Well, I found my way to Dijon by TGV and am ready to report. Let’s see, what do you want to know? Are you interested in my hotel or the restaurants? Maybe I should start with all the sights to see?

Who am I kidding? Most of you want to know about our Dijon GTG and Coco’s flat.

Well, I got off the train looking for Coco and Georgiegirl by their emailed description. But I didn’t see them. Finally a petite lovely woman called my name. It was Coco. It was my first French “faire la bise.”

Coco explained that GG had missed her train from her daytrip, so rather than arriving before me, we had about an hour or so, to pick her up. Since my hotel was close, she said she would take me to my hotel and then show me around a little before we went back to pick up GG.

We were soon chattering like old friends and quickly found our way to the Hotel Thurôt. Check in was fast. I dumped my bags and we were off for a whirlwind tour of Dijon.

As we walked to the city’s center, Coco explained the Owl’s Trail to me and said we would get a map of Dijon at the tourist office. She gave me a running commentary of things I should see as we passed them. We stopped and got the map and circled back to the train station. GG’s train had just pulled in and Coco ran after her to let her know we were there. After introductions, we were off in Coco’s car to go to the flat.

A parking spot was difficult to find, but we finally did just a short distance from the flat. We entered the “back” door and found ourselves in a courtyard with a glass pyramid that reminded me of the Louvre.

The flat and certainly the location are absolutely perfect! Wish I had been staying there. I got the grand tour and we laughed as I kept trying to take a picture with the 3 of us together, but it would always snap before I could get in place. Never did get the picture.

Coco and her husband Pascal, have done a beautiful job with the flat. It has everything. Washer/dryer. Kitchen which she keeps stocked with staples. There is not only internet, but a computer. All sorts of brochures and information. She has a library for reference and entertainment. Best, it feels like a home that a lot of care has gone into.

As much as I would have liked to have lingered, we needed to get to Coco’s home for the dinner she had planned. What the heck is a “raclette?”…

Coco’s Raclette Party

I first want to tell you how exciting this was for me. To be invited into a French home was something that made an ordinary trip special. We all like to think we travel to learn about other people and their traditions, but as travelers, we are still usually pretty isolated looking from the outside-in.

The best part – it was just like home. A gracious, loving family, living in a space they have made their home. Music, teasing, work-to-be-done. As I travel and learn about the differences in cultures, I find that people are still basically the same.

Coco’s boys, Axel and Léo are very cute, polite, and talented. Coco’s husband, Pascal, speaks excellent English, and is very interesting. A music buff. To make the evening even more enjoyable, Pascal’s mother, Monique, and Coco’s mother, Paulette, came, too.

I found out what raclette is. Yummy, but then who doesn’t like melted cheese. Still not sure what kind of cheese we would use in the U.S. Sort of a muenster maybe? Or gruyere? I have picture of the raclette “grill?” along with my other Dijon pictures at:
http://community.webshots.com/user/cchottel1

We had a champagne toast and a terrific rosé with dinner. After the raclette, we had dessert. Now I have the answer to the best pastry in France thread: the tarts made by Monique and Paulette. Paulette’s was an apple tart and Monique’s a cherry tart. Both were different as to additional ingredients, but both were absolutely delicious!

But, the best part of the dinner was the conversation (a lot of hand gestures and translation – GG had the advantage here), but it didn’t matter. We all understood each other. It is an evening I will always remember.

But the day has been long and it is time to get to my hotel, get some rest for sightseeing day in Dijon…

Exploring Dijon and the Owl’s Trail:

First let me say that the Hotel Thurôt was actually very nice. Nicest budget hotel (44€ a night) I have ever stayed in while visiting France and the least expensive. It is a decent location actually not far from the train station and very walkable to the town center. Big bright rooms with a nice staff that spoke no English. Now this is more of a modern hotel than what many would be looking for, but it was a good value, clean and large.

I started out the morning to find a café to grab a coffee and roll. Hit the first stop on the Owl’s Trail map and started my tour. This is a great, easy to follow, perfect tour of Dijon. Unfortunately the weather was a little rainy at times and it was necessary to contend with an umbrella (I hate umbrellas!).

I really liked Dijon. Some beautiful architecture. The wooden beamed buildings were different than I have seen other places in France. Being Sunday morning, all the bells in the bell towers were ringing. Lots of bell towers. I’m not a shopper, but looked like there were a lot of good antique shops and modern shops, too. Great shop windows!

