Live from Dijon
Feb 7th, 2013, 11:56 AM
#1
Original Poster
Live from Dijon
We took the noon TGV from Lyon to Dijon and arrived ninety minutes later. Coco from MyHomeinDijon met us at the train station. I had been emailing with her for several months and she was just as delightful in person as she had been online. She'd been following our somewhat food-centric trip reporting on Lyon and expressed surprise that we were still normal-sized people. On the short drive to the apt, Coco pointed out various sites and talked about her hometown. After parking the car she walked us to the cooking school down the street and introduced us to Valerie who would be giving us a class on Friday. From there we we went to our apt. The apt is every bit as cozy as it appeared online. I had read about Coco and her rental on Fodor’s where she and her apt rental justifiably get rave reviews.
The apt is easy to reach, up one flight of stairs. It is likely one of the best equipped apts we have stayed in. We appreciated Coco’s comprehensive instructions on how things worked. She even showed us how to type the ampersand on the French keyboard. But best of all were the wonderful snacks she left for us...a bowl of fresh fruit, homemade chocolate cake, delicious Nonnettes au Miel (little cassis cakes), and perhaps the best baguette we have had this trip. In addition, the refrigerator and cabinets were stocked with of staples. We promptly demolished most of the baguette with some of the cheese we'd brought with us.
After settling in, we took a walk in the snow around town. Dijon has a small town feel especially after Lyon. The architecture has a strikingly Northern feel to it. We had a Burgundian dinner at Petite Flamande practically next store to the apt. We splurged on aperitifs, champagne with peaches. We both ordered the menu de jour. I had my first snails and coq au vin in years; both were good. GT had a delicious country salad and good beef bourguignon. Desserts were just ok; profiteroles drowning in chocolate and tarte tatin with caramel glace. The wine was an excellent Givry. Total cost for the meal was 86 euros. When we left, it was so frigid that we skipped on walking and instead returned to our comfortable apt.
We awoke the next morning to bright blue skies and had a quick breakfast of fruit and yogurt. We left for the large nearby modern covered market to buy salad ingredients - lettuce, shallots, tomatoes, a red pepper - and anything else that struck our fancy. We stopped on the way back for a replacement baguette and some cookies. By the time we returned to the apartment, the sky had darkened. When we later left for the day, the weather ad turned to intermittent sleet and rain. We spent the remainder of the morning looking at some nearby churches and strolling down the long pedestrian street that branched off Place Liberation. Much of this part of town is old; the side streets had an almost medieval feel. We wandered through the large Galleries Lafayette and visited the nearby original Maille mustard shop. The weather seemed to change continually, first rain, then blue skies, then snow. We wandered further, taking photos as we went. We particularly liked the Musee Rude and its collection of statues
We had a 1:00 lunch reservation at Stephane Derbord on Place Wilson, a little bit of a walk away from the downtown pedestrian area. This restaurant has a very nice modern, slightly deco interior. The owner's wife was pleasant and elegant and we were seated in a nice side room with a view of the ever-changing weather. We requested the surprise menu which is a lunch special for 28€ per person. It should be noted that this menu is not listed and one needs to request it. The first course was a salad and salmon wrapped around a light cheese. Our plats were sliced wild boar with vegetables - celeriac (we think) mixed with carrots and mushrooms. We were not quite sure exactly what dessert was, but it involved a cassis glace with a pastry and a side dish of macarons..all delicious. While the food was superb, the service did not meet the standards of the food. Of particular note was the dilatory wine service. We had ordered a bottle of white burgundy and as is the case at many restaurants the bottle was in an ice bucket a table away. Several times our glasses remained empty and the waiter did not refill them in a timely manner. We joked about going over and getting the bottle ourselves, but refrained for fear of arrest, criminal trial and possible deportation. Our total bill came to 95€, a special treat for sure.
