Paris: The End of The France Adventure!

Well, all good things must come to an end, and my trip is ending back in Paris.

Jill had one last day in France, so we filled it with a few misadventures and classic sights. First, we tried to check out the Jardin des Plantes (Botanical Gardens) since our Lyon tour guide praised it. Well, we didn’t think a garden could be closed on a Tuesday, but there you have it. The greenhouses were all shuttered, and we ate bench lunches surrounded by terrifying crows eyeing us. A bust.

We salvaged the rest of the afternoon with a visit to Shakespeare & Co., an English bookstore in France steeped in history and vibes. We souvenir-shopped a bit before checking into our hotel. I treated Jill to a birthday dinner (hers was in two days) at a fantastic vegetarian fusion restaurant near our hotel called Slow, where she had stuffed eggplant and I had a delicious black rice, mushroom, and pea risotto. 

The rain cooperated and stayed away while we headed to get our nighttime sparkling photo of the Eiffel Tower. We played Instagram boyfriends for each other and enjoyed the 5-minute sparkle. I followed a TikTok tip to a different street to get a less crowded view. Predictably, all the influencers were there in full glam with their Instagram boyfriends, but we still found a spot to snap some great shots.

After Jill’s departure, I had a lazy last day in Paris. It was overcast and threatening to rain, so after a leisurely French breakfast (I love this toast, croissant, coffee, and fresh orange juice combo), I chilled in the Jardin du Luxembourg to write a blog post and scout the statues. It did eventually start to rain, so after a quick detour past the Panthéon, I headed back to get ready for...

Rock en Seine!

When I was planning this trip, the first thing I bought (even before my flights) was a ticket to this Paris music festival! I’ve wanted to see Chappell Roan for a while now, and she was headlining the first night of the festival! An additional bonus was London Grammar too (I only knew one song, but they were great).

I was worried about the rain, but luckily it only drizzled a bit upon entry and when leaving. The concert gods were smiling on me today. The festival was cashless, so you topped up your wristband via credit card, and this system really cut down on the queues for merch and food/drinks. I had a delicious tofu banh mi for dinner, finally tried mirabelles (a small peach-like fruit from the Lorraine region that I’d seen everywhere), and was impressed with their flushing toilet porta-potties (less so with the lines for them!). London Grammar were amazing, and Chappell Roan blew the roof off the show! Apparently she had to cancel a Paris show last year, so she made up for it tonight. Incredible sets and a very enthusiastic—and very pink—crowd.

As I wrap up this France trip, here are some cumulative notes on food, blunders, and tips for future travels in this country.

French Food (for the Pescatarians out there)

France is heavy on the meat, but most places had at least one veggie option (even if it was just a salad). Baguettes were a lunch staple, with my go-to being either caprese or tuna salad. Boulangeries were a constant stop. Grocery stores (specifically Monoprix or Monop’—the convenience store version) had plenty of premade lettuce, pasta, and grain (couscous, tabbouleh, bulgur) salads. Unfortunately, a lot of the lettuce-based ones had meat added. Have I mentioned how much I love galettes? These are savory crepes made of buckwheat (gluten-friendly!) and packed with cheese and vegetables (and meat if you choose that option). I adored these as my lunch option.

But the pastries—oh god, I loved them. The croissants and pains au chocolat were consistently good, and please do not pay more than €1.30 for them. Dessert-wise, I tried Nonettes (gingerbread-style cookies in Dijon), canelés (tiny cakes from Bordeaux), macarons, caramel butter crêpes (*drool*), crème brûlée, and chocolate mousse. Chef’s kiss for the sugar and butter in this country.

Cheese and wine are classics for a reason—amazing brie and camembert for under €2 at the grocery store, and wine ranging from €2 to €50 (I often settled for a solid €7 bottle).

I’ve raved about it before, but French orange pressé juice is absolutely amazing. I found another blogger who loves them as much as I did, so please read more about it here.