I was glad Coco had taken me around the day before quickly, because it reminded me of the things I wanted to explore further than just a stop. It took me about 3 hours to complete the route. Then I went to Coco’s flat, but I couldn’t figure out how to get in. I have a definite difficulty with French phones and keypads. So, I decided to go to lunch, regroup, and decide on my afternoon.

I had an okay lunch at a mediocre brasserie in the area (being Sunday, my choices were more limited). Chose to go to the Musée des Beaux Arts. I had decided that this trip, my beloved art museums would wait for bad weather – here was my chance! I wasn’t disappointed. I took the audio tour and was very impressed with the collection. I never made it off the second floor. It was a lot to see (and hear) and I was wearing out.

I left the museum and the sun was coming out finally! I stopped and got a snack to take back to my hotel, took a few bright pics as I walked.

After a couple of hours with my feet up and revitalized, I walked back into the historic center to have a true dinner of the Burgundian cuisine. I went to a restaurant called La Concorde of my more limited Sunday choices and started to look at the menu. I picked out escargot and bœuf bourguignon. I was going to have the plate of cheese for dessert. Well, as I flipped further through, I found a prix fixe Menu de Burgogne with these three choices for about 19€. Had a kir, some burgundy, and café and a good dinner to finish my stay in Dijon.

Off to Paris tomorrow…

How lovely that meal sounds...wish I had been there. You must have had a terrific stay in Burgundy--looking forward to your Paris report.

Thanks cc what a great memory you have! We'll all remember you and your laugh as well. cc is very spontaneous you know and is always ready for a good laugh ;-) That was a great GTG!

For those who don't know, la raclette is made with melted cheese, no name exactly just "fromage à raclette" with different sorts of ham, saucisson, bacon and potatoes and cornichons (pickles?)
In Dijon we don't drink a lot of Rosé wine but I knew gg loved it ;-) so we tried un Marsannay Rosé.
As desserts the cherry tart was un clafouti made with cherries from the garden (Pascal's mother's garden)and my mother had made a sort of tarte tatin.
The next day I was very sad to have missed cc I wanted to show her le musée Magnin across the streets. You can see the paintings from the flat but it is so much nicer to get inside!

cc I loved the pictures of Dijon, so many details we don't usually see! It is a pity the weather was not that good...
How funny you went to la Concorde for dinner, it is the place I took nukesafe, his charming wife Tammy and their friends for a pastry tasting last september!
Now next episode please!

Coco,

When I got home, my son reminded me that he had told me about la raclette when he was in high school. His teacher had prepared one for his french class to try. I had forgotten him telling me.

I was at a friends yesterday and a show on the food network was on. One of the chef's was in Paris ordering at a charcuterie and asked for "une fine tranche." Yippee, I know french!

You are right, I love to laugh. The world is a beautiful, joyful place, and I'm going to enjoy it while I'm on it!

I buy cheese called "Raclette"...here in Delaware, they tell me they only receive it seasonally, and from September through January. I'd check your local "Whole Foods" or its cousin "Food Source", as well.
Don't you just love that dish?? Total comfort food.

Do you have a raclette grill, too? I see where you can order them on-line or probably at a good kitchen/cooking store.

I'll check Whole Foods (we just got Whole Foods here) in the fall. Coco did say it is traditionally a cool weather dish. It was cool and rainy when we had it.

cc or coco

Is the Owl Trail pretty much the same as the walking itinerary outlined in the Michelin Green Guide?? How long do you think it would take to walk the trail if one does not go into any buildings?

Also, we are not fans of religious art - but we love building architecture. If we go into the Beaux Arts museum, will we see a lot of interior architecture??

We've visited Dijon before and explored all the areas described in the Michelin Green Guide. We didn't, however, go into the Beaux Arts museum, nor did we take the Owl Trail (didn't know about it). We love walking tours in towns. The last night of our four week Beaujolais & Burgundy visit will be in Dijon - before we take the 6:30am TGV to CDG. I'm trying to decide of we should get to Dijon at 10am (and visit the very nice market again), or in the afternoon - it depends on how much "new" stuff there is to see.

