Springtime in France
Apr 27th, 2026 | 01:22 PM
#22
Original Poster
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 3,530
Likes: 0
KarenWoo, appreciate your thoughts on France. Will definitely put Provence and the Dordogne on our long list of places to visit. If you like traditional French architecture, you will enjoy both Lyon and Dijon - and Semur-en-Auxois (more on this below). Semur is what I picture some of the Provencal villages to look like.
ms_go, glad you've had a chance to sit different parts of France. There's so much to see and do here. I have to admit, though, that we haven't thought about Marseille much because of all the bad reviews. But you're piquing our interest.
shelemm, you're right. This is why we decided to stay away from Paris on this trip. While we enjoy Paris and can keep going back, there's so much of France that we're interested in exploring.
TDudette, LOL. Definitely autocorrect from pinot noir. I didn't see it until you point it out.
bilboburgler, I definitely intended to say pinot noir along with chardonnay.
Medieval Times
Today we're riding the rails to Montbard, also in Burgundy, for a visit to Fontenay Abbey. There are two UNESCO-listed medieval abbeys in France, Vezelay and Fontenay; we chose Fontenay because it was closer to Dijon. Finding a taxi from Montbard to Fontenay Abbey provided difficult though. We first tried Uber, to no avail. We then asked the tourist information office for available taxis and were given a list of numbers. It took about 5 or 6 attempts to find out, with a 45 minute wait. According to our taxi driver, there is only a handful of vehicles in town and the vast majority of customers are people going to and from medical appointments. Such is the challenges of travelling in more remote areas at times, although this is not our typical experience when travelling in Europe.
Fontenay was built in the 12th century by Cistercian monks, and one of the leading centers of knowledge during the Middle Ages. The setting of Fontenay is beautiful. The large stone buildings house a church, a dormitory, a hospital, ironworks, among other things. We toured the buildings and walked in the gardens. Unfortunately all the buildings except for the church is bare, so it didn't take much time to complete our visit, about 30 minutes in all. Although beautiful, I would not suggest a visit to Fontenay if you don't have a car and / or is along the way. The time and effort was not worth it.
From Fontenay we phoned the same taxi driver who took us to the Abbey to take us to our next destination: the town of Semur-en-Auxois. Semur appealed to us when we were researching for this trip; it seemed to fulfill our mental image of a typical storybook French town. Semur was love at first sight. Stepping out of the taxi, we felt we were transported back in time. Aahhh!
We grabbed a brochure of the town from the tourist information center and followed the well-laid out suggestion of a walking tour of the town. We enter via the massive Sauvigny and Guillier Gates, which led to Buffon Street. The street oozed with charm. Just around the corner is Notre Dame Church rising above all the other buildings on the square. The church features a long nave with a series of chapels along the left side leading to the altar. A couple of the chapels were dedicated to people of different trades such as butchers and craftspeople. One of the chapels were dedicated to American soldiers who lost their lives in the First World War. The stained glass windows throughout the church, especially at the main altar, were outstanding.
We enjoyed a typical long midday lunch at Aux Vieux Paves, on Buffon Street right around the corner from the church. It was one of the few places open in what is otherwise a very quiet town (many places are closed on Sundays and on Mondays throughout France), but the food is traditional Burgundian and very good. Yes, a couple of us ate beef bourgignon today. We seem to be the only tourists dining here as everyone else were couples and families speaking French.
After our meal, we went on a walking tour of Semur-en-Auxois. We strolled the cobblestone streets, crossed its bridges, admired its ramparts including four towers, and took loads of photos. The entire town could be on the cover of a travel magazine; there was no bad view anywhere. Semur oozed a rustic, bucolic charm. And there were very few people about (we saw one tour group, maybe half a dozen other tourists, and no more than 25 locals). The only downside - today being a Monday, which meant almost no cafes or shops were open. The entire walk around town took about 2 hours but could have been done in 1 if we were really moving at pace. We so loved Semur-en-Auxois; if there is such a concept as La France Profonde, we think we've found it in here.
Returning to Dijon was a pain. Other than driving, there is a bus that runs from Semur to Dijon but the schedule is very irregular. Its operation depends on the school calendar and the times the buses run are different depending on which day of the week you are riding. We waited for about an hour for the last bus heading to Dijon, arriving an hour and a half later.
