Joined: Apr 2010 Gender: Male Posts: 949 Location: Paris
A weekend in Burgundy « Thread Started on Jan 20, 2011, 10:03pm »
It has been a typically gray and damp winter in Paris so far but I noticed for the upcoming weekend of January 15th and 16th that the weather forecast was looking pretty good with warm temps around 12°C to 15°C. Especially good weather was predicted for the Burgundy region so that was all the motivation the Mrs. and I needed to take a weekend trip to Burgundy. Heading south from Paris on the A6 somewhere near the Orly airport it looked like this at about 8:20-8:30AM.
Like most trips I take and true to my travel style I did very little planning before I left and really only had a couple of specific places I wanted to see. The rest of the time I just wanted to wander around and see what might happen. Being that I was a geography major in college and owing to the fact that I have no drivers licence Mrs. FMT assumed the drivers seat while I handled the navigational duties with the map. I am an excellent map reader and she is an excellent driver, which is why neither of us assumes responsibility for making the wrong turn and getting lost. Truth is, it's always her fault but since she doesn't know I'm writing this I can get away with saying that....for now. I'm going to be in the doghouse when she discovers I've posted this report on travel forums. But I know how to calm her down by simply doing some of my outstanding mime impersonations, like peeling a banana, or being stuck inside an invisible box but especially when I do the choo-choo train. She laughs really hard at the choo-choo train.
Entering the Burgundy region I was looking over the map deciding where I wanted to go and as we approached exit 21 I noticed the town of Noyers-sur-Serein. I knew it was supposed to be a pretty little medieval town so I told the Mrs. to turn here. Normally I think she likes to be warned more than 25 meters before an exit that we're about to turn but this is just part of my impulsive, throw caution to the wind travel style. Besides, there was nobody in front of us or behind us who was bothered by our fishtailing highway exit maneuver. Did I mention that she is an excellent driver?
Noyers is designated one of the most beautiful villages in France. Its origins go back to Roman times but it next reappears in history when a powerful family, Miles de Noyer, arises in the town in the 12th century. One of its members, Gui de Noyers would become the Bishop of Sens and was later crowned Philippe Auguste in 1180. Hugues de Noyers, Bishop of Auxerre, built a powerful castle on a hill above town in Noyers at the end of the 12th century that was known as ''one of the proudest castes in France''. He also built a defensive wall around the town at this time, which protected the town from the seige of Blanche of Castille in 1217. The Miles dynasty ended in 1419, as their was no heir, and the town came into the possession of the Dukes of Burgundy. The prince of Condé became count of Noyers. He made a Huguenot place of the city and took refuge in it during the wars of religion but Catherine de Médicis dislodged him. Later the castle was dismantled by Henry IV in 1599. After this time the town slowly retreated from history.
Today the town still retains a good portion of its medieval remparts and a few entry gateways as well as numerous half-timbered buildings and other wobbly looking structures. It's a very pleasant place.
We took a stroll along the river outside the remparts and headed for a hill behind the town where the remains of the old castle stood.
There's not much that remains but they are trying to restore a portion of what is left standing.
A little masonry workshop had been set-up where stonecutters were crafting various decorative pieces.
Joined: Apr 2010 Gender: Male Posts: 949 Location: Paris
Re: A weekend in Burgundy « Reply #2 on Jan 20, 2011, 10:07pm »
Being that it was around lunch time and we were hungry we had to choose a town to visit for some lunch. In rural areas like this your chances of finding a half decent restaurant, or any restaurant for that matter, in any of the small towns and villages are pretty slim unless you are lucky or know where you're going. Even slimmer when you visit them in January, out of tourist season. And since lunch is usually only served from noon to 2:00 your best option when in our situation is to look on the map for the largest town near you, where you have a better chance of at least finding food of some form. The large town nearest to us was Montbard so that's where we went. Arriving in Montbard we followed the signs for parking and ended up in the parking lot at the train station and right next to the tourist office. The first things you usually notice when you pull up to a train station in France is that next to it there is always a ''Hôtel de la Gare'' and a ''Restaurant de la Gare''. If you've ever been to one of these fine establishments (as I have on many occasions) you know that they are usually the crummiest restaurant and hotel in town and are best avoided unless you are desperate and/or budget conscious, or perhaps just seeking adventure. Crummy though they may be, it is not uncommon to leave one of these places with a memorable experience. Whether one considers it a positive experience (Wow, I ate that without barfing!) or a negative experience (Are you smelling what I'm smelling?) depends on your interpretation, and sense of humor.
