ; Easy Peasy.

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.It’s 8.57am and no one is in a hurry here.

Dijon Market, circa 1873, was inspired by the Paris Market and still operates from the same shed. This will be our breakfast venue when we get going. Hopefully within the next 30 minutes; I may be too optimistic.

Well, we left at 10 but were soon on the tram to the Market, where we bought some cheese and salads for dinner, and some fresh local yoghurt for breakfast. This was eaten on a bench in the walkway separating a row of shops and the Notre-Dame Cathedral. A constant procession of tourists, locals hurrying past, and a conga line of very young children in costume being led by a teacher in a fairy outfit kept my attention, and after a coffee nearby, we followed the Owl Trail for most of the day.

Dijon is a really relaxed town, and with a population of about 150,000, its large enough to have the facilities and advantages of a city, without the hustle and bustle. Admittedly we only visited the old town, but from all accounts it is a place you’d come to wind back a busier lifestyle.

One feature I found interesting was the Les Toits Vernisses, or, the Varnished Roof Tiles. This style was introduced to the Burgundy region in the 14th Century and is linked to the spread of Gothic architecture in medieval times. It is popular in Asian and African cultures and I’ve seen a similar roof in Budapest on the church of Saint Matthias. The colours are achieved using various dyes and only the tip of the tile that shows is coloured and glazed. In addition to churches and commercial buildings, many stately mansions enjoy this feature on their roofs.

We covered most of the town today, relaxed in the main Square, and arrived home at about 7. It was a long day.

I’ll probably leave it here. The trip is going well; France is expensive but what can you do. Dijon has free entry to most attractions and where we are staying couldn’t be much better. We might Crowd Fund it. Just kidding, although some recent examples are certainly more dubious, right Israel?

Tomorrow we move on and have a stop/start trip to the east of France in Alcsace. There’s plenty of pics and descriptions following this, so check it out and definitely place Dijon on the list if you’re ever going to France. It’s a nice train ride from Paris, and you could easily pop down for 2 nights and head back to Paris.

See you tomorrow.

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Photos

Our Dijon Apartment
Overlooking the river, this first floor corner apartment has an outlook from all sides. It’s really nice to watch the world go by in the morning.

Dijon Market
EST 1873 and still operating out of the original shed.

Cathedral of Notre-Dame, 1220-1244 AD
A masterpiece of Burgundy architecture of the 13 Century, this is possibly the most remarkable of Dijon’s churches.Three rows of fake gargoyles grace its entrance. Called false because they don’t transfer water as gargoyles are designed to.

Small Goods
I just noticed that you can buy something called Jesus over the back. It’s french for something, I imagine.

The Doorway of Notre- Dame Cathedral
An unusual feature of this entry into the church is the absence of any carved imagery around the arc of the door frame. There was, but this was chiseled away during the French Revolution as a purging of the Catholic references displayed. they were never replaced and the chiseled surface is clear to this day.

Glass Leadlights, Notre-Dame
The lower 5 panels are original and are about 750 years old.

Thank You Panels, Notre-Dame
These panels are like a modern sponsored brick system that occasionally operates today, to raise funds. They date back to 1850 but I did notice a clear gap in the years of the First World War.

The Stone Owl
This emblem of Dijon is located on the outside of Notre-Dame and it’s said to be good luck to rub it with your left hand ( It’s closest to your heart) and make a wish. I’m still waiting.

Maison Milliere
Built in 1483, it has kept its medieval features and still maintains a store on the bottom level and a residence upstairs. This house featured in the film, Cyrano de Bergerac, starring G. Depardieu.

Lunch In The Square With The Theatre In The Background.
I’m in shade eating Cruton Salad that strangely contains no croutons. It was a combination of salads and vegetables, grated and garnished on a bed of lettuce. My mush needed vege hit.

Comments

[Susan Petch]

Dijon Getaway
Great tip about Dijon.

[sherrys]

Hi Sue
Yes, we just mer Tim there, so I hadn’t even looked into it. It just seemed like a good idea. Turns out it was more than that. You’d love it.