After lunch the skies turned blue and we decided to do the owl trail. Using the guide that Coco provided at the apt, we began to follow the trail which highlights the major historic sites in Dijon. We particularly enjoyed Notre Dame, the architecture of the Palais des Ducs and the Palais de Justice. Throughout the walk we liked the colorful Burgundy roofs and the spectacular statuary associated with the churches. All in all, we had developed a fondness for Dijon, in both its ancient and modern aspects.
Tomorrow - Mustards & Museums
The apt is easy to reach, up one flight of stairs. It is likely one of the best equipped apts we have stayed in. We appreciated Coco’s comprehensive instructions on how things worked. She even showed us how to type the ampersand on the French keyboard. But best of all were the wonderful snacks she left for us...a bowl of fresh fruit, homemade chocolate cake, delicious Nonnettes au Miel (little cassis cakes), and perhaps the best baguette we have had this trip. In addition, the refrigerator and cabinets were stocked with of staples. We promptly demolished most of the baguette with some of the cheese we'd brought with us.
After settling in, we took a walk in the snow around town. Dijon has a small town feel especially after Lyon. The architecture has a strikingly Northern feel to it. We had a Burgundian dinner at Petite Flamande practically next store to the apt. We splurged on aperitifs, champagne with peaches. We both ordered the menu de jour. I had my first snails and coq au vin in years; both were good. GT had a delicious country salad and good beef bourguignon. Desserts were just ok; profiteroles drowning in chocolate and tarte tatin with caramel glace. The wine was an excellent Givry. Total cost for the meal was 86 euros. When we left, it was so frigid that we skipped on walking and instead returned to our comfortable apt.
We awoke the next morning to bright blue skies and had a quick breakfast of fruit and yogurt. We left for the large nearby modern covered market to buy salad ingredients - lettuce, shallots, tomatoes, a red pepper - and anything else that struck our fancy. We stopped on the way back for a replacement baguette and some cookies. By the time we returned to the apartment, the sky had darkened. When we later left for the day, the weather ad turned to intermittent sleet and rain. We spent the remainder of the morning looking at some nearby churches and strolling down the long pedestrian street that branched off Place Liberation. Much of this part of town is old; the side streets had an almost medieval feel. We wandered through the large Galleries Lafayette and visited the nearby original Maille mustard shop. The weather seemed to change continually, first rain, then blue skies, then snow. We wandered further, taking photos as we went. We particularly liked the Musee Rude and its collection of statues
We had a 1:00 lunch reservation at Stephane Derbord on Place Wilson, a little bit of a walk away from the downtown pedestrian area. This restaurant has a very nice modern, slightly deco interior. The owner's wife was pleasant and elegant and we were seated in a nice side room with a view of the ever-changing weather. We requested the surprise menu which is a lunch special for 28€ per person. It should be noted that this menu is not listed and one needs to request it. The first course was a salad and salmon wrapped around a light cheese. Our plats were sliced wild boar with vegetables - celeriac (we think) mixed with carrots and mushrooms. We were not quite sure exactly what dessert was, but it involved a cassis glace with a pastry and a side dish of macarons..all delicious. While the food was superb, the service did not meet the standards of the food. Of particular note was the dilatory wine service. We had ordered a bottle of white burgundy and as is the case at many restaurants the bottle was in an ice bucket a table away. Several times our glasses remained empty and the waiter did not refill them in a timely manner. We joked about going over and getting the bottle ourselves, but refrained for fear of arrest, criminal trial and possible deportation. Our total bill came to 95€, a special treat for sure.
After lunch the skies turned blue and we decided to do the owl trail. Using the guide that Coco provided at the apt, we began to follow the trail which highlights the major historic sites in Dijon. We particularly enjoyed Notre Dame, the architecture of the Palais des Ducs and the Palais de Justice. Throughout the walk we liked the colorful Burgundy roofs and the spectacular statuary associated with the churches. All in all, we had developed a fondness for Dijon, in both its ancient and modern aspects.
Tomorrow - Mustards & Museums
Feb 8th, 2013, 08:43 AM
#6
Original Poster
@thursdaysd-I quite enjoy the snow..only makes Dijon more captivating.