Not knowing what we might find in town we perused the menu of the Restaurant de la Gare just to give us a comparison to what may await us. Very typical looking food with very typical prices. We noticed a waitress inside casting a wise and knowing glance in our direction while we considered our options. A smile crept across her face as we turned and walked away towards town (''They'll be back'' she must have thought ''They always come back'').
We didn't walk every street in town but stuck mostly to the ones that seemed to have stores and commerce, where food establishments would most likely be located. Being off season some places were closed and the only places we saw open were less than appetizing looking pizza and kebab joints so we resigned ourselves to the inevitable, lunch at Restaurant de la Gare. Heads hung low in defeat we entered the restaurant to discover what sort of memorable experience may lay in wait for us. Our waitress, who must surely be satisfied with the victory of prognosticating the return of yet another customer who was seeking to eat elsewhere, had two menus ready for us (Damn! She knows she won.).
We ordered a couple of vegetable and cheese bruschetta which were acceptable, albeit somewhat devoid of flavor and the ability to satiate ones appetite. During our walk around town we noticed a few other tourists and while we dined, slowly, group by group, they all made their way into the restaurant, heads hung in a similar manner of defeat as ours. Well, nothing truly memorable happened this time and meal finished, we returned to the car to continue our journey.
The next town on our agenda was Flavigny-sur-Ozerain, like Noyers it is a medieval town classified as one of the most beautiful villages in France and sits on the edge of a plateau perched on a rocky outcrop overlooking the valley below. Before arriving in the village the Mrs. told me that the movie ''Chocolat'', starring Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp, was filmed in Flavigny. I've never seen this film and the reason I was attracted here is because a few years ago I was visiting the Roman ruins at nearby Alise Sainte-Reine en route to Dijon and driving through the valley below the village I thought how charming it looked and that I'd like to visit sometime.
Alise Sainte-Reine is famous as it was the reputed battle site between Caesar and Vercingétorix, the Gaulish leader who for a time resisted Rome by uniting the numerous Gaulish tribes and whose legend is considered the origin of French national identity. Caesar's campsite is shown on the Michelin map as being just east of Flavigny. The Roman ruins at Alise Sainte-Reine aren't all that interesting and date to a time long after the famous battle but it is kind of cool being on such hallowed ground and imagining. A museum dedicated to the battle and the history of the site is under construction near the village. We passed by it and it looks like they might have another year to go before work is complete.
Besides its inherent charm and the fact that a famous movie was filmed here what also makes Flavigny famous is Les Anis de Flavigny, a small pearl shaped candy flavored with anise seed. The building where this candy is produced is open for guided visits but was closed during our out of season visit, so I didn't get to taste it. I'm not sure I'd enjoy anise flavored candy anyway. Sounds kind of medicinal, and since it was originally produced by monks I'm sure that may well have been its intended purpose.
I'm going to cheat a bit here and instead of recounting the history of the town I'll provide a link to wikipedia, which gives a brief but adequate summary of the towns history.
Joined: Apr 2010 Gender: Male Posts: 949 Location: Paris
Re: A weekend in Burgundy « Reply #3 on Jan 20, 2011, 10:09pm »
You'll notice in the photo below that the building is partially faced with plaster covering stone. So many old buildings in France that are covered in plaster have stone subsurfaces. I wish all the plaster were removed from such buildings but I suppose the cost of maintenance might be cheaper from an owners perspective. Perhaps it cover leaks between stones as well as protecting the mortar holding them together from wearing away. Do you know?
Here's the building where they make Les Anis de Flavigny.
Noyers and Flavigny were the only planned stops for the day before heading for our overnight destination of Semur-en-Auxois and since we still had a couple of hours of daylight we decided to get lost on some of the nearby country roads, enjoying beautiful scenery and wandering through tiny unknown villages.
