Dijon

First, some recommended watching to start off the entry.

Two nights ago I decided I was being ridiculous by squandering my first week of break away in Saint-Etienne and wrote up a list of feasible day trips, determined to strike out upon the morrow. Based on its having the most promising, least sainté-overcast-looking weather, Dijon edged out ahead.

Bright and early yesterday morning I mustered up the energy to catch the 8am train, which put me into Dijon around 11:00. I napped away most of the train ride and was happy to discover that between closing and opening my eyes the world had gone from grey (non-poupon) overcast to cloudless blue skies.

I was surprised to learn that Dijon is actually smaller than Saint-Etienne; they're just now starting to construct a tram line. Its smaller size did make it very navigable though, especially since I'd come without a big plan aside from requisite mustard tasting.

My Grey Poupon references are actually a bit inaccurate as concerns Dijon, since although the Grey Poupon people own Maille, the brand Dijon is most famous for, France actually phased out Grey Poupon a while ago (though for all that they put up a nice store front, I think it's all owned by Kraft these days anyway). Speaking of Maille's lovely storefront:

Since 1747! Owned by Kraft since 1999, but you don't see them flouting that fact...

Wall of Mustard

I sampled the chocolate/speculoos kind, which was definitely weird. Sugary smooth flavor with a hint of mustard, immediately followed by a huge spicy kick... it makes for a nice novelty, but I have no idea what you'd actually eat it with.

There's more to Dijon than just mustard. It used to be the capital of Bourgogne (Burgundy) and has some very rich history. Below are some Merovingian-era sarcophagi outside the Cathédrale Sainte-Bénigne.

The Museum of Archaeology is housed next to the cathedral in an old monastary with exhibits in the monks' dormitory and in the foundations of the building as well:

Dijon is also crazy about owls since a big tourist attraction is a little owl (chouette) sculpted into the side of the city's biggest church, Eglise Notre-Dame. Said to bring luck to those who touch it, its features have almost been worn away by centuries of rubbing. There's even an owl-themed walking trail around the city, the focal point of which is the little carving on the left, below. At the bottom center is a little dragon carving, located in a window just to the left of the owl. Apparently there are conflicting rumors about whether you're supposed to approach or ignore the dragon and whether it brings bad luck or cancels out your owl belly-rubbing wish, but curiosity overcame superstition and I decided to investigate.

I'll soon post a bunch more pictures from Dijon on facebook, but I wanted to at least get a blog up about it before I got lazy and punked out. Tomorrow I'm day-tripping to Le Puy, a small but supposedly picturesque town, and then perhaps Annecy on Saturday. Then Provence next week!