Fontenay Abbey Buildings and Gardens
Abbey Church
Instead of Fontenay Chapel
Altarpiece at Fontenay
Fontenay Cloister
Ironworks at Fontenay
Waterwheel behind Ironworks Building at Fontenay
Entrance to Medieval Semur-en-Auxois
Notre Dame Church, Semur-en-Auxois
Central Nave of Notre Dame Church, Semur-en-Auxois
Stained Glass Window at Notre Dame Church, Semur-en-Auxois
Craftspeople Window at Notre Dame Church, Semur-en-Auxois
Market Square, Semur-en-Auxois
Semur-en-Auxois Panorama
Rampart Tower, Semur-en-Auxois
Hotel Particuliar, Semur-en-Auxois
Part of Semur-en-Auxois from the Ramparts
Ramparts, Semur-en-Auxois
Rampart Tower, Semur-en-Auxois
River, Semur-en-Auxois
ms_go, glad you've had a chance to sit different parts of France. There's so much to see and do here. I have to admit, though, that we haven't thought about Marseille much because of all the bad reviews. But you're piquing our interest.
shelemm, you're right. This is why we decided to stay away from Paris on this trip. While we enjoy Paris and can keep going back, there's so much of France that we're interested in exploring.
TDudette, LOL. Definitely autocorrect from pinot noir. I didn't see it until you point it out.
bilboburgler, I definitely intended to say pinot noir along with chardonnay.
Medieval Times
Today we're riding the rails to Montbard, also in Burgundy, for a visit to Fontenay Abbey. There are two UNESCO-listed medieval abbeys in France, Vezelay and Fontenay; we chose Fontenay because it was closer to Dijon. Finding a taxi from Montbard to Fontenay Abbey provided difficult though. We first tried Uber, to no avail. We then asked the tourist information office for available taxis and were given a list of numbers. It took about 5 or 6 attempts to find out, with a 45 minute wait. According to our taxi driver, there is only a handful of vehicles in town and the vast majority of customers are people going to and from medical appointments. Such is the challenges of travelling in more remote areas at times, although this is not our typical experience when travelling in Europe.
Fontenay was built in the 12th century by Cistercian monks, and one of the leading centers of knowledge during the Middle Ages. The setting of Fontenay is beautiful. The large stone buildings house a church, a dormitory, a hospital, ironworks, among other things. We toured the buildings and walked in the gardens. Unfortunately all the buildings except for the church is bare, so it didn't take much time to complete our visit, about 30 minutes in all. Although beautiful, I would not suggest a visit to Fontenay if you don't have a car and / or is along the way. The time and effort was not worth it.
From Fontenay we phoned the same taxi driver who took us to the Abbey to take us to our next destination: the town of Semur-en-Auxois. Semur appealed to us when we were researching for this trip; it seemed to fulfill our mental image of a typical storybook French town. Semur was love at first sight. Stepping out of the taxi, we felt we were transported back in time. Aahhh!
We grabbed a brochure of the town from the tourist information center and followed the well-laid out suggestion of a walking tour of the town. We enter via the massive Sauvigny and Guillier Gates, which led to Buffon Street. The street oozed with charm. Just around the corner is Notre Dame Church rising above all the other buildings on the square. The church features a long nave with a series of chapels along the left side leading to the altar. A couple of the chapels were dedicated to people of different trades such as butchers and craftspeople. One of the chapels were dedicated to American soldiers who lost their lives in the First World War. The stained glass windows throughout the church, especially at the main altar, were outstanding.
We enjoyed a typical long midday lunch at Aux Vieux Paves, on Buffon Street right around the corner from the church. It was one of the few places open in what is otherwise a very quiet town (many places are closed on Sundays and on Mondays throughout France), but the food is traditional Burgundian and very good. Yes, a couple of us ate beef bourgignon today. We seem to be the only tourists dining here as everyone else were couples and families speaking French.
After our meal, we went on a walking tour of Semur-en-Auxois. We strolled the cobblestone streets, crossed its bridges, admired its ramparts including four towers, and took loads of photos. The entire town could be on the cover of a travel magazine; there was no bad view anywhere. Semur oozed a rustic, bucolic charm. And there were very few people about (we saw one tour group, maybe half a dozen other tourists, and no more than 25 locals). The only downside - today being a Monday, which meant almost no cafes or shops were open. The entire walk around town took about 2 hours but could have been done in 1 if we were really moving at pace. We so loved Semur-en-Auxois; if there is such a concept as La France Profonde, we think we've found it in here.
Returning to Dijon was a pain. Other than driving, there is a bus that runs from Semur to Dijon but the schedule is very irregular. Its operation depends on the school calendar and the times the buses run are different depending on which day of the week you are riding. We waited for about an hour for the last bus heading to Dijon, arriving an hour and a half later.
