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Published: June 13th 2015
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En route to Lyon
A chateau with traditional roof tiles. Thursday 11 June 2015
Today we drive from Dijon to Lyon, taking back roads that will let us make stops at several villages or towns that intrigue us. We plan to visit at least three, GPS willing: Brancion, Taize and Cluny.
With some regret we headed away from Dijon. Burgundy has captured our hearts and we will return one day to explore in a more leisurely way. The back roads that lead to Brancion wind up, down and around, through tiny villages, and past what we understand is an ancient standing stone with a stone cross added to the top. History upon history. Our arrival at the carpark just outside the medieval village of Brancion brought us right back to the present in the form of a class of school children enjoying a leisurely lunch in the welcome shade. Children are children no matter the country. There was the little boy who couldn't stay seated and the few who tried to move a little further and a little further away from their teacher's view. In French, the chatter of excited children has the same volume as in English.
Brancion is tiny and sleepy, but a few other tourists
Brancion
A house with a wonderful garden. were about as we climbed up the old streets to the ancient church on top of the hill, where a panoramic view across the lovely countryside was waiting to be photographed. The church is very simple with wall paintings that have had some restoration work done on them, but whose enemy is the moisture from humidity that soaks into the stone. There is a small restaurant part way up the street, but we understand less than half a dozen people live in this tiny village in the hills.
On we went to our next stop, Taize, where a Christian community of brothers attracts many people to spend time there as a retreat and place of learning. We arrived not sure what to expect and immediately noticed numbers of mainly young people relaxing in small groups during the quiet time after lunch. A man closer to our age was finishing his icecream (his daily 25 cents treat from the community store, he explained in English). We got talking and he offered to show us around a little since this was a period of free time for those staying in the community. We saw the meal preparation area, dining area with
Brancion
A view of the chateau no tables just simple wooden forms arranged in triangular shapes, then into the church which is not old and had to be extended some years ago. There we heard singing practice, a beautiful sound. Our guide pointed out that there are no seats in the church - people sit on the floor. We were grateful for the chance to find out a little about the Taize community before going on our way to our next stop, Cluny.
Unfortunately, this was easier said than done. Closed roads (roadworks), deviations that our GPS didn't know about and very slow trucks and tractors sharing the back roads. When we finally arrived in Cluny we realised it has a great deal to explore even if the old abbey is no longer standing. We drove through the streets looking for a park but with time running short decided to ask our GPS friend to put us on a big road direct to Lyon. Cluny is on the list for our next trip, when we will try to do it justice.
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