Joined: Apr 2010 Gender: Male Posts: 949 Location: Paris
Re: A weekend in Burgundy « Reply #4 on Jan 20, 2011, 10:10pm »
The next few photos are of the village of Frôlois, one of many tiny villages in the area perched on the edge of a plateau that drops away to a valley below. Also, like many of the tiny villages in the area, nothing much of great historic importance occured in Frôlois. But I must say that I was impressed with the town website which had a pretty well documented history of the town going back to the 11th century and full of all the names of the people who were vital to its history and the various acts they performed.
At one time some sort of miracle must have occurred in Frôlois as several streets took a name invoking the word miracle.
You'd think if a town could boast of a miracle in its history they might make mention of it on their website but no such luck. After some google searching all I could scrounge up is that there is a statue in town (La Vierge du Miracle à Frôlois la Montagne) which is obviously the source of whatever miraculous event transpired here.
Joined: Apr 2010 Gender: Male Posts: 949 Location: Paris
Re: A weekend in Burgundy « Reply #5 on Jan 20, 2011, 10:15pm »
The Michelin map shows the source of the Seine river as being a few kilometers away from Frôlois but we didn't have time to visit. Leaving Frôlois we moved on, catching one last view of it from a distance as we drove away.
The road led up a hill and into a forest before re-emerging and descending downwards on the other side approaching the town of Thenissey.
The road went over a hill and through another forest and we approached the village of Hauteroche.
That was all the get lost driving we had time for since we wanted to arrive in Semur-en-Auxois while there was still some daylight. There was still some pleasant scenery along the way but we didn't feel like slowing down or stopping for pics.
Semur-en-Auxois is a somewhat well known Burgundian village and although not too large offers enough in the way of services and amenities to make it an attractive place to base yourself in this region. But its biggest draw is the town itself due to its medieval heritage in the form of impressive ramparts, towers, windy streets and ancient buildings, and of course, it sits on the edge of a plateau overlooking the river valley below that surrounds the town on three sides, which would have been a defensive plus back in the day. Legend has it that Semur was built by Hercules on his return from Spain (I have no idea what he was doing there) and it first enters written history in the 7th century. It was built up with its present walls, towers and ramparts from the 13th to 15th centuries. Besieged in 1589 during the wars of religion Henri IV had its primary fortifications dismantled in 1602 and it lost its defensive role. There are all kinds of tidbits of minor historical interest scattered throughout the village and you can get yourself acquainted with them by stopping at the tourist office and obtaining your map and info.
We were looking for a cheap place to stay and since there are only a few hotels in town we chose the cheapest, Hotel du Commerce, which was 56 euros for a double plus 7 euros each for breakfast. The hotel obviously occupied what was once a prestigious noble residence as evidenced by the grand staircase, high ceilings and large room size and configuration. Too bad the decor wasn't as grand as the building. You know, a little paint and some up to date bed spreads don't cost much money and go a long way to brightening up the atmosphere of any hotel. But I wasn't there to admire the decor and our room was good sized, with a comfy enough bed and the building still had charm due to its architectural integrity so I was pretty happy with it. Our room even had a wall of exposed brick and a non-working fireplace to add a bit of charm. Their website says some rooms have been renovated but I don't think ours was one of them. I wouldn't hesitate to stay here again if I were returning.
We checked into the room and the Mrs. took a nap while I went out for stroll to get some pics and learn my way around town. In towns the size of Semur I like to walk on every single street and thoroughly orient myself with the town so I know where I am going and what there is to see without leaving any potential surprise undiscovered. It is definitely a town where every single street is worth walking and where scenic photo ops abound at every turn. Picturesque is an understatement when describing Semur. Sunset was approaching quickly so I knew I'd only get a few daylight photos but I also knew the village would light up at night and offer some glorious night time photo ops. So off I went with my camera.
The gothic church was built in the early 13th century where there had previously been an 11th century Romanesque church. It was restored by Viollet-le-Duc in the 19th century.
