Dijon – More than Mustard!
Sunday, March 25, 2012, Part 2
Dijon, France
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Does something come to mind when you hear “Dijon”? For me, it’s that served-on -every-French- salad staple, Dijon vinaigrette. We know there’s more to Dijon that that, and we’re eager to find out!
After that marvelous morning at Les Dominicaines, our trusty busdriver shuttles us to the Mulhouse train station, and in an hour the fast train has us exiting the station in Dijon.
Our lovely guide quickly walks us through the town, past cheery half-timbered houses,
that renowned mustard shop
and into spacious hidden courtyards of townhomes crowned with ceramic- tiled turrets.
This is a foodie town for sure, with not just mustard, but pain d’epices (spice bread) filling shop windows (we enjoy several samples from a friendly shop- owner) , and that ubiquitously delicious aperitif, Kir, made with the third pride of Dijon, Cassis.
We wind through the heart of the city, which is a 97 hectare Historical Conservation area (we view just a few highlights), from the Palace of the Dukes, now the Fine Arts Museum,
into the gargoyle -fronted Notre Dame Cathedral, and the surrounding medieval streets.
That leering gargoyle may have been one of the few that tumbled off through the centuries… be careful as you walk in the door!
A sparkling Kir (which, by the way, was invented by the mayor of Dijon in the 1950’s) introduces us to dinner at Restaurant de la Porte Guillaume, and the first course, taking advantage of the plentiful Burgundy of the region (Dijon’s the capital) is Oeufs Meurette, eggs poached in red wine – a first for me! I’m not a big fan of poached eggs in the first place, and in wine?? Well, perhaps it’s an acquired taste! The main course – wait, can you guess? Beef Bourguignon, of course, and delicious it is!
We’ve seen some beautiful spots in Dijon, but what stands out is the food – our afternoon and evening have been a tasting tour of the city!
The best way to describe us (Kirk and Anne Woodyard) is that we're interested in the stories that make the places we visit come alive.
We've visited Europe more times than we can count, learned some entertaining stories there, and met some warm and helpful people who also enjoy the wonders of music and life in Europe. Between our music-related travels, we split our time between our homes near Washington DC and in the the south of France. We look forward to sharing these stories and friends and experiences with you.