Trip Blunders

Every trip has its missteps. Here were mine:

• Leaving my necklace in my Airbnb in Bayeux (they said they’d mail it to me 🙏) and then leaving all my contact lenses behind in the Airbnb in Dijon.

• Forgetting snacks I purposely bought for Mont Saint-Michel, then having to buy overpriced ones there. With nothing open for takeaway at the train station, I ended up with Pringles and a banana for dinner.

• A bus mistake in Caen—took the bus the wrong way, adding 25 minutes to a 40-minute trip to a museum (that in all probability I didn’t even need to go to).

• The Paris transit system is confusing. You can’t buy an airport train ticket on the same metro pass if you have metro tickets on it as well. This technical error cost Jill an extra €2 for another transit card.

• Helpful hint: Paris transit isn’t unlimited travel for 1.5 hours like Toronto. It’s one way per ride but with unlimited transfers on that ride.

• Left my passport on the counter at the Pret in CDG after security. Luckily, I got it back no problem—I must have horseshoes shoved somewhere.

France Overall Travel Tips

• Transit: Almost every city has its own reusable metro card that you load per ride. Sometimes 24-hour passes are useful.

• Money: They use euros. Taxes are included in listed prices. Carte (credit card) is widely accepted, but it’s good to carry small bills for markets and small purchases. Tips for service in restaurants aren’t expected, but welcomed for great service (unlike Canada, where they’re expected).

• Trains: Trains are often late, but the SNCF (France’s rail system) is very flexible and good at rebooking if you miss a connection. They even sent me a proactive email when I was waiting for my first train!

• Customer service: French customer service stereotypes are... kinda true. The customer is not always right here, so adjust your North American expectations.

• Paying for meals: You often pay at the bar/entrance for dinner—don’t expect them to bring the machine to you.

• Language basics: Even a simple “Bonjour,” “Merci,” or “Pardon” goes a long way. “Parlez-vous anglais, s’il vous plaît?” was my go-to phrase.

• Sundays: Many shops close early and/or don’t open Sundays. Plan ahead for groceries.

• August closures: Outside major tourist zones (Paris, Annecy, Bayeux, etc.), many shops and restaurants are closed because locals go on holidays.

• Restaurant hours: Lunch is usually 12–2 pm, and dinner 7–9/10 pm.

• Water: You can always ask for une carafe d’eau (a jug of tap water) instead of bottled.

• Bathrooms: Public toilets aren’t always free, especially in train stations and tourist areas—carry coins (50 cents to €2).

• Travel apps: Citymapper works well in Paris and Lyon. I also really liked using Omio for booking trains.

Overall, this trip was a mix of great food, new adventures, and a few classic travel blunders. France charmed me and fed me very well. Until next time—au revoir, France!

Lyon et Lumières

Our next city we visited was Lyon. Centred between two rivers, the Saône and the Rhône, it’s a perfect mix of history and everyday life with cozy streets, good food, and cultural heritage.

Fourvière Hill

After our bus journey from Grenoble, we explored the Fourvière Hill area to see the famed Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière, which overlooks Lyon. It was incredibly gorgeous and impressive inside, but since we arrived right as Mass was starting, we quickly snapped a few photos and slipped out before accidentally joining the service.

We also saw some Roman ruins of an odeon/theatre nearby. When the Romans took over, they renamed the city Lugdunum, and it’s quite impressive to still see the ruins standing amidst modernity.

Movie Madness – Musée Lumière

My only must-do in Lyon was to visit the Musée Lumière, the home and museum of the famous Lumière brothers, Auguste and Louis, who “invented” modern cinema. They created the Cinématographe, which improved on Edison’s Kinetoscope and other early devices by allowing films to be projected to an audience rather than viewed individually through a peephole. The Cinématographe was a big leap because it was lightweight, portable, could both record and project, and made cinema a shared, theatrical experience. Omg, I am in my element right now.

The Lumière brothers created the first projected film in history (Workers Leaving the Factory), a 45-second video showcased to the public in 1895. They also famously showed Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat Station in 1896, where it is said that audiences ducked in fear as the train came toward the camera, thinking it was going to burst through the screen.