Joined: Apr 2010 Gender: Male Posts: 949 Location: Paris
Re: A weekend in Burgundy « Reply #6 on Jan 20, 2011, 10:18pm »
I've got more night time photos but I think you get the idea. It's a pretty magical place. I headed back to the hotel to get the Mrs. and then head off to find a restaurant. During my stroll I had been noting the locations of all the restaurants, read the menus of what they were offering and checked on the prices. There are over a dozen places to eat in Semur appealing to all tastes and budgets. We decided for something a little more than average and went to a nice place called Les Minimes. It's located next to the river below the village at the base of the ramparts. It's in an old half-timbered building and feautures cuisine from Burgundy and the Midi. The owner and staff were friendly and the food was good. While dining we discovered a couple of the local specialties were cassis (black currant) and pain d'épices (loose translation - gingerbread) as these items were featured in our dishes. Another regional specialty is époisses cheese, which I had never had until now. It's a soft, unpasteurized cows milk cheese and is my temporary new favorite cheese. The Mrs. had this in her oeufs meurette à l'époisses (poached eggs in a red wine sauce with époisses cheese). I had a cassis sauce on my pork. I can't remember what I had for dessert but it also featured cassis and was delicious. Here's a photo of the restaurant.
Looking out our window in the morning we saw nothing but clear blue skies and knew it was going to be a great morning to go for a stroll around town. Why don't you come join me?
Joined: Apr 2010 Gender: Male Posts: 949 Location: Paris
Re: A weekend in Burgundy « Reply #7 on Jan 20, 2011, 10:20pm »
I'm going to interject here to tell you about a little anecdote involving Semur which dates from the 16th century. If there are those of you reading this report who have delicate sensibilities or are easily offended by tales recounting sexual escapades I would suggest you skip the following paragraphs and go right to the pictures that follow this tale of strange and wondrous travel adventure which I will recount for you.
Normally when writing trip reports I do all the research and writing and occasionally the Mrs. might help me with a little bit of research. Often she finds just the right anecdote to add a touch of color to my reports. She is one smart cookie, let me tell you. She really outdid herself this time, however, so let me tell you all about what she found out.
If you enter Semur through the gate at the tourist office (the barbican) after you pass through the second gate look up and behind you to the rafters overhead. There you will see the motto of Semur, which looks like this.
What this says is "The people of Semur really enjoy the company of strangers. - S. Munster 1552". Sounds very welcoming, doesn't it? However, when the town of Semur chose this quote as their motto they conveniently omitted the end of the sentence, which translates to "but more than that, they hate the French". But that still wasn't the whole quote, which only goes downhill from here. Now, let's put this sentence into its original context, that is, an account of German traveler Sebastian Münster's visit to Semur in the mid 16th century. The first paragraph is the original 16th century text in old French. Those of you that have some grasp of the French language may have fun trying to decipher the meaning of this text. In any case, the modern English translation provided by Mrs. FMT will follow.
"Les Semurois se plaisent fort en l'accointance des estrangers, mais haissent bien davantage les Françoys. De faict, lorsque je me rendys en cestuy bourg je fus ascueillys fort plaisament par ses habytants. Toutes foys je ne pus trouver oncques auberge pour y reposer, aussi je demandoys le gite à quelque bergier qui voulu bien m'hesberger pour une nuyté dans sa bergiérie. La nuyt, tandys que je dormoys pesament j'oys un grand bruy, je crus qu'il s'agissoy d'une beste. Cestoy ledit bergier qui venoy tou desnudé de son corps, il s'estriva avec un mouston et l'enscularda derechef sans austre forme de proçay dans l'enscoulure de son postérieur. Il me proposa de le resjoyndre, je restrivai puis acceptoy, et prist la place du milyeu, dite place françoyse en cestuy constrée. Les Semuroys sont décidément de fort joyeux bousgres."
"The people of Semur really enjoy the company of strangers. But much more than that, they hate the French. In fact, when I arrived in the village, I was very well received by its inhabitants. However, I could not find an inn where to rest, so I asked a shepherd if he could put me up for the night. At night, as I was sleeping tight, I heard a great noise, I thought it was a wild animal. But it was the shepherd who, completely naked, grabbed a sheep and started fucking him right in the ass. He invited me to join in the fun. I declined at first but finally accepted and placed myself in the middle, which place is called 'the Frenchman's place' in the region. The people of Semur are decidedly very jolly fellows".
Wow! I thought I wrote good trip reports but I've got nothing on good old Sebastian. He was one wild and crazy guy. And now that I think about it, wouldn't you say this is quite a strange anecdote from which to choose the motto of your town? So, who was this Sebastian Münster? Sebastian was a German scholar whose 1544 work "Cosmographia" is the earliest German description of the world. It had numerous editions translated into Latin, Italian, English, French and even Czech and was one of the most popular and successful books of the 16th century. For the sake of being able to put a face to a name, here's a photo of Sebastian in a much more dignified pose than the one in which he found himself in Semur.