@TD-yes, add it to your growing list! And yes, apt is lovely and very comfortable.
Museums and Mustards-Day Three in Delightful Dijon
Once again we awoke to a brilliant blue sky and the sun shining. After yesterday, we wondered how long that would last. Happily the sun shone all day. It was a day without needing a hat or boots...glorious!
We lingered over breakfast, an omelette, debating exactly how to spend the day. We had our cooking class at noon. We wanted to go to a couple museums and buy some gifts of mustard to take home. Coco sent an email with some suggestions for some walks and perhaps we would do that too.
We walked the couple blocks to the cooking school. We were greeted by Valerie and were promptly given our aprons. There were 12 people in the class, ten women and two men. Unfortunately the class was taught in French...fortunately we speak pretty good menu French and could follow along. The meal was to be salmon and potatoes with veggies. First we were to peel a potato and chop it up. We were instructed on the proper technique for chopping potatoes, carrots, celery, onions and red pepper, and for mincing parsley. The French method for chopping is a touch different from the way we were taught, so the chopping was slow going. Even the potato peeler was different from the one I use. The chef noticed the difficulty I was having with the peeler and brought over what I would call an American style one and I peeled that potato in a flash. To cut to the chase, so to speak, the dish consisted of sautéed veggies mixed with previously baked salmon under a layer of whipped potatoes and a bread crumb/nut topping. This was assembled in individual serving dishes and then put back in the oven while the salad was prepared. Then came the good part - we got to eat what we prepared accompanied by crusty bread and a glass of white wine. We thought it was so good that we're planning a dinner around it when we return, chopping technique be damned. Cost for the lesson, the meal and one dessert was 28€. Our wine was complimentary which was nice.
After our self-prepared lunch, we wandered Dijon some more. On the suggestion of Fodorite thursdaysd, we visited the Musee de la Vie Bourguignonne at 17, Rue Steve-Anne. The exhibitions present a comprehensive take on how rural communities in Burgundy lived, with a particular focus on the 19th Century. Admission is free and there's an indispensable English language guide available at the desk. We enjoyed this brief foray into another time and place.
Afterwards, we went gift hunting at a large mustard emporium near the Les Halles market. We bought twelve jars of various-flavored mustard for friends, family and ourselves. Afterwards, we visited the nearby church of Notre Dame. The exterior of this church is an architectural knock-out, with superb spires and gargoyles, and rows of delicate columns. The interior stylistically was similar to many of the others churches in town.
We headed back toward the apt, still so pleased it remained sunny. We dropped our loot off at the apt and walked across the street to Musee Magnin at 4 rue des Bons-enfants. Admission is 3.5€. Coco mentioned it is free on the first Sunday of the month, but we are headed to Paris on Sunday morning. This museum has a collection of 16th through the 19th century art and antique furniture. The building which is of interest is a 17th century private mansion that was given to the city with the intent to keep it as a private collection and a lived in home. It was difficult to see some of the art due to the lightning and many were mounted very high on the wall. The art varies in quality. The lightning aside, it is worth a visit.
GT ran out on a shopping expedition to L'Homme, a french vintage store hoping to expand his ever growing collection of vintage tweed. That was not to be given the extraordinary prices even on sale. Oh well.
Now we're planning a quiet evening in our comfy apt. Wine and cheese are waiting for us. Tomorrow we take the train to Beaune for the day.
@TD-yes, add it to your growing list! And yes, apt is lovely and very comfortable.
Museums and Mustards-Day Three in Delightful Dijon
Once again we awoke to a brilliant blue sky and the sun shining. After yesterday, we wondered how long that would last. Happily the sun shone all day. It was a day without needing a hat or boots...glorious!
We lingered over breakfast, an omelette, debating exactly how to spend the day. We had our cooking class at noon. We wanted to go to a couple museums and buy some gifts of mustard to take home. Coco sent an email with some suggestions for some walks and perhaps we would do that too.