Stu Dudley

cc I enjoyed reading about your stay in Dijon and meeting Coco. I had the pleasure of staying at her flat last September and enjoyed it SO much. Coco is a delight. I wish I lived in Dijon so we could be friends in person instead of just online! I loved seeing your photos of Dijon as well. It took me back right away to a lovely relaxing town. Thanks for the Dijon report.

I know raclette is big in Switzerland as well. My cousin's hubby is Swiss & they make it often.

Hi Isadore!
I know there was someone missing at the raclette, you would have loved meeting cc and gg! A feminine GTG!

Stu, I don't know the Michelin Tour. I would imagine they would be similar and cover the major sights. My point with the Owl Trail is that you can easily follow the trail by the brass arrows in the sidewalk. Since I wanted to see all the sights, I couldn't have found an easier way to do it.

As for the Musee des Beaux Art, from what I remember, modern walls were erected in most rooms for the painting displays. You didn't get the feel for the architecture, too, much. I loved the exterior architecture, but I'm not an architecture buff. I like the art.

It's hard for me to make a suggestion. I am perfectly happy do nothing for an afternoon, or see the same things again and again. To me, if I wanted to see the market, I would and then sit myself on a park bench (or grass) with a book if there isn't anything I want to do in the afternoon. You sound more ambitious than I.

Guess my question is? If you take a later train to Dijon, will you really see more at your previous destination. Me, I never do much before a train. Have breakfast, pack, etc. Certainly don't get in any sightseeing.

Isadore, I wish you had been there, too. We'll all have to plan a big Dijon GTG someday.

Cobbie, as I have looked up raclette and the grills, it is usually "advertised" as Swiss. Isn't it funny it isn't popular here? I didn't think we Americans let anything delicious pass us by. Even fondue has made a U.S. comeback and the fodue restaurants are really expensive. I liked this better than fondue.

Hi Stu, sorry I didn't answer you last night (for me).
I found this link about the owl's trail but you won't learn a lot with it
http://www.dijon-tourism.com/uk/dijo...s_chouette.htm
I can scan the map and some pages if you want to see what it looks like. I have one in English with me know.
I think the leaflet is quite new, a few years old only.

As for what is new, the place de la Libération in front of the ducal palace is having big changes now. It should be ready around June. The streets around are pedestrian from now on except for buses.

This is what I wrote in february on indytravel's thread :
-the Cathedral next to the archaeological museum, St Benigne with its crypt had a very good front renovation, it was so dark and dirty with pollution before…

-place Emile Zola is pedestrian now with more terraces and even a fountain
http://www.ville-dijon.fr/scripts/fi...mp;id_info=849

-The tomb of the Dukes of Burgundy has been renovated last may.

-Place de la liberation in front of the ducal palace is being changed into a nice place with light colour pavements, no cars allowed to park around it anymore. The street of the Magnin museum is going to be pedestrian in 2 or 3 months along with others going to the Place. But from now on already cars are not allowed to access to the place
http://www.ville-dijon.fr/scripts/fi...mp;id_info=217

-the front walls of the ducal palace have been cleaned last year and they are now white instead of dirty beige.

-There are very nice walks from Dijon port to the Kir lake called la coulée verte. (along the Burgundy canal)

Dijon just received « le grand prix national des villes et villages fleuris. »

coco

Thanks coco

I copied all your comments into my Burgundy itinerary. We'll do the owl walk, so I'll just pick one up at the tourist office when we arrive.

Stu Dudley

Raclette is wonderful--wish we could get it here made properly (nowith an electric gismo but a huge well melted in front of a fire).

Hi Jean, you mean the old system? You can still find it in some restaurants in Dijon.
have a look
http://www.cuisinstore.com/images/ap...de_cuisine.jpg

or here (check the price!!)
http://www.kitchenemporium.com/cgi-b...0wo100001.html

Hello cc,
Great report. It was like walking down the memory lanes again, in the rain. Hi Coco, ca va?
I really enjoyed my 4 days in Dijon especially with my graceful landlady. Who is in the flat right now?

Hello gg! oui ça va bien
Et toi, fini le jet lag?

Now my guests are British from Jersey Island and just before I had a young couple from Nancy. All very nice as usual! They really like Dijon (The french one were actually looking for a place to live here)

What about your trip report? I'm looking forward to it!
à bientôt
coco