A portrait of Sebastian was featured on the old 100 DM German banknotes until the early 1990's. So proud of their heroes, those Germans. And now, back to the photos.
Joined: Apr 2010 Gender: Male Posts: 949 Location: Paris
Re: A weekend in Burgundy « Reply #8 on Jan 20, 2011, 10:22pm »
It was around noon at this time so we decided to have lunch before heading off to explore the countryside. There was little place near the church I had spotted the night before that seemed to be buzzing with all the locals and looked quite lively. It was a bar/restaurant combo with the restaurant being called Le Carpe Diem and the bar called Au Bon Coin, but it was all the same establishment. It was still buzzing with locals at lunch time and was definitely the place where they all hang out. The decor was low budget artsy-chic and the the walls were decorated with paintings for sale by local artists. They were kind of nice and unique paintings actually and I wish I had taken a photo of one or two of them, although at 600-700 euros they were out of my price range. The food was good and reasonably priced and the funky decor and lively local atmosphere made it even more enjoyable. Lunch finished, we hopped in the car and headed off to explore the countryside. Here's one last look at Semur.
We headed west and entered agricultural terrain.
The first village we entered was Epoisses, the town from which the aforementioned cheese derives its name. Its history goes as far back as the 6th century when Queen Brunehaut, Regent of the kingdom of Austrasia, used to stay there. The town is defined by its château, which has medieval origins. The exterior is mosty 15th to 18th century construction with interior decor from the 17th to 19th centuries. The Dukes of Burgundy and Kings of France always made sure it stayed in trusted hands due to its strategic location. In the 17th century it is said that it was visited by the Prince of Condé, who owned the castle at one time, and also Madame de Sévigné.Several other illustrious historical figures are attached to its history and you can find out about them if you visit. As for the cheese history, its production was begun in the early 16th century by Cistercian monks who had taken up residence in the village.
The château is open for visits in July and August at regular hours and from April through October (excluding July and August) by reservation. The exterior grounds are open year round and there is an honor system 2 euro entrance fee, donations made to the box at the entrance.
Joined: Apr 2010 Gender: Male Posts: 949 Location: Paris
Re: A weekend in Burgundy « Reply #9 on Jan 20, 2011, 10:25pm »
Here's a look inside the colombier (pigeon coop/dovecote), which is restored to what it used to look like.
It was time for a bathroom break and since you don't find too many public bathrooms in the country we were hoping one of the two bars in town were open. Luckily one was and we had a couple of cafés for a euro each. Prices are cheaper in the middle of nowhere. They were even serving lunch there too and a few locals had taken up residence in the dining room. A rare occurrence, finding a tiny rural village where not only do they have a bathroom and cheap cafés but also food, which was as cheap as the café. Back to a few more photos of the village. Our bar is on the left next to the boucherie in the first photo.
After Epoisses we figured we'd just wander around for a while heading in whatever direction looked scenic and interesting before we'd finally wander back to the highway. Off we went.
Here's a little video where you can drive with me through a tiny unknown village. I think this one was called Guillon.
Joined: Apr 2010 Gender: Male Posts: 949 Location: Paris
Re: A weekend in Burgundy « Reply #10 on Jan 20, 2011, 10:28pm »
Next village was Montréal. If you go to the French wikipedia site you'll learn a bit about the history of Montréal, which was closely linked to its neighbor Epoisses, and which is tied to some significant historical figures and events. For such a tiny place it has a rather illustrious history.
The next village we came to was my favorite tiny unknown village we encountered on this trip. Ladies and gentleman, I present Thizy.
The only info I could dig up on Thizy had to do with the remains of the fortress there. It was built in the 14th century with some later renovation/additions in the 16th century. The local sculptor, who resides in one portion of the castle, is undertaking its renovation. It is a booming metropolis with a population of 156 inhabitants as of the 1999 census.
Joined: Apr 2010 Gender: Male Posts: 949 Location: Paris
Re: A weekend in Burgundy « Reply #11 on Jan 20, 2011, 10:50pm »
A local sculptor had his workshop set-up inside the old castle and some examples of his craftsmanship were on display outside.