I also had the chance to interact with and explore other early moving picture inventions like the Praxinoscope (1877), which used mirrors to project images, and the even earlier Zoetrope (1834), which you looked through slotted holes to see a moving picture. There was a VERY impressive sculptural model by artist Émilie Tolot where figurines were placed on a rotating platform and paired with stroboscopic lighting to recreate the illusion of movement (much like early motion pictures).

Movie Madness Part Deux – Musée Cinéma et Miniature

I also visited the Musée Cinéma et Miniature to satisfy my modern cinephile obsession. This museum was a must for any film fan, as it houses a wealth of film props, costumes, practical effects, and memorabilia.

The first room was fantasy-themed with Harry Potter (costumes, wands, a pair of Harry’s glasses), Narnia (animatronic head of a satyr), The Dark Crystal (Kira’s costume), and Lord of the Rings props (Legolas’ ears, Uruk-hai prosthetics). It also had an homage to the ’80s/’90s and movie fandom of that era.

There was a room dedicated to Beetlejuice. Props of the Sandworm, the waiting room, and stop-motion models for when Barbara turned into a pterodactyl-type monster were some highlights.

I geeked out extremely hard in the small Star Wars area, which housed original items like an Ewok head, Leia’s bikini top, Han’s blaster, and Darth Vader’s helmet (originally from The Empire Strikes Back when Vader enters the Rebel base. Apparently, the design changed a bit after this scene, which makes this item a little more unique).

The rest of the rooms were a smorgasbord of different movie items. Some highlights from this mishmash included Mary Poppins’ umbrella, Lestat’s fake head when Claudia slices his throat (Interview with the Vampire), Edward Scissorhands’ aptly named hand, the hoverboard from Back to the Future Part II, the animatronic claw for the raptor from Jurassic Park (*click, click, click* on the floor), Robin Williams' mask for Mrs. Doubtfire, and the Queen Xenomorph from Aliens.

At the end, there was a cool room full of miniature sets (not for movies) that the artist Dan Ohlmann had created. They were incredibly detailed and about the height of one and a half of my hands and the length of my pointer finger to elbow. My favourite was one of a Natural History Museum. 

Walking Tour

We did a walking tour on our second day there, exploring some street art, classical churches, and getting a good layout of La Croix-Rousse and Vieux Lyon (old town).

We learned a little more about street artists in Lyon on this walking tour. Pixel artists (not Invader!) like In the Woup, who creates pixelated Super Marios, and MifaMosa, who creates pixelated images representing street names (like putting a whale beside Place de la Baleine or a bottle of wine beside the sign for Rue Bouteille). There was also Zon, who creates monkey head sculptures, and Ememem, who creates mosaics covering up potholes (which I also think I stumbled upon in Dijon!).

Great Eats & Drinks in Lyon

Along with the two complimentary glasses of champagne at our hotel (plus a free breakfast — their attempt to make up for the sweltering AC situation, including one night when it didn’t work at all, ugh), we had a few really good dining experiences here. The first was at Betty’s Bar — if you can call beer and vibes dining, which we will. It was super cute, but due to everyone in France being on vacation in August, their chefs were away and therefore our dinner that night was… French fries! But the beers were tasty and perfect after a long travel day. Later that night, we went to Suzette Crêperie to satisfy my craving for another caramel crêpe. It all balances out with the 18k steps per day, right?

I also had a wonderful mushroom and cheese galette at La Table Brestoise, complete with a very French waiter/cook and a hilariously obvious ENGLISH menu. I continued this mushroom and cheese tradition for dinner that night with a quesadilla at the very yummy and Instagrammable Tiger Milk (you can take the Jill out of Mexico but not the Mexico out of Jill). Unfortunately, I think I was hitting a wall of exhaustion, and my tummy wasn’t feeling great, so I couldn’t fully enjoy the very delicious meal there.

Tomorrow we head to Paris for Jill’s last day, and I go to the Rock en Seine Music Festival to see Chappell Roan! Our trip is almost over!