Fontenay Abbey Buildings and Gardens
Abbey Church
Instead of Fontenay Chapel
Altarpiece at Fontenay
Fontenay Cloister
Ironworks at Fontenay
Waterwheel behind Ironworks Building at Fontenay
Entrance to Medieval Semur-en-Auxois
Notre Dame Church, Semur-en-Auxois
Central Nave of Notre Dame Church, Semur-en-Auxois
Stained Glass Window at Notre Dame Church, Semur-en-Auxois
Craftspeople Window at Notre Dame Church, Semur-en-Auxois
Market Square, Semur-en-Auxois
Semur-en-Auxois Panorama
Rampart Tower, Semur-en-Auxois
Hotel Particuliar, Semur-en-Auxois
Part of Semur-en-Auxois from the Ramparts
Ramparts, Semur-en-Auxois
Rampart Tower, Semur-en-Auxois
River, Semur-en-Auxois
Apr 27th, 2026 | 09:41 PM
#23
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 16,513
Likes: 4
Hi Tripplanner,
I just saw this, have my cabin bag stowed and am catching up as we taxi down the runway. Your TRs are always wonderful and I'm looking forward to enjoying this one - thanks so much. It takes time & effort to put TRs together & I appreciate your sharing yours with us.
I just saw this, have my cabin bag stowed and am catching up as we taxi down the runway. Your TRs are always wonderful and I'm looking forward to enjoying this one - thanks so much. It takes time & effort to put TRs together & I appreciate your sharing yours with us.
Yesterday | 01:03 PM
#25
Original Poster
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 3,530
Likes: 0
Bokhara2, you're welcome.
Adelaidean, thank you.
Besancon
Today we traveled by train from Dijon to Besancon (the c has a cedille which isn't available jn the English alphabet and is pronounced like an s), the capital of what was the Free County of Burgundy. While under Burgundian rule for a large part of its history, the Free County changed hands several times among Burgundy, France, Spain, and others. Besancon piqued our interest after reading Adelaidean's trip report about her visit to the city, and here we are (merci beaucoup, Adelaidean).
We picked up a map of suggested walking routes of the city from the tourist information center and used it to frame our visit for the day. Starting at Battant Bridge, we walked to Revolution Square, where we purchased and ate some fruit from the outdoor market. The Museum of Fine Arts and Archaeology was closed as today us Tuesday, although we knew that before we came to Besancon. Strolling it's streets, we noticed that the architecture of Besancon is different than what we've seen in other French cities and towns on this trip. Most of the buildings are huge and constructed either cream- and gray-colored stones. While it's not as elegant as the traditional French buildings we've enjoyed in Dijon and Lyon, the uniformity gives it visual appeal.
We passed Victor Hugo's home, but as it was Tuesday, it was closed. We went inside the Cathedral of St. Jean, with its gorgeous stained glass windows and painting. There are beautiful frescoes in one of the chapels, including one of The Last Supper. Also at the Cathedral is a beautiful centuries-old mechanical astrological clock.
From the church we walked uphill to the Citadel. Besancon is famous for its location, on the bend of the Doubs River. The city is ringed by fortifications constructed by de Vauban, an engineer for Louis XIV. In addition to Besancon, de Vauban fortified 12 other French cities. We walked around the Citadel some but did not enter to paid portion, where a couple of museums and a zoo are located.
Returning into the heart of the city, we stopped at a creperie for a delicious but light lunch. We continued our sightseeing, following one of the suggested routes. Our next stop was Granvelle Palace, today home to the Museum of Time. Although it's focused on timepieces, there is a good collection of paintings, tapestries, and other art. The top floor offers a good bird's-eye view of the city's rooftops. It was until we were up here that we noticed the proliferation of chimneys atop buildings.
From here we traced our way to Pasteur Square, named after Louis Pasteur, and stopped for a coffee break before returning to the other side of the river. Here we followed a suggested route that took us mostly through back streets. We saw more of de Vauban's fortification system, hidden gardens, and a large public park with a couple of de Vauban's watchtower.
There's still so much more to see and do in Besancon, chief among which is a strong around the fortifications and ramparts that ring the city. Alas, the walk is estimated to take 2.5 hours and we've run out of time. Just have to save it for a future visit...
We were surprised at how much more there is to see and do in Besancon. From our research, it seemed comparable to Dijon, but there is so much more to offer. Instead of a day trip, we could have easily stayed 3 or 4 nights.
Back in Dijon, we took one final stroll among its very atmospheric streets. There was an on-and-off light drizzle but it enhanced our surroundings, similar to how a bit of rain makes Paris even more appealing. We ate dinner at L'Epicerie et Cie, on Emile Zola Square. We dined on some of our new French favorites - oeufs en meurette (eggs poached in red wine), quenelles - as well an old classic - beef bourgignon. We also tried snail soup for the first time and it was fantastic. Overall, we're very happy with L'Epicerie et Cie and would highly recommend it.