I'm not so sure these last sculptures are recent, due to the moss build-up and evidence of weathering, but who knows.
And a few more pix of the castle and then the panoramic view.
(Sorry about my annoying and distracting shadow)
We paid a quick visit to Talcy......
…...before moving on to Blacy.
Where we met a little white kitty.
And then back to the country.......
…...where we met these cows.
Cows like to have their pictures taken and always look at the camera.
Then we arrived in L'Isle-sur-Serein.
The last town I have a photo of is Joux-la-Ville.
And one last photo (complete with my distracting shadow) before we hit the highway for Paris.
And so ended the most beautiful weekend we've had in terms of weather since the end of October. I'll be back to this region again as there are still about a million other villages I need to explore but with the unpredictable winter weather and short daylight hours this is all I had time for now.
Re: A weekend in Burgundy « Reply #12 on Jan 20, 2011, 11:42pm »
Bravo! What an interesting little trip, thanks for chronicling it for us. For an impromptu itinerary you seem to have found an inordinate amount of charming scenery. Noyers, Semur-en-Auxois and Thizy in particular positively ooze Burgundian Gallic charm. You are either very lucky, that region is studded with medieval gems such as these or you are being coy. No matter, it was a great pleasure whichever.
Thank you again for letting us tag along with you.
Joined: Apr 2010 Gender: Male Posts: 949 Location: Paris
Re: A weekend in Burgundy « Reply #13 on Jan 21, 2011, 12:31am »
Thanks fumobici. To tell you the truth, on most of my excursions I know a few of the places I'm interested in but not much else. Sometimes I know nothing at all. I seem to have a certain intuition with maps. I was a geography major in college and in the States I was a real estate appraiser for almost 20 years, a job which required reading a map everyday. Then I got interested in archaeology and learned how to read topo maps to identify native sites. Then I moved here and learned how to read a Michelin map to pick out interesting and scenic locations. That's pretty much all I need to figure out where to go. I don't even have any guidebooks. Thanks once again for joining me on the trip.
Joined: Feb 2009 Gender: Male Posts: 35,172 Location: Paris, France
Re: A weekend in Burgundy « Reply #14 on Jan 21, 2011, 6:47am »
Another stunning report, FMT. Even with the leafless trees, it doesn't look like January at all in your photos -- but it's true that it was an exceptional weekend for the weather.
Since you always present a variety of villages and towns in your reports, one of the things I like the most (my grandfather having been the mayor of a village) is to compare what the various places have done -- recobbled the streets to make them more charming (not popular with the locals, especially the elderly), retained the trusty asphalt everywhere, or used a mixture of techniques -- cobblestones in the historic/picturesque areas and asphalt in the "utilitarian" part of town. Same goes for burying the electric and telephone wires -- just about every place has gone for that. Even though it is initially more expensive, there is almost no maintenance needed afterwards, and you don't have to worry about power outages during storms or wind. And of course, there is also the choice of the streetlamps -- just about everybody has the wrought iron lantern style, but not the village of your pee stop.
Joined: Feb 2009 Gender: Female Posts: 4,121 Location: South-West France
Re: A weekend in Burgundy « Reply #15 on Jan 21, 2011, 10:07am »
Nice, FMT. I especially liked the wooden window frame with the carvings in your first village.
What I find interesting is that all these places look totally empty. Where is everybody? I mean, it was a nice weekend. Don't people go for walks after lunch? Or perhaps the population is older and is digesting in front of the TV set?
Some of those medieval villages are lovely with their timbered houses and old streets, but I think I would probably shoot myself if I had to live in one for longer than a week.
Joined: Feb 2009 Gender: Male Posts: 35,172 Location: Paris, France
Re: A weekend in Burgundy « Reply #16 on Jan 21, 2011, 10:19am »
I should mention that you passed very close to my friends' (still unsold) house in Vassy, which is just a few kilometers from Epoisses.
These Burgundian village houses are well nigh impossible to sell in the winter -- you have to get victims to fall in love with them on a perfect spring or summer day.
Joined: Apr 2010 Gender: Male Posts: 949 Location: Paris
Re: A weekend in Burgundy « Reply #17 on Jan 21, 2011, 7:50pm »
kerouac - Yeah, you can take two villages with identical buildings and create a completely different atmosphere in regards to cobbles/asphalt and suspended vs. buried electric cables. As much as I like cobbles if I had to live in one of these villages it wouldn't take long before I was longing for asphalt.