We walked the couple blocks to the cooking school. We were greeted by Valerie and were promptly given our aprons. There were 12 people in the class, ten women and two men. Unfortunately the class was taught in French...fortunately we speak pretty good menu French and could follow along. The meal was to be salmon and potatoes with veggies. First we were to peel a potato and chop it up. We were instructed on the proper technique for chopping potatoes, carrots, celery, onions and red pepper, and for mincing parsley. The French method for chopping is a touch different from the way we were taught, so the chopping was slow going. Even the potato peeler was different from the one I use. The chef noticed the difficulty I was having with the peeler and brought over what I would call an American style one and I peeled that potato in a flash. To cut to the chase, so to speak, the dish consisted of sautéed veggies mixed with previously baked salmon under a layer of whipped potatoes and a bread crumb/nut topping. This was assembled in individual serving dishes and then put back in the oven while the salad was prepared. Then came the good part - we got to eat what we prepared accompanied by crusty bread and a glass of white wine. We thought it was so good that we're planning a dinner around it when we return, chopping technique be damned. Cost for the lesson, the meal and one dessert was 28€. Our wine was complimentary which was nice.
After our self-prepared lunch, we wandered Dijon some more. On the suggestion of Fodorite thursdaysd, we visited the Musee de la Vie Bourguignonne at 17, Rue Steve-Anne. The exhibitions present a comprehensive take on how rural communities in Burgundy lived, with a particular focus on the 19th Century. Admission is free and there's an indispensable English language guide available at the desk. We enjoyed this brief foray into another time and place.
Afterwards, we went gift hunting at a large mustard emporium near the Les Halles market. We bought twelve jars of various-flavored mustard for friends, family and ourselves. Afterwards, we visited the nearby church of Notre Dame. The exterior of this church is an architectural knock-out, with superb spires and gargoyles, and rows of delicate columns. The interior stylistically was similar to many of the others churches in town.
We headed back toward the apt, still so pleased it remained sunny. We dropped our loot off at the apt and walked across the street to Musee Magnin at 4 rue des Bons-enfants. Admission is 3.5€. Coco mentioned it is free on the first Sunday of the month, but we are headed to Paris on Sunday morning. This museum has a collection of 16th through the 19th century art and antique furniture. The building which is of interest is a 17th century private mansion that was given to the city with the intent to keep it as a private collection and a lived in home. It was difficult to see some of the art due to the lightning and many were mounted very high on the wall. The art varies in quality. The lightning aside, it is worth a visit.
GT ran out on a shopping expedition to L'Homme, a french vintage store hoping to expand his ever growing collection of vintage tweed. That was not to be given the extraordinary prices even on sale. Oh well.
Now we're planning a quiet evening in our comfy apt. Wine and cheese are waiting for us. Tomorrow we take the train to Beaune for the day.
Feb 8th, 2013, 07:52 PM
#10
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Thank you for evoking wonderful memories of a stay at MyHome and the wonderful Coco. This is the most amazing little apartment, light and airy and so well located.
Do take the "Cave Tour" in Beaunne. We still have our "tasting cups". As I recall, our admission allowed a taste of everything displayed on barrels throughout the Cave, with the proviso that if we had not returned in 1-2 hours, someone would come down and search for us!!
Do take the "Cave Tour" in Beaunne. We still have our "tasting cups". As I recall, our admission allowed a taste of everything displayed on barrels throughout the Cave, with the proviso that if we had not returned in 1-2 hours, someone would come down and search for us!!
Feb 9th, 2013, 08:03 AM
#11
Original Poster
Here are some urls for places in Dijon.
Apt is www.myhomeindijon.com
Stephane Derbord http://www.restaurantstephanederbord.fr/en/index.html
- La Petite Flamande has no website so here is the link to Tripadvisor http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaur..._Burgundy.html
- Le Theatre des Sens has no web site either but you may see it here http://www.cartesurtables.com/les-re...424.htm&lng=fr or another one in English http://www.idealgourmet.fr/18151-res...tation-gb.html (our dinner this evening so no report just yet.)
