We left Lyon around lunchtime yesterday and arrived in Dijon, the capital of the famous Burgundy region, just under three hours later. If we thought Lyon was old, Dijon must certainly eclipse it for age. Admittedly, once again our accommodation is right in the old town, but our very apartment looks like something out of the middle ages. I would think fourteenth or fifteenth century would not be stretching things. It is unlike anything we've ever stayed in before, with its centuries old hand hewn timber beams held together with hand made wooden pegs. It's all very rustic and charming.
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| Typical Dijon streetscape |
Dijon is a city of around 150,000 so not too large. In fact, you can just about walk one side to the other in under an hour. Most of the classy restaurants here serve Burgundy's two signature dishes; escargots and beef bourguignon. For the uninitiated that's snails, served usually in a white wine, and beef burgundy. I think we might pass on the snails, but we'll certainly give the beef a try. Of course, Dijon is most famous for the mustard which bears its name. They've been making mustard here for centuries.
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| St Michels |
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| Many of the buildings are medieval |
Today we intend walking the old town, and maybe taking in the odd museum or two. There is an owl's trail here, which takes in all of the significant landmarks. The significance of the owl is a little sketchy, but apparently there is an owl sculpture on one of the buildings which has been here for centuries. If you rub it, it's supposed to bring you luck. Apparently, it was damaged by vandals a few years ago and the locals were so outraged it now has a 24 hour guard. We are only here three nights, so we've basically got two full days to explore. We were considering a guided tour of the wineries, but at over $200 per person, we don't think this represents great value.
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| Place de la Liberation |
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| The famous arch at Place Darcy |
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