So you've obviously been to that area before. Did you like it or did it bore you to tears, assuming you're not imagining yourself living there?
bjd - The running theme through all of my rural trip reports is "Where are the people"? I wish I knew. It has gotten to the point that I am almost stunned when I see someone in these villages. They all seem strangely deserted. Maybe that's because, like you, the people living there have decided it was better to shoot themselves.
Joined: Apr 2010 Gender: Male Posts: 949 Location: Paris
Re: A weekend in Burgundy « Reply #19 on Jan 22, 2011, 2:24pm »
bjd - I didn't see any cemeteries. They keep them well hidden so that outsiders don't know what's going on. There are usually at least a few customers in the restaurants because often it's the only place in a 20 or 30km radius where you can find food.
Re: A weekend in Burgundy « Reply #20 on Jan 25, 2011, 6:08pm »
Great report FMT! The new camera is taking some quality pics!
**Dumb Question Alert**
The wife and I are doing a quasi-driving tour (non Autoroute) in late March - early April and I'm a little concerned about the frequency of gas stations. How often should we fill up the tank? Can we pay with an American credit card inside the gas station ( I know only C&P at the pump) or would it be better to carry cash for gas?
Also, this will be the first time driving in France....any suggestions and/or warnings?
We'll be driving the following route:
CDG -> Provins -> Troyes -> Verdun -> Metz -> Nancy -> Strasbourg (with several days of driving around Alsace)
Joined: Feb 2009 Gender: Male Posts: 35,172 Location: Paris, France
Re: A weekend in Burgundy « Reply #21 on Jan 25, 2011, 6:25pm »
Well, I can answer most of those questions, and you are going to my area of expertise (Verdun -> Metz -> Nancy -> Strasbourg). When I am on a road trip in France, unless I am crossing the entire country, you only need to fill the tank once a day, so gas stations are really not a problem at all. Keep in mind that hypermarket and supermarket gas stations are always cheaper than the other stations, except in the case where one of the other (name brand) stations has the misfortune of being located within 200 meters of the cheap station -- in that case, the prices are aligned to the cheap price.
The antiquated American credit cards are still accepted everywhere, as long as the cashier is open. The hypermarket cashiers will all be closed on Sundays, as will many other stations, so Sunday is really the only day you need to watch out for your gasoline needs. And frankly, usually putting just 10€ of gas in your tank at an expensive station will get you to the next day.
As for driving in France, most people consider it to be a great pleasure (if FMT had a drivers licence, he would certainly tell you himself). The roads are excellent and the signage is (usually) excellent. It is best to know the names of the next several towns along your route, because sometimes those are the names that you will see on the signs and not the big cities farther along the way.
France has more roundabouts (very often in the middle of nowhere) than probably the rest of the world combined, and some people find this disconcerting. However, one of the best things about them is that you can go around and around as long as you want if you missed the direction you were looking for.
Finally, one of the most amazing things about those beautiful French roads is that you often have them all to yourself, unless you come across a very slow truck or a tractor.
Re: A weekend in Burgundy « Reply #22 on Jan 25, 2011, 6:54pm »
Thanks kerouac2! I'll make sure we fill up prior to Sunday.
Those roundabouts have me a little nervous. I just keep imagining the scene from European Vacation..."Look kids...Big Ben! Parliament!"
I don't want to be a thread-jacker, but any out of the ordinary suggestions for your area of expertise? I'm going to try the sausage place you mentioned in the Metz thread (assuming I can find it). I forgot to mention that we are also staying in Paris for a few nights (Monparnasse). Not driving there...nooooo sir.
Joined: Feb 2009 Gender: Female Posts: 4,121 Location: South-West France
Re: A weekend in Burgundy « Reply #23 on Jan 25, 2011, 7:40pm »
Don't worry, thil25. The roundabouts are not that big. And on small roads, they were just put there because the region had money in their "roundabout fund" which they would have lost if they hadn't used.
As kerouac says, they're handy if you have several roads signalled and you miss the one you needed. In any case, before you arrive at an intersection with a roundabout, there will be a sign with the destinations of each road.