- The cooking class http://lacuisinedemadeleine.fr/yes-we-cook
Museums :
Musee de la Vie Bourguignonne 17 rue St Anne (not Steve-Anne) http://www.musees-bourgogne.org/les_...19&id_ville=18
Musée Magnin http://www.musees-bourgogne.org/les_...61&id_ville=18
Musee Rude http://mba.dijon.fr/musee/musee-rude
Apt is www.myhomeindijon.com
Stephane Derbord http://www.restaurantstephanederbord.fr/en/index.html
- La Petite Flamande has no website so here is the link to Tripadvisor http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaur..._Burgundy.html
- Le Theatre des Sens has no web site either but you may see it here http://www.cartesurtables.com/les-re...424.htm&lng=fr or another one in English http://www.idealgourmet.fr/18151-res...tation-gb.html (our dinner this evening so no report just yet.)
- The cooking class http://lacuisinedemadeleine.fr/yes-we-cook
Museums :
Musee de la Vie Bourguignonne 17 rue St Anne (not Steve-Anne) http://www.musees-bourgogne.org/les_...19&id_ville=18
Musée Magnin http://www.musees-bourgogne.org/les_...61&id_ville=18
Musee Rude http://mba.dijon.fr/musee/musee-rude
Feb 9th, 2013, 08:11 AM
#12
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The cooking class not only sounded luscious, the price was very reasonable. Thanks also for the links above.
I'd be curious about ways to chop and peel as well. For potatoes, I use a regular veggie peeler and stand over the trash can. Pieces of skin often fly up in the air, but it goes quickly. And what about chopping was different, please.
I'd be curious about ways to chop and peel as well. For potatoes, I use a regular veggie peeler and stand over the trash can. Pieces of skin often fly up in the air, but it goes quickly. And what about chopping was different, please.
Feb 9th, 2013, 10:41 PM
#14
Original Poster
That's what we called the small knives that we used. the chef had a normal looking knife. Hard to explain the difference in the chopping. I usually put the point of the knife down on whatever I am chopping and go up and down in short vericla chops, moving my hand. He had us putting the point of the knife down and sliding the knife from the top to the bottom, not lifting it. his method did seem to result in very uniform pieces. does that make sense? As we eat now we examine the vegetables to see how they were cut.
The peeler he handed out was just different from the ones I generally use. Don't know that the actually peeling was any different.
This am we take the TGV for the last leg of our trip- off to Paris for 18 glorious days! Supposed to be snowing in Paris. We will complete the Dijon TR. Had a nice day in Beaune and a very good meal at Le Theater des Sens.
The peeler he handed out was just different from the ones I generally use. Don't know that the actually peeling was any different.
This am we take the TGV for the last leg of our trip- off to Paris for 18 glorious days! Supposed to be snowing in Paris. We will complete the Dijon TR. Had a nice day in Beaune and a very good meal at Le Theater des Sens.
Feb 10th, 2013, 01:16 PM
#16
Original Poster
Last Day in Dijon
Somehow we managed to extricate ourselves from bed, get dressed and have a quick bite and make it to the train station for a 10:40 train to Beaune. By the time we arrived in Beaune, walked into town, searched for the tourist office and got our bearings, things were closing down. We occupied ourselves by walking through the Saturday market, one of those markets that sells everything from artichokes to underwear - quite enjoyable.
Took a quick look at the Notre Dame cathedral. I have to say in all my travels I have never seen so many churches with similar interiors. The exterior architecture has varied from church to church and has been of great interest.
We still had a couple hours until the L'Hotel-Dieu reopened so we fell back to what appears to have become our favorite pastime...eating and drinking. Lunch was at Le Gourmandin. We both had the starter of tuna tarte-sort of like pisssaladiere , but with tuna. GT had a plat of chicken with sauce louisane, which for all the world tasted like baked chicken in barbecue sauce. GT had a house red that came with his formule. I splurged on a 12€ glass of Meursault white wine. We both had chocolate mousse for dessert. Total for lunch was 40€.