Grenoble: Bubbles & Tags

We swapped the riverside cobblestones of Annecy for the small-city feel of Grenoble on our next stop in France. Grenoble is another "in the shadow of the Alps" kind of town, but with a twist... There's street art and tags everywhere!

Grenoble is famous for street art thanks to its annual Street Art Fest Grenoble-Alpes, launched in 2015, which has transformed the city and surrounding villages into an open-air museum with more than 450 murals, stencils, and art installations dotting the city streets. I absolutely love this style of guerrilla art, and my eyes feasted on it whenever we walked about town.

But the weird thing about visiting Grenoble in the first few weeks of August? It's basically a ghost town. Similar to Caen in emptiness, most of the shops were closed for two weeks (opening up on the following Monday when we left on Saturday) and, due to its heavy student population who are not in session yet, streets and shops outside of the city core remained desolate. Nevertheless, we explored this new city as well as we could!

The Bubbles & The Bastille

Our first adventure was to head to the Téléphérique Grenoble, affectionately nicknamed “Les Bulles” (“The Bubbles”). Celebrating its 90th anniversary last year, this cable car was built in 1934 to link the city centre with the Bastille fortress, a 19th-century stronghold perched above Grenoble.

It was really affordable and a fun way to access the Bastille for its breathtaking views of the city and surrounding mountain ranges.

AcroBastille

While Jill opted to hike higher past the Bastille, I decided I wanted to test my nerves on an open-air high ropes course that went through the remnants of the Bastille. This was Acrobastille. It had five trails (ranging in difficulty from green, blue, purple, red, and black with four zip lines). Ladder bridges, a fun swing, ropes to traverse, and simple rock climbing areas with ladders... it was A LOT of fun. However, being under direct sun in the heatwave and my lack of upper body strength eventually took its toll and I didn't attempt the two hardest runs. Regardless, this is MY kind of adrenaline. :)

Heatwave continues...

Speaking of heatwave, man... France is definitely in the throes of it! It literally started the day before I met up with Jill in Annecy and we haven't caught a break in the heat! Our AirBnB had a portable AC which only cooled the bedroom, not the sofa bed living room, so we opted for a sleepover style with the couch mattress on the floor. It actually worked out perfectly. We even had a really cool dry storm one night with heat lightning, but alas no rain to cool things down.

Solo Adventure Day: Musée dauphinois

Jill and I decided to do a solo day of exploring our own interests. She loves hiking and took on a challenge of a longer day hike while I love museums and exploring cities, so I chose that avenue.

After exploring the mostly empty city, I went to a mostly empty museum! Musée dauphinois was an eclectic mix of art installations, special exhibits, and alpine history. It lays perched about halfway up the hill to the Bastille (no bubble gondola for me this time!) with a great view of the city.

Expecting mostly to learn about the history of living on the Alps, I was surprised to find the first exhibit I came across was about the African community of the Bassari. The Bassari live in southeast Senegal (and partly northern Guinea) and are recognised by UNESCO for its exceptional cultural landscape. The exhibit highlights the cultural practices of five ethnic groups that live there, with sensitivity and collaboration (e.g. involved Bassari communities in selecting objects & texts that would be displayed).

They also had some artistic reflections on Africa, environment, and globalisation at the end of the exhibit. I was particularly drawn to an artist's creation of a Bassari mask out of tyres that reflected "the intensification of transport and its environmental and social consequences as well as the commoditisation and exploitation of people and nature" by the artist collective Culture Ailleurs.

After that exhibit, I came to one highlighting Alpine life from Neolithic to Roman to modern life in the Alps. I saw some coins discovered in the Alps that predated the Roman conquest by 20 years, indicating how trade was developing long before Rome took over. I saw a portable wooden shepherd's hut that the Alpine shepherds would sleep in while they followed their flocks. I saw artefacts indicating how people lived, ate, learned, and survived up there. I also saw some more cowbells.

