Minotel Des Ducs Dijon

... hours.
I got to Dijon at about 1840. My guidebook said the tourist office would be open until 1900 so I could get a map but it closed at 1830. Luckily I had copied down the directions to the hostel from the internet just in case. I had to take two buses. However, the second bus' monitor wasn't working and it was only by chance that I turned to look at the name of the next stop which I thought was mine, and so got out. Lucky I did though because I found that the bus ...

... Or anything else, come to that!).

18th July 09 Giffaumont-Champaubert 48.33'15"N 4.45'55"E
Free parking at a leisure park on a huge lake.

20th July 09 Piney, near Troyes 48.21'30"N4.20'05"E

21st July 09 Sens 48.11'53"N3.17'24"E
At last we have arrived in Burgundy. At the moment our intention is to explore the Bourgogne unti our return in October. However, plans can change....
Sens is a pleasant town with a magnificent ...

... several attempts (and an hour of our time) to contact my Visa company to find that out.

Armed with some fresh yummies from the boulangerie, we hopped in our car to take in the Wine Route through Burgundy. It took us through fields of vines, quaint little villages, and a breathtaking stone cliff. We stopped at the Chateau Rochepot, a medieval castle destroyed in the Frech Revolution and partially restored ...

... slipped behind the wheel caressing the gearstick lovingly and cooing words of enouragement
to the little pooper. With a softness usually only reserved for these special moments in the
shower, he took hold of the gearstick engaged first and proceeded to kick the ***** out of
four gears with the cry of Corporal Jones "They don't like it up'em". With a strong tail
wind, three bodies lent forward, and on a down slope the old girl knockered out ...

... just a short walking distance from the town, and very comfortable. We showered, ate, and took a late walk into the town.

Beaune is very attractive. We'd noticed impressive medieval ramparts on our drive through to the campsite, and now we also admired some austerely ornamental 18th century mansions, which reminded me at least of 'Marlinspike Hall' in Tintin. I also particularly liked a massy Gothic ...

... pas et, sur le conseil d'un chauffeur de bus, je prends la Liane 5 (nom de la bus, apparemment) vers les Galeries Lafayette, correspondance avec la 4. Mon hôtel est vraiment creux en banlieue dijonnaise ; après presque trente minutes, j'arrive dans la zone industrielle, et j'ai encore à marcher dix minutes pour arriver au Hotel Stars Dijon, un 1 étoile qui me coûte 35€ par nuit, mais où j'ai une chambre à moi... petite gâterie de fin de parcours ...

... some nice dinners, relaxed, I showed her a bit of Dijon, we visited a church that I hadnt been to yet which was a lovely little find. Saturday night was Homecoming back in the homeland of Stillwater. Of course I was having serious Homecoming-withdrawls so having her around was awesome ...

... it was expensive and I stuck out like a sore thumb. Basically, do your research on Belgian beer before you go and you might want to go to a bar just off the beaten path. There are a lot of pubs and bars in Brussels to where you can find authentic beer so no probs there and ordering it by the pint I'm sure is cheaper than that sampler for 12 euros that I ordered at that bar off of Grande Place. Also, you can always buy a brewsky to take back to the hotel at a ...

... your groceries for you. In the kitchenette down the hall, I have my own fridge, so I bought yogurt today...for some reason it tastes SOOO much better over here. I also bought some pain aux raisins...YUM! Sunday Yesterday we went back into centre-ville (i.e., down-town Dijon) to do a little more sightseeing. In the morning it rained, so after a quick walk through the market, Courtney and I headed to the renowned Musée des Beaux-Arts. After that we did some window ...

... rainstorms before, but I didn't expect this in France. What hit me was extreme and was the sort of thing that makes people stop and come to the window to watch. If they did they would see a drowned rat on a bicycle sporting a florescent top. I didn't put my waterproof bottoms on and when I realized I should have it was too late. Stopping to open my pannier would have drenched everything else. I had to continue and ride it out. Oddly, I ...