We killed time at the restaurant waiting for the 2pm reopening of L'Hotel-Dieu (aka, Hospices de Beaune). When we arrived at the nearby l'Hotel-Dieu, there were at least twenty other people also already waiting for the reopening. It was the first line we saw this trip. We bought the 11€ admission for this, the Musee De Beaux Artes and the Wine Museum, the latter of which we had no intention of visiting. l'Hotel-Dieu is an extravagant 15th Century Flemish architectural complex, with an incredible Burgundian tile roof on one part. The founder/funder had built this complex to atone for his rather pedestrian sin of multiple marriages. It comprises a chapel and a hospital/pharmacy wing built around a stone-paved courtyard. (The hospital remained active for about five hundred years, well into the 20th Century.) The interior of the hospital is a knockout, with elaborately carved and painted roof beams and original furnishings. On the whole, this is a sight not to be missed, particularly given that the Burgundian tile work and elaborate Flemish ornamentation on the hospital portion is not visible from the street.
We had considered going to the Marche aux Vins, but decided to pass up tasting the twelve or so wines involved - we thought this could lead to a debauched afternoon that would preclude the necessary packing for our departure the next day. Instead we headed to the Musee des Beaux Artes, which was on the route to the train station. This was housed in a nondescript municipal building. The collection was underwhelming. We liked some of the North African themed paintings, but, on the whole, the highlights of the collection seemed to comprise second-string pre-Impressionist paintings from the French Salon. Not our cup of tea, although GT is slightly more tolerant of this type of art.
We'd kind of breezed through the not-so-Beaux Artes, and realized that we could possibly catch an earlier train back to Dijon. We ended up with a slightly comic scene at the train station as both we and the train arrived at the same time. We didn't think to avail ourselves of available discounts and paid full fare - 7.8€ apiece - back to Dijon. Nor did we stamp our tickets, a matter of complete indifference to the train ticket-checking guy. The train zipped us back to Dijon in a matter of minutes. We waded through immense crowds of Saturday afternoon shoppers on the last Saturday of the soldes on the way back to our apartment.
Later, we went to dinner at Le Theatre des Sens, a two minute walk for our apartment. There we had a truly fabulous and fun meal. I started with an incredible kir, perhaps the best of my life. My starter was escargots (pre-shelled with the traditional garlic, parsley and butter). GT had a superb risotto with morels. Our plats were chicken in a dietitic sauce of three cheeses and "mille-feuille de magrit de canard au pain d'epices" - layers of duck breast between layers of a savory spice bread. The latter was accompanied by a compote of onions and "groseilles" (red currants). Absolutely fabulous. Our standout dessert was a creme brûlée with cassis.
The accompanying wine was a 2009 Hautes Cotes de Nuit, a light, pleasant pinot noir. This was an excellent meal made memorable by the friendly staff. Total cost was 84€. Once again the bitter cold precluded a nighttime stroll.
Thus ended our stay in delightful Dijon. Coco drove us to the train station the next morning and sent us on our way. We recommend both Dijon and myhomeindijon as a place to stay.
Somehow we managed to extricate ourselves from bed, get dressed and have a quick bite and make it to the train station for a 10:40 train to Beaune. By the time we arrived in Beaune, walked into town, searched for the tourist office and got our bearings, things were closing down. We occupied ourselves by walking through the Saturday market, one of those markets that sells everything from artichokes to underwear - quite enjoyable.
Took a quick look at the Notre Dame cathedral. I have to say in all my travels I have never seen so many churches with similar interiors. The exterior architecture has varied from church to church and has been of great interest.
