aussiedreamer

Sorry for the delay aussie_10. I will share the link so you can see it, but unfortunately due to very sad circumstances, I believe it is unavailable for the time being. But by next July maybe it will be.

https://www.homeaway.com/vacation-re...uni_id=1364016

aussiedreamer

On to our lovely dinner. We walked to the restaurant through the square. They were setting up for a concert of some sort, lots of people around. We were the first diners at the restaurant, which at first with the no french, it was a little intimidating. But after a pre dinner drink and a 'chat' we were served by a lovely waiter, with good english. They cleverly gave us their wifi past word and we bought the menu up on our phone. Lots of giggles but it worked.

This meal was everything I thought it might be, served with such care and attention. We were treated to two amuse bouche, unfortunately I forgot to write down what they were. But the highlight was the 'snail cake', wow. It was like a small savory mouthful of souffle, divine.

My entree was just amazing, I was 'nearly' turned off by the 'raw' beef, it was so lovely...Thin Rolls of Charolais Beef with Vougeot Cheese and Mustard, Cucumber Jelly, Fresh Herb Oil. Dh had oysters. Mains were Crispy Langoustine Tails, Stuffed Tomatoes, Shellfish and Verbena Broth (amazing) and dh had fish.

We were then given a desert amuse bouche followed by amazing desert of the day grand marnier souffle with orange ice cream.

All enjoyed with a beautiful bottle of red. There of course was the cheese course, they were quite surprised we passed on this. I have never seen a cheese trolley like it. We were just so full.

The walk back through the square was a bit of a push and shove due to the concert but fun.

We slept well and a bit late which was a nice change. The weather was just beautiful. We wandered around the corner to Les Halles, Dijon's Central Market. What an amazing place, oh the food. It was relatively quiet and it was still earlyish, so we had a good look around, grabbed some breakfast things and headed back for breakfast and plan our day.

We decided to go back to the market and get dinner things..what a mixture of yumminess. We ran into our landlord and his wife on the way back. What a delightful couple, she was just the loveliest lady I have ever met. Greeted us like family but was also very quiet and reserved and just so 'French'.

We then spent the afternoon following the Owls Trail and 'all' its off shoots. What fun, stopping along the way for a very well deserved 'refreshement', it had got really hot.

Another awesome day, it was so lovely walking 'home' past the Notre Dame each day, we just loved Dijon.

Adelaidean

Sounds perfect

annhig

lovely story about the menu! last time we were in Paris we were handed a menu on an i-pad; presumably you could use that to translate if you wanted to.

You have done a very good job at publicising [in the best possible way] the place where you stayed in Dijon - shame that it's not currently available.

aussie_10

Thank you for the information on your apartment. I will keep a look out.
We have been tossing up whether to stay in Dijon or Beaune. They both look lovely.

denisea

I never pass up a grand Marnier souffle!! The apartment owner sounds like a dream! How nice!

aussiedreamer

Too much annhig?

bilboburgler

I was handed a wine list on an Ipad recently. The thing kept timing out and i couldn't leave my finger on the one I wanted. I finally gave it back to the sommelier and asked for a wine list.

I suspect it works very well for short lists (the famous Forte 14 etc, but as you pass to above 100 and the attached pages bring another 200 begins to suggest that the "site" knows more about the wines than you do. Unlikely..

annhig

Too much annhig?>>

no, not at all, Aussie; that's absolutely not what i meant.

for once I was NOT being ironic. Sorry if it came over that way.

Adelaidean

Just checked if your Dijon photos were up yet and found your Bac Ha photo album... we were there in 2012 too. Amazing market.

(Am torturing myself reading other people's TR's... my other half can't get holidays same time as myself next year, had SO many itineraries in my to do list!)

aussiedreamer

I'll get back to this over the weekend.
annhig. I figured ;-) but I also know I was s bit 'gushy'..... just wait till I write up about our afternoon tea!! Ha ha

aussiedreamer

So, the next day we were 'foot' tired and decided we'd take a drive, South. We headed to Lyon, for no particular reason, so much for being 'foot' tired ;-), we walked and walked. Didn't get an amazing feeling for Lyon, it was Sunday and the place seemed deserted. Had a quick lunch and headed back via Annecy. What a pretty place but it was really really crowded, again probably because it was Sunday. Pretty village vs big city I guess. Its a very dramatic setting, with the lake and the mountains.