Battant Bridge
Outdoor Market at Revolution Square
Mural
Victor Hugo Residence
Cathedral of St. Jean
Chapel at Cathedral of St. Jean
Chapel at Cathedral of St. Jean
Main Altar at Cathedral of St. Jean
Astronomical Clock
Citadel Entrance
Fortifications at Citadel
Fortifications at Citadel
Fortifications at Citadel
View of Besancon from Citadel
Granvelle Palace
Views of Besancon Rooftops
Street Art
Building Reflections on Doubs River
One of the Towers of the Ramparts
Sculpture in Honor of International Women's Day
Adelaidean, thank you.
Besancon
Today we traveled by train from Dijon to Besancon (the c has a cedille which isn't available jn the English alphabet and is pronounced like an s), the capital of what was the Free County of Burgundy. While under Burgundian rule for a large part of its history, the Free County changed hands several times among Burgundy, France, Spain, and others. Besancon piqued our interest after reading Adelaidean's trip report about her visit to the city, and here we are (merci beaucoup, Adelaidean).
We picked up a map of suggested walking routes of the city from the tourist information center and used it to frame our visit for the day. Starting at Battant Bridge, we walked to Revolution Square, where we purchased and ate some fruit from the outdoor market. The Museum of Fine Arts and Archaeology was closed as today us Tuesday, although we knew that before we came to Besancon. Strolling it's streets, we noticed that the architecture of Besancon is different than what we've seen in other French cities and towns on this trip. Most of the buildings are huge and constructed either cream- and gray-colored stones. While it's not as elegant as the traditional French buildings we've enjoyed in Dijon and Lyon, the uniformity gives it visual appeal.
We passed Victor Hugo's home, but as it was Tuesday, it was closed. We went inside the Cathedral of St. Jean, with its gorgeous stained glass windows and painting. There are beautiful frescoes in one of the chapels, including one of The Last Supper. Also at the Cathedral is a beautiful centuries-old mechanical astrological clock.
From the church we walked uphill to the Citadel. Besancon is famous for its location, on the bend of the Doubs River. The city is ringed by fortifications constructed by de Vauban, an engineer for Louis XIV. In addition to Besancon, de Vauban fortified 12 other French cities. We walked around the Citadel some but did not enter to paid portion, where a couple of museums and a zoo are located.
Returning into the heart of the city, we stopped at a creperie for a delicious but light lunch. We continued our sightseeing, following one of the suggested routes. Our next stop was Granvelle Palace, today home to the Museum of Time. Although it's focused on timepieces, there is a good collection of paintings, tapestries, and other art. The top floor offers a good bird's-eye view of the city's rooftops. It was until we were up here that we noticed the proliferation of chimneys atop buildings.
From here we traced our way to Pasteur Square, named after Louis Pasteur, and stopped for a coffee break before returning to the other side of the river. Here we followed a suggested route that took us mostly through back streets. We saw more of de Vauban's fortification system, hidden gardens, and a large public park with a couple of de Vauban's watchtower.
There's still so much more to see and do in Besancon, chief among which is a strong around the fortifications and ramparts that ring the city. Alas, the walk is estimated to take 2.5 hours and we've run out of time. Just have to save it for a future visit...
We were surprised at how much more there is to see and do in Besancon. From our research, it seemed comparable to Dijon, but there is so much more to offer. Instead of a day trip, we could have easily stayed 3 or 4 nights.
Back in Dijon, we took one final stroll among its very atmospheric streets. There was an on-and-off light drizzle but it enhanced our surroundings, similar to how a bit of rain makes Paris even more appealing. We ate dinner at L'Epicerie et Cie, on Emile Zola Square. We dined on some of our new French favorites - oeufs en meurette (eggs poached in red wine), quenelles - as well an old classic - beef bourgignon. We also tried snail soup for the first time and it was fantastic. Overall, we're very happy with L'Epicerie et Cie and would highly recommend it.
Battant Bridge
Outdoor Market at Revolution Square
Mural
Victor Hugo Residence
Cathedral of St. Jean
Chapel at Cathedral of St. Jean
Chapel at Cathedral of St. Jean
Main Altar at Cathedral of St. Jean
Astronomical Clock
Citadel Entrance
Fortifications at Citadel
Fortifications at Citadel
Fortifications at Citadel
View of Besancon from Citadel
Granvelle Palace
Views of Besancon Rooftops
Street Art
Building Reflections on Doubs River
One of the Towers of the Ramparts
Sculpture in Honor of International Women's Day
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Jan 24th, 2002 05:27 PM