There was another section on the 1968 Winter Olympics that was held in Grenoble. Fun fact: the first ever official "Olympic mascot" was created and marketed in these Olympics. Its name was Schuss. It was a little abstract skier with a red ball head, long blue body, with skis shooting forward in a “schuss” position (French skiing term for straight downhill).

The unique thing about this museum was that I saw like nine people total in the whole museum, two of which were security guards. It lent itself nicely to visiting the completly empty art exhibits that dotted the grounds like this textile one from Kaarina Kaikkonen called "I would love to Blossom" which was located in the gorgeous former chapel in the museum.

Musée de Grenoble

After a quick pitstop for happy hour cocktails and crepes (is this my love language?), I headed towards another free museum. But this time, the focus was on art. Musée de Grenoble houses both Renaissance/classical art as well as a larger modern art collection. While overall I'm not a huge fan of Renaissance art, I did find a few that I enjoyed. 

This museum also had an interesting strategy of intermixing a modern artist, Guillaume Bresson's paintings in with those antiquated ones.

I do love a mid-20th-century art piece, and I was not disappointed by this collection! Here were some of my favs:

After our separate adventures, Jill and I finally reunited. Her mountain photos are incredible! We enjoyed a final evening drink at Bar Cent Un before we head to our next destination: Lyon!

Sun, Lakes, and Alpine Trails in Annecy

Welcome to Annecy! This gorgeous city is often referred to as the "Venice of the Alps" due to its charming canals weaving through the old town and its beautiful flower-covered bridges.

I am now travelling with my friend and colleague, Jill, who is quite the experienced traveller as well (having explored Belgium and southern France while I was navigating northern France). After a long double train ride down from Dijon, I met up with Jill at our Airbnb, and we headed out for dinner and a grocery stock-up.

We found the cutest (mostly) vegetarian restaurant not too far from where we were staying called Dip Honest Food, and I had a delicious eggplant schnitzel, tabbouleh, and sweet potato fries. We then wandered through Annecy's canal streets at night, which offered equally picturesque views. We reached the Jardins de l'Europe and enjoyed a moonlight view of the lake and an amazing street musician performing in the park.

Lac d’Annecy

The next morning was a slow start, as both of us had been pretty go-go-go during our trips so far. After a rather eventful kettle malfunction and a leisurely homemade breakfast, we gathered our belongings and headed to the lake for a Lake Day.

Lac d’Annecy (Lake Annecy) is incredibly clear and clean, nestled in the Haute-Savoie region of the French Alps. The surrounding mountains feed it, and strict environmental laws in the 1960s have often earned it the title of “Europe’s cleanest lake.”

We walked to the closest beach, Plage des Marquisats, which was absolutely teeming with visitors. France has already had two major heatwaves this summer, and we were right in the middle of one during the last week and a half of our trip. The water was incredibly refreshing, and I went in for two separate dips. They had a fun waterslide which both children and the young-at-heart, like me, thoroughly enjoyed. The shore was very rocky with pebbles, which resulted in some pretty hilarious entry and exit manoeuvres (I wished I had brought water shoes!).

We moseyed back home to refresh and had dinner at Sushi Long for some yummy gyoza and salmon rolls. After we were full, we wanted a drink at one of the many cafes in the old town. We settled on Café Curt, with its cute curbside tables, perfect for people-watching and dog admiration (there are SO many dogs in France, and Jill and I being dog lovers, we absolutely adored it).

Hiking Le Semnoz

The next day was hiking day. Jill is an avid hiker, and I am an avid saunterer. That’s another reason why I love travelling with her; it exposes me to experiences I probably wouldn’t have tried on my own! I definitely would not have hiked in the pre-Alps, and I’m so glad I had the opportunity. Jill graciously picked a route with not too much steep elevation for this beginner hiker, as we were able to take a bus to drop us off near the summit point.

Rising just above Annecy, Le Semnoz feels like the Alps’ private balcony. In winter, it serves as a ski hill, and in summer, as a network of hiking trails. On a clear day, you can see all the way to Mont Blanc; on our hazy summer day, we could just barely make it out.

