Up In Time to Read the Tribune in Dijon
The other morning I awoke with a shock. I had made the classic gaffe–forgot to ask for a wake-up call, thinking hey, I get up at 7 every morning. But in those high thread count sheets, with the light blocked, and a late night watching French TV, I was jolted […]
Meeting Perrier’s Pigs in Bazoches
I’ve settled into the Sofitel in Dijon, and after another classy meal, and all the email read, it’s time once again to share some slices of La France. I haven’t been in France since 1989, and it’s still got that same je ne sais quois–is it the narrow streets? The […]
Four Kinds of Potatoes Grace Marc’s Menu Tonight
My Pedaling is Punctuated by the Sound of Birds
After breakfast at Marc Meneau, I borrowed a bike to go out and see the countryside. I pedaled around a bend and into the small village of St. Pere, where trucks carefully navigated the narrow streets and forced pedestrians up onto the sidewalk. I rode over a bridge and out […]
The Straight Roads of Burgundy
France to me has always been symbolized by that classic Life magazine photo of the kid looking back from the bike holding the giant baguette. He is bicyling on a road like this, straight, and bordered by rows of trees. Here we head toward our next stop in Burgundy. Today […]
Jarry Truffles: The Town’s Signature Treat
I asked my guide if there was a signature food that symbolized the town of Auxerre. She didn’t hesitate, and brought me inside a yellow awning, into a chocolate shop by the name of Jarry, on the main square. Madame Jarry gave us her famous ‘Bourguignottes’ rum and raisin flavored […]
Sipping The Real Chablis on a Boat in Auxerre
I arrived at Montbard and met my driver–he knew the train schedule so I wasn’t stranded–and we began our trip to Auxerre. This town of about 45,000 is rich with architectural history; there are three hills and two famous cathedrals here. We toured the cool dark world of the crypts […]