We parked up by the Chateau and wondered down into the old town, saw some great gelato shops but all with long lines. We had an early dinner of moules frites and headed home. It was a long day but we enjoyed it.

The next day we designated as our winery route day. Unfortunately it rained all day, which made for a misty view over the vineyards but not so good for photos. We pretty much just followed the wine route map from the info office. Saw so many pretty villages, stopping off for lots of degustations and bought several bottles, some of which actually made it home.

One more special day in Dijon to go.

annhig

We headed to Lyon, for no particular reason, so much for being 'foot' tired ;-), we walked and walked. Didn't get an amazing feeling for Lyon, it was Sunday and the place seemed deserted.>>

I think that it probably was the fact that it was Sunday, aussie, that made Lyon seem so empty; when we arrived there on a Friday night last may it was suffering from one of its famous "bouchons" which means not only a cork, and a traditional restaurant, but also apparently a traffic jam!

Shame about the rain spoiling your vineyard tour.

aussiedreamer

Hi Ann, didn't really 'spoil' as such but I'm sure on a clear day it would be stunning.

I've added some more photos.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/104632...7674569092675/

aussie_10

Great photos!
We are planning on spending 2 nights in Annecy next July and then move on to Beaune.
Taking notes.
You certainly pack lots into your days.

Adelaidean

Dijon looks wonderful.

aussiedreamer

Dijon really is amazing, would absolutely go back. Our last day was much more relaxed, dh just went walking. I did too..well sort of. I went shopping/wandering along Rue de la Liberté, what a joy. Such a beautiful day. Bought our new grandbaby (due in 3 weeks) a beautiful 'Petite Prince' plate at Mémoire d'Un Mur, right near our apartment. Such a beautiful shop, full of all sorts of goodies. This plate has a picture of 'Le petite Prince' smelling roses, with an inscription, roughly translated to....

“It is the time you have wasted for your rose that makes your rose so important.”

I then went to the Notre Dame and just wandered for ages, then on to La Moutarderie Edmond Fallot, for the obligatory mustard purchases. Found a new favorite, Mustard with Basil. Such an enjoyable morning, met up with Dh and we did some more wandering before settling on Bistro Comedy for lunch. Maybe the best quiche Lorraine I have ever eaten, no supermarket ham or cheese was used, that's for sure. We then headed back to the market to get some flowers to take to our landlords.

We were a little nervous on the way to their apartment, which by the way is nearly the whole floor and absolutely stunning. We were warmly greeted by them both and the flowers were received with such warmth and gratitude. I was very humbled. We enjoyed a beautiful platter of the yummiest petit fours and Kir Royale (yum). We spent a lovely couple of hours, using an app' on my phone and lots of gesturing and giggling to over come the language barrier. Photos were taken, address's were exchanged and promises of staying there again should we return to Dijon.

So after that lovely day, we headed out for dinner, with a rough plan to find Le Bouchon du Palais. Glad we did, just a really yummy dinner, sitting on the sidewalk with other diners. We enjoyed maison terrine, coqu a vin, and tomato tartin.

We wandered 'home' via the square and soaked up our last night in Dijon. The next morning we loaded up and prepared for the Loire Valley. Our landlords came down to bid us farewell, lots of hugs and kisses on 'both cheeks'. It was actually a very moving goodbye, I can still see them standing there waving till we disappeared.

aussiedreamer

Post Script;

On our return home we were to hear that the lovely Marie Jeanne had passed away just after our visit. Sudden and unexpected, so very sad for the lovely Jacky to lose his "Mon Chéri".

Vale Marie Jeanne xx

annhig

how lovely to have spent that time with your hosts, and what awful news when you got home, aussie.

you have certainly made me think more about staying in Dijon, which is not a place I had given much thought to in the past.

Roll on the Loire!

aussie_10

How sad to hear of the passing of your lovely host.