The hills weren’t as lush as I had hoped, as the summer heat seemed to have scorched them quite thoroughly, but the cows didn’t seem to mind! They were often found grazing along the trail, their giant cowbells echoing across the ridge like wind chimes. I was eager to get up close to the cows until I very quickly realised that there’s a reason I live in the city—being surrounded by cows and bulls with very loud bells can be slightly terrifying. No, thank you.

The sun was bearing down on us, and we had a quick picnic lunch in a tiny patch of shade, after a restaurant owner became very upset with us for sitting under a tree too close to his restaurant (Chalets de Gruffy was not the most welcoming spot, it seemed). After hiking about 7 km, we opted for a gondola ride down to the "Summer Fun" area of Semnoz for a ride on the

Summer Luge.

The luge was an absolute blast! I had been on the one in Calgary during a family trip as a teenager, but hadn’t been on one since. I highly recommend them! A little rollercoaster-style mechanism hooks onto your plastic luge and pulls you up a hill, where you then speed down a twisty route (with a brake to accelerate or slow down if needed). Best use of €4 and a 25-minute queue ever.

Talloires

This heatwave had dissuaded us from another hike, so after exploring the morning street market in Annecy, we took a city bus to a different village along the lake and settled on Talloires.

We had expected more to see in the village, but with the Benedictine abbey boarded up for renovations and many shops closed for August holidays (a recurring theme in these towns, it seems), we headed straight to Plage Municipale de Talloires.

This beach was a bit different. It had the same grassy/dusty spots in the shade to sit and lay out your towels, but instead of a gradual walk into the water, you jumped right in off the edge! There were a few floating rafts to swim to and another slide (the other one was better, I think), and I had a lot of fun jumping in. Jill swam too, though I think she preferred the more relaxing downtime.

We had really wanted to have a drink at Café des Arts, but after waiting and hoping someone would leave, we resigned ourselves to the fact it wasn’t going to happen that evening. After a quick wander, we settled on a cute little wine bar (LE 2020 Bar à vin), where we enjoyed a glass of sangria and compared Kir (cassis with wine) to Kir Royal (cassis with champagne). I think the Kir Royal is the winner there!

Annecy is absolutely stunning. With its crystal-clear lake, charming streets, delicious dining, and easy access to the Alps and hiking trails, it’s a place I wholeheartedly recommend visiting! Next up is Grenoble—also nestled among mountains, but with a very different energy and vibe.

Wine and Mustard in Burgundy!

Burgundy Wine Tour

I spent good money on a wine tour of Burgundy through Authentica Tours. It was a small group: me and a mother/daughter duo from the States, so it felt very intimate. Unfortunately, it was kind of a letdown. The guide kept repeating that “wine is meant to be an experience, not just facts and information”. Meanwhile, I’m thinking, well, I’d actually like some information... otherwise I could just enjoy a glass at a bar. Compared to my incredible Normandy guide, this one felt disengaged. He even complained about how a guest the other day had asked too many questions! It didn’t really foster an environment of speaking up and inquiring more, to be honest. But you win some, you lose some.

The drive was beautiful, at least. We drove along the Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune area (which is only a tiny part of the Burgundy wine region!). I did learn that the word côte has three meanings depending on context: a slope on a small hill where the vines rest, the coast, and a rib of meat (côte de porc, etc.). In Burgundy, they only produce two types of wine (monoculture): Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

Our first stop was at a very small local producer (80% of their wine is consumed locally). After I provided some GPS directions for my guide (after he claimed he didn’t need maps because he knew everywhere in the region), we arrived at  Domaine Pillot-Henry. What a hidden gem! It was a 20-acre estate and the tasting was in a legit wine cellar (not just for ambiance!). There was no fancy sommelier—just the makers being passionate about their wine. We tried two Chardonnays and three Pinot Noirs, culminating in a premier cru. Premier cru and grand cru are considered the highest quality grapes and therefore often produce the better-tasting wine (but it’s all preferential based on your tastes!). I wish the guide’s translations had been fuller; often, a minute of French was condensed into a single sentence of English. Still, the atmosphere was wonderful, and I left with a bottle of Pommard 1er Cru “Les Charmots” for just 32€. Fingers crossed it survives the five-train-bus-plane trek home.

