We've all experience trips where the reality of a destination was different from what you expected in advance. Dijon is a case in point for me. Yeah, I expected a provincial French city, good food, a handful of interesting sights, etc.

What we found was more of a small gem--sort of a mini-Paris---a beautiful, walkable, small city that captivated us for 5 days earlier this month (Sept. 07). And, since this already sounds like a tourist agency puff-piece, let me add that we found a wonderful, centrally located apartment that you can see at:

http://www.myhomeindijon.com

More details to follow....

Dijon report (continued)-- Transportation, arrival--

Arrived from Switzerland on the TGV, which stands for "tres grand vitesse", or "very great speed". Honestly, the train from Bern to Dijon was more "comme-ci, comme-ca vitesse"--fast, but not blistering speed, with a fair number of stops.

And, unfortunately, the TGV does not share the super-efficient Swiss system of checking and forwarding luggage via train, so you're left dealing with baggage yourself on the TGV. Dijon rail station is undergoing renovations right now, so parking and front-door access are limited. But our hostess, Coco (a Fodor's regular) was waiting on the rail station platform (!), drove us to her rental apartment, and even provided an orientation walking tour of central Dijon.

More transportation info:

Central Dijon is compact, but the rail station is a brisk 15 minute walk from the Ducal palace and historic center. Renting a car and driving is not the way to go in Dijon unless you enjoy dealing with one-way streets, traffic-free zone restrictions, and limited parking. This advice notwithstanding, we DID rent a car (at the rail station) and drove it through rural Burgundy for two days.

No real airline connections to Dijon, much to the dismay of the local government which operates the regional airport.

More to follow, once my jet-lag diminishes....

Oh, Corinne, you don't have to make up new identities to advertise! We all know your place is the best in Dijon.

Kerouac,

You're kidding, right?

David White
(KidsToLondon)

Thanks for the report but please define "brisk"...is it the same as "within walking distance?" LOL

I walk fast. Let's check that pedometer...er, 3.6 mph.

Wouldn't recommend the walk if you are trailing luggage, but it is certainly doable otherwise.

Trip report--continued--
Afield in Burgundy

As indicated, we rented a car in Dijon and drove through some of the surrounding countryside. One trip featured the Abbaye de Fontenay:

http://www.abbayedefontenay.com

Historically significant for a variety of reasons, the site includes a restored abbey and the location of the first hydraulic forge, which was an important milestone towards the industrial age. The gardens at Fontenay are also worth the trip.

Fontenay is about 45 miles northwest of Dijon, through mainly farmland, speckled with villages.

As fans of the movie Chocolat, we also ventured to Flavigny-sur-Ozerain. There is no commercialization of the town's fleeting movie fame here. The setting is wonderful and lunch at the local Grange hall/farmers coop was a hoot!

Final stop was Vezelay, with its hilltop cathedral, artist colony, and wonderful views over the countryside. Vezelay is a bit farther for a leisurely daytrip from Dijon, and a bit more commericalized than the other sites.

er, "Grange hall, farmers co-op"

very positive report, I'll have to get there one day.

For future reference and in case you are writing elsewhere (which I presume as you list your business a lot), TGV doesn't stand for "tres grand vitesse" (and it would be grande as vitesse is a feminine word). It stands simply for train à grande vitesse, which just means "high speed train".

"TGV"= "train à grande vitesse", got it. My French skills are fairly elementary.

So, then the sarcastic comment should be "train à __________ vitesse"?

>So, then the sarcastic comment should be "train à ___Petite__ vitesse"? <
Hi David it is because it has a few stops. If you take it from Paris to Lyon it is très grande vitesse.

>No real airline connections to Dijon, much to the dismay of the local government which operates the regional airport.< We're all waiting for a low cost company (Ryanair) to settle down with direct link to London, it was supposed to be for September...

Did you put pictures on line somewhere? I'd like to see Flavigny and Vezelay.

als

darn...

Also, an observation about touring the Burgundy wine growing region during the fall harvest--

When we arrived in early September, everyone was in the fields harvesting. Many wine "caves" and sales outlets were closed. While the vineyards were beautiful, we had to dodge harvesting equipment, workers' buses, etc.

Hope 2007 turns out to be a good year for Burgundy!

Hi Kids,
I am in Coco's flat right now. Saw your book that you gave to the boys. Coco is taking me to Flavigny tomorrow. She sent me some photos to preview. Hope the weather is nice tomorrow as it was today.

Many thanks for sharing the report, Looking forward to more.

I am thinking of visiting the area in November, do you know the possibility of travelling around without a car?

Judy,

Well, as you can see from georgiegirl's posting, one way is to stay in Coco's apartment and ask her to take you around! Otherwise, though, the rail network covers a great deal of Burgundy. One very easy trip would be from Dijon to Beaune.

The French railways website could be helpful. Be sure to use Internet Explorer, the site is buggy at best in other browsers:

http://www.voyages-sncf.com/

Hope this helps.

Dave

J'encore cherche pour <dirt> de Coco? Est-ce-que personne qui a sait des choses salles de Coco.

Il doit etre quelque choses?

merci et mes salutations.

Oh, PalenQ, you really need to go to a language school in France.

Or perhaps it is better that you do not do so.

David, Many thanks for the reply and the link, I am afraid some of the places interested in are not covered by rail, and from my experiences, many rural buses in France run only in the early morning and late afternoon for school children.