Dijon

So there I was, hightailing it down the road to Dijon. First there was a pretty heavy rainstorm and then the traffic was tied up outside of Nancy due to a wreck. My major goal was to make it to Dijon before nightfall as my night vision is not the best and I had no desire to try to find my way in the dark. I do regret not stopping for just a few minutes for some photos along the way. But I thought that since I would be going back along the same route on my way to Belgium I would just take photos then. There was a spectacular rainbow though and I REALLY regret not stopping for a photo of it...........duh. I stopped at a roadside gas station and bought a croissant, coke, some cheese and yogurt to eat as I was driving.


The major highways in France are toll roads and the cost for this one was 12 Euros. I did get a little lost in Dijon, but everyone I asked for directions was so helpful. Twice the people said they could tell me how to get to a certain point and once I was there to "ask someone you see and they will tell you where to go from there". That is exactly what happened.


The B&B I stayed at in Dijon is called the B&B Marcs d'Or. It is gorgeous, an oasis of quiet. You forget that you are in a city. The two guys who own it have done a fantastic job with the landscaping. The stables have been converted to bedrooms. My room was red, with two windows overlooking the grounds. The bathroom was small, but sleek and modern.........although I never quite figured out the shower. I had to press a large button to get the water on, but it only stayed on for about a minute. Then I had to repeat the process. I think it probably was for water conservation. But to be honest, I think I stayed in the shower longer than I would have normally.......it was like a snooze control for the shower. After settling in I wandered out to the front patio where the two owners, Olivier and Ludovick, were sitting with the other guests--a young couple from England. We sat around drinking wine and talking for quite a while. Olivier speaks very good English, but Ludovick not so much. There is a German Shepard dog named "One-two". She is 12 years old and had been a breeding dog. When her breeding days were over Olivier adopted her. She is sweet, but is definitely devoted to him. She was also a bit stressed since the arrival of "the Intruder", a tiny black and white kitten named Nanette, the previous week. Nanette is supremely unconcerned about One-two, but the feeling is not mutual.


The next morning I set out for Dijon, the B&B is a little to the west of the center of town. Olivier marked the best route on the map, along with the best place to park. He assured me it would be so easy to get there. That should have set off warning bells....but it didn't. I gave it a shot, really I did. But after getting lost again I finally gave it up, drove back to the B&B and took the bus. Well worth the 1 Euro cost each way. French streets don't have street signs at the intersection, the street name is on a little plaque on the side of a building.


Dijon is a beautiful town, with a very good feel. Unfortunately, it was Tuesday and all the museums are closed then. So I just wandered around, looking at the architecture and exploring what lay down the tiny alleyways. I could have climbed to the top of the tower, but passed when I learned there were over 300 steps! I really liked Dijon, but don't seem to have too much to say about it.



The next morning Ludovick was manning the B&B. He printed out directions from the Michelin site for me. I was heading to a village just west of Antwerp, Belgium; The Michelin map had me retracing my route back to Metz, going through Luxembourg and Brussels. I almost asked him to print directions from Mapquest, but decided they would be similar..........



I got out of Dijon easily, without losing my way. Hooray! A couple of hours down the road I stopped for lunch and pulled out the directions my friend Monique, had given me to her house. She mentioned the Mapquest route, which went through Reims, France and then entered Belgium from the west, through Lille, France. Swell...... I wasn't crazy about going through Brussels, especially near rush hour, so I decided to cut over to the road going through Reims. This was not a highway just a tzo lane road so it was slower going, especially when I was caught behind a big truck. I admit I did get lost once, but was lucky enough to stop at a gas station where I met a man from Wales. You know, I really am not an inept driver. My excuse is that it is hard to be driver and navigator. That is my story and I am sticking to it! But I did manage to arrive at my destination in Belgium, again making it before dark.