I think the highlight though was that we were greeted by the winery’s friendly dog! He was clearly a French doggo as he wanted to play fetch with a wine cork. 

Our second winery in the afternoon was Moillard-Grivet near Meursault. It was drastically different from the morning’s... more commercial and very fancy. The salons were drawers that you pulled out from. A little drawer beside you then had running water constantly cleaning it (think: dentist’s office). The sommelier spoke English, so I felt like I learned a little bit more about the wines this time (not having to rely on translation from the guide), including about a neat tool that puts a syringe into the cork to dispense the wine without altering the oxygen level. I didn’t buy any bottles here as the price was outside my range, but it was interesting to compare the two locations.

Beaune – A Small Wine Town

For lunch, we stopped in the charming town of Beaune for two hours. The agency suggested a few restaurants, so I booked an Indian buffet called Lunchbox, worried about vegetarian options. At 29€ for a small selection, it was underwhelming—especially for someone who can happily survive on pastries. Lesson learned: check reviews first.

However, I did really enjoy the suggestion to check out the Hôtel-Dieu Museum. It’s also known as Hospices de Beaune and was a charitable hospital to care for the poor after the devastation of the Hundred Years’ War, continued serving as a hospital until the 1970s. It's colorful tiled roof is a Burgundy icon, and inside you can see the old infirmary rooms and a medieval apothecary. I had just enough time to visit before I met back up with the group.

Dijon – Not Just Mustard!

The next day, I explored the town of Dijon. I quite liked the mix of modern commercial city and old historic centre.I did a self-guided tour and followed the “Parcours de la Chouette” (Owl Trail), marked by bronze plaques in the pavement. The owl is Dijon’s unofficial symbol, and legend says that touching the carved owl on Notre-Dame de Dijon with your left hand, placing your right hand over your heart, and making a wish will bring it true. I’m not sure I got the ritual exactly right,, but let’s see how the rest of this trip pans out!

At the Notre-Dame de Dijon cathedral, I also saw some of the best gargoyles of my life! I was very impressed with their facial expressions and mix of animals and humans.

Dijon is known as the gastronomic capital of France (gastronomy being the art and science of good eating—not just cooking, but the culture and traditions around food). I went to the Cité Internationale de la Gastronomie et du Vin, which had a number of free exhibits centered around food and wine. One was a science-center-style exploration of the five senses, but my favorite was an interactive virtual kitchen where I “made” chocolate mousse by gathering digital ingredients and completing touchscreen cooking steps. It was really fun, and if I had a better memory, I could probably now make mousse!

On Friday morning, the market opened up at the Halles Centrales. It's housed in a large hall full of vendors, as well as the vendors overspilling onto the sidewalk surrounding it. I was very proud of my bartering skills (writing "I only have 10 euros to buy the teatowel" on Google Translate and looking cute and smiling), which resulted in saving 5€! 

I also visited “La Moutarderie Edmond Fallot,” a family-run mustard maker since the 1840s. Unlike the big brand Maille, Fallot still produces locally and is known as the “only genuine Burgundian mustard.”

Well, after doing a tasting, it turns out I don’t actually like the spiciness of Dijon mustard, but I did partake in some other culinary delights! I had a delicious roll at a Japanese–Peruvian fusion restaurant (hey, I’ve been to all three of these places) called Côté Sushi Dijon.

To make myself feel better after the so-so wine tour, I treated myself to a salted caramel crêpe at “Mon Amie Suzette.” The homemade caramel was perfection. I returned the next day for a fancier version with apples, cookie crumble, and ice cream, but the simple original still won. I also tried Kir, which is white wine mixed with crème de cassis—quite sweet, but still delicious.

With Dijon explored, my solo adventures wrap up here—next stop, Annecy, to meet my friend Jill!