Joined: Apr 2010 Gender: Male Posts: 949 Location: Paris
Re: A weekend in Burgundy « Reply #24 on Jan 25, 2011, 8:19pm »
Aside from Provins I haven't been to any of the places you are planning on visiting so kerouac can fill you in on what to see or do there. I've got a couple of basic tips for you that you may find useful. Get Michelin maps of the scale 1:200,000 for wherever you plan on driving. Invaluable. They are full of icons for all kinds of touristically/historically interesting things, many of which won't be mentioned in a guide book. There are icons for historic churches, abbeys, ruins, châteaux, megaliths, Roman sites, caves, designated scenic roads etc.
If you feel like getting lost (like I do) just look at your map and pick a random drive that incorporates several of these icons. I especially like the towns with the historic church and château icon and blend that with a designated scenic road.
I've written a trip report about Provins and the area west of it that you can search for, if you need ideas for around there. I think it's called "Biking to Provins". Have fun on your trip thill25.
Re: A weekend in Burgundy « Reply #25 on Jan 25, 2011, 9:37pm »
FMT:
I've actually read your Provins report, but I was going to refresh the memory once we get a little closer to departure. I'm glad you recommend the maps as I've been debating on purchasing the maps or just using our GPS. I think a combo of the two might work well. Have you ever used the Michelin Road Atlas?
Joined: Feb 2009 Gender: Male Posts: 35,172 Location: Paris, France
Re: A weekend in Burgundy « Reply #26 on Jan 25, 2011, 9:55pm »
I love maps and have never used a GPS. I have just watched taxi drivers using them, and I have not been impressed so far.
As many people have said on many websites, there is nothing like studying the various possibilities for the next day on a map in your hotel room in the evening (perhaps with a favorite beverage). I have never yet read about anybody doing this with their GPS.
Re: A weekend in Burgundy « Reply #27 on Jan 25, 2011, 11:08pm »
FMT thank you for the pictorial tour! I really enjoyed your photos and your subject choices. We are looking forward to our upcoming trip this September where we will be doing a bit of driving.
We enjoy the traffic circles and our little city here in Canada built one which we all began using last summer. Many people wish there were more now that they are used to the first one.
Driving in France is a wonderful experience, the roads are very well maintained the signage on the highways is excellent. We had no problems, I had my map on my lap and we were quite comfortable crossing the country visiting family here and there.
We also enjoyed the roads in Germany, Austria and Switzerland and only had difficulty in one German city because I forgot my map and "thought" I knew where we were going, got lost for a time but eventually found our hotel.
FMT, I cannot wait to land in Paris soon and we look forward to the new experience of taking the TGV! and hoping to have some wonderful photos like you have shown us. Cheers! Mich
Joined: Apr 2010 Gender: Male Posts: 949 Location: Paris
Re: A weekend in Burgundy « Reply #28 on Jan 25, 2011, 11:16pm »
Certainly having maps and GPS doesn't hurt but if I had to choose one it wouldn't even be a contest. Maps rule. And when kerouac mentioned sitting down in the evening with a map to plan the next days route that is exactly what I do.
I own a Michelin Atlas (2007 edition) and I love it. If you've got a good co-pilot who can read maps it is a little easier to handle than a paper map in the car (since you're always folding and unfolding them) but the paper maps have the advantage of showing an entire region when laid out flat on a table whereas you may have to keep flipping back and forth between the pages of an atlas. It's also lighter and less bulky to pack a paper map. Happy to help you with more tips if you need any.
Joined: Apr 2010 Gender: Male Posts: 949 Location: Paris
Re: A weekend in Burgundy « Reply #29 on Jan 25, 2011, 11:20pm »
mich64 - I was posting at the same time as you so I missed your post. Thank you for your lovely compliments. I didn't know you were coming to Paris soon but if you need any tips I'd be happy to meet up for a drink in Paris. Hope you have a wonderful trip.
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American credit cards are still accepted everywhere, as long as the cashier is open. The hypermarket cashiers will all be closed on Sundays, as will many other stations, so Sunday is really the only day you need to watch out for your gasoline needs. And frankly, usually putting just 10€ of gas in your tank at an expensive station will get you to the next day.![[avatar]](http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/uu73/nowdocking/moonatnight.gif "[avatar]")