We still had a couple hours until the L'Hotel-Dieu reopened so we fell back to what appears to have become our favorite pastime...eating and drinking. Lunch was at Le Gourmandin. We both had the starter of tuna tarte-sort of like pisssaladiere , but with tuna. GT had a plat of chicken with sauce louisane, which for all the world tasted like baked chicken in barbecue sauce. GT had a house red that came with his formule. I splurged on a 12€ glass of Meursault white wine. We both had chocolate mousse for dessert. Total for lunch was 40€.
We killed time at the restaurant waiting for the 2pm reopening of L'Hotel-Dieu (aka, Hospices de Beaune). When we arrived at the nearby l'Hotel-Dieu, there were at least twenty other people also already waiting for the reopening. It was the first line we saw this trip. We bought the 11€ admission for this, the Musee De Beaux Artes and the Wine Museum, the latter of which we had no intention of visiting. l'Hotel-Dieu is an extravagant 15th Century Flemish architectural complex, with an incredible Burgundian tile roof on one part. The founder/funder had built this complex to atone for his rather pedestrian sin of multiple marriages. It comprises a chapel and a hospital/pharmacy wing built around a stone-paved courtyard. (The hospital remained active for about five hundred years, well into the 20th Century.) The interior of the hospital is a knockout, with elaborately carved and painted roof beams and original furnishings. On the whole, this is a sight not to be missed, particularly given that the Burgundian tile work and elaborate Flemish ornamentation on the hospital portion is not visible from the street.
We had considered going to the Marche aux Vins, but decided to pass up tasting the twelve or so wines involved - we thought this could lead to a debauched afternoon that would preclude the necessary packing for our departure the next day. Instead we headed to the Musee des Beaux Artes, which was on the route to the train station. This was housed in a nondescript municipal building. The collection was underwhelming. We liked some of the North African themed paintings, but, on the whole, the highlights of the collection seemed to comprise second-string pre-Impressionist paintings from the French Salon. Not our cup of tea, although GT is slightly more tolerant of this type of art.
We'd kind of breezed through the not-so-Beaux Artes, and realized that we could possibly catch an earlier train back to Dijon. We ended up with a slightly comic scene at the train station as both we and the train arrived at the same time. We didn't think to avail ourselves of available discounts and paid full fare - 7.8€ apiece - back to Dijon. Nor did we stamp our tickets, a matter of complete indifference to the train ticket-checking guy. The train zipped us back to Dijon in a matter of minutes. We waded through immense crowds of Saturday afternoon shoppers on the last Saturday of the soldes on the way back to our apartment.
Later, we went to dinner at Le Theatre des Sens, a two minute walk for our apartment. There we had a truly fabulous and fun meal. I started with an incredible kir, perhaps the best of my life. My starter was escargots (pre-shelled with the traditional garlic, parsley and butter). GT had a superb risotto with morels. Our plats were chicken in a dietitic sauce of three cheeses and "mille-feuille de magrit de canard au pain d'epices" - layers of duck breast between layers of a savory spice bread. The latter was accompanied by a compote of onions and "groseilles" (red currants). Absolutely fabulous. Our standout dessert was a creme brûlée with cassis.
The accompanying wine was a 2009 Hautes Cotes de Nuit, a light, pleasant pinot noir. This was an excellent meal made memorable by the friendly staff. Total cost was 84€. Once again the bitter cold precluded a nighttime stroll.
Thus ended our stay in delightful Dijon. Coco drove us to the train station the next morning and sent us on our way. We recommend both Dijon and myhomeindijon as a place to stay.
Feb 11th, 2013, 02:44 AM
#17
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I'm so happy you had such a great time in Dijon Dona! I wish I had more time to show you around even more when you arrived... Now you'll have to come back to enjoy the parks and Kir lake as well. Thank you so much for such a detailed report.
It snowed again and the newspaper made a few pics of Dijon http://www.bienpublic.com/actualite/...lanche-a-dijon
Have a great time in Paris!!
Coco
It snowed again and the newspaper made a few pics of Dijon http://www.bienpublic.com/actualite/...lanche-a-dijon
Have a great time in Paris!!
Coco
