Travel Guides: All Countries / Europe / France / Burgundy
 |  | Travel Reviews : Burgundy |
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| | | | So much to do, so fast
I wouldn't go as far as to say that Tom Cruise and I are so similar that we worship the same God or anything, but with the release of his latest action-packed blockbuster, Mission Impossible 3 I do feel like we've got something in common.
You see, I spent the other weekend in France's gastronomic region of Burgundy where an action-packed agenda saw us playing golf, cycling, horse-riding, hot-air ballooning, rock climbing and Segway riding - all in 48 hours.
Like Tom, we'd be performing all our own stunts (okay, activities) although our rewards would be more epicurean than financial, with the opportunity to savour some of Burgundy's gastronomic delights at every meal time.
We got the star treatment on the journey to Burgundy's ancient capital Dijon in Eurostar's plush first class carriage journey from Waterloo on Eurostar and after a brief tour around the city streets (we got a bit lost) we arrived at our 17th century hotel and tucked into a tasty gourmet meal at its picturesque restaurant, Les Oenophiles.
If you find yourself in Dijon, this place is well worth visiting. Chilled gazpacho jelly amuse bouche was followed by a delicious salad, trio of perfectly cooked meats and a selection of minute puddings. On the way out we spotted the cheese board oozing deliciously. But fitting in another course would definitely have been Mission Impossible.
Bright and early the next day we took a speedy tour around Dijon's historic streets on a Segway. Although the tourist office has been running the trips for over four years, we got more curious stares than an A-list celeb on a red carpet. Perfectly coiffured French women yanked their quiffed poodles edgily out of the way, and old people clutched each other in horror as we whizzed past.
Dijon was home to the rich and powerful Dukes of Burgundy from the early 11th century to the late 1400s and the city's centre is a beautifully preserved mix of gothic churches, half-timbered medieval buildings and leafy squares.
The Segways glided easily over the ancient cobbles and thanks to their big wheels, we were easily able to rub the town's lucky charm, an owl carved onto the side of the impressive 13th century Notre Dame church. The owl is polished smooth where eight centuries of townspeople and visitors have made their wishes.
After lunch we drove across the picturesque Cote D'Or countryside that surrounds Dijon to the tiny village of Pouilly en Auxois to experience La Voute. This 3,333m-long tunnel was carved through the hills in the 19th century to connect the rivers Seine and Saone with the Atlantic and English Channel.
At this time, canals were the quickest way to transport goods and the whole region is criss-crossed with the now tranquil, tree-lined water paths. The 1,200-odd kilometres of canal paths are surrounded by peaceful countryside, tiny stone villages and the vine-covered hillsides for which Burgundy is justifiably famous.
As we travelled through the eerie, black tunnel that took 4,000 men seven years to build and which at the middle offered barely a pin-prick of light at either end to light our way, it was hard to imagine a better setting for a spine-chilling horror film. Nearly 200 men lost their lives during the mammoth project and at night their souls are said to haunt the tunnel. But it was so dark in there, how did they know when it was day and night?
The walls dripped with tiny stalactites and slimy mould and the occasional bat (or was it a ghost?) flapped past our specially adapted solar-powered boat. I presumed we'd stored enough solar power before we entered the tunnel to get us through... It seemed a bit pathetic to state the obvious half-way through. Gulp.
Clearly I'm more an action film fan than a horror fan and it was a great relief to emerge into bright sunshine once again.
Our next stop was a restored medieval fortress, Chateau de Chailly where we had a golf lesson to attend. First we had a whizz round the 18-hole course in a couple of golf buggies before getting a few swings on a club with the club pro.
Okay, so far most of our activities had been fairly sedentary, but the following day things hotted up. We drove down to Cravant to pick up our mountain bikes and then it was back to the canal again, this time cycling alongside it, rather than gliding along.
The weather was ideal, sunny with a slight breeze and we powered along Canal du Nivernais spotting heron and the odd falcon hovering for prey. The canal path joined the mighty Yonne River which, along with the Saone and the Seine form three of the biggest rivers in Northern France.
The surrounding hills offer some the best wine growing conditions in France, hence the appellation "Cote d'Or" or golden hills. Names like Nuits St Georges, Chablis and Puligny Montrachet which are normally just labels on a bottle of wine, are pretty hamlets surrounded by acres of vines.
At this time of year the vines are severely pruned but in a few months time the whole area will be green with bushy vine leaves and plump, juicy grapes ready to produce some memorable Burgundy vintages.
Which is exactly what we were rewarded with after our bike ride. Stopping in Accolay's Hostellerie de la Fontaine we lunched in a converted wine cellar, sampling a hearty selection of local delicacies. Burgundy snails cooked in Dijon mustard and locally caught river fish were washed down with red wine from next door Irancy and this time the cheese trolley was ours to sample.
Of course, there's nothing like a hefty five-course meal with wine to set you up for an afternoon in the saddle. It had been eight years since I'd dared get on a horse, the last one having bucked, bolted and scraped under a huge tree branch in a failed attempt to get me off its back. So while getting drunk may not be the way Tom Cruise prepares for a dangerous stunt scene, it was exactly what I needed to give me the Dutch courage necessary to mount my steed.
Travel guide: Burgundy
So much to do, so fast
I wouldn't go as far as to say that Tom Cruise and I are so similar that we worship the same God or anything, but with the release of his latest action-packed blockbuster, Mission Impossible 3 I do feel like we've got something in common.
You see, I spent the other weekend in France's gastronomic region of Burgundy where an action-packed agenda saw us playing golf, cycling, horse-riding, hot-air ballooning, rock climbing and Segway riding - all in 48 hours.
Like Tom, we'd be performing all our own stunts (okay, activities) although our rewards would be more epicurean than financial, with the opportunity to savour some of Burgundy's gastronomic delights at every meal time.
We got the star treatment on the journey to Burgundy's ancient capital Dijon in Eurostar's plush first class carriage journey from Waterloo on Eurostar and after a brief tour around the city streets (we got a bit lost) we arrived at our 17th century hotel and tucked into a tasty gourmet meal at its picturesque restaurant, Les Oenophiles.
If you find yourself in Dijon, this place is well worth visiting. Chilled gazpacho jelly amuse bouche was followed by a delicious salad, trio of perfectly cooked meats and a selection of minute puddings. On the way out we spotted the cheese board oozing deliciously. But fitting in another course would definitely have been Mission Impossible.
Bright and early the next day we took a speedy tour around Dijon's historic streets on a Segway. Although the tourist office has been running the trips for over four years, we got more curious stares than an A-list celeb on a red carpet. Perfectly coiffured French women yanked their quiffed poodles edgily out of the way, and old people clutched each other in horror as we whizzed past.
Dijon was home to the rich and powerful Dukes of Burgundy from the early 11th century to the late 1400s and the city's centre is a beautifully preserved mix of gothic churches, half-timbered medieval buildings and leafy squares.
The Segways glided easily over the ancient cobbles and thanks to their big wheels, we were easily able to rub the town's lucky charm, an owl carved onto the side of the impressive 13th century Notre Dame church. The owl is polished smooth where eight centuries of townspeople and visitors have made their wishes.
After lunch we drove across the picturesque Cote D'Or countryside that surrounds Dijon to the tiny village of Pouilly en Auxois to experience La Voute. This 3,333m-long tunnel was carved through the hills in the 19th century to connect the rivers Seine and Saone with the Atlantic and English Channel.
At this time, canals were the quickest way to transport goods and the whole region is criss-crossed with the now tranquil, tree-lined water paths. The 1,200-odd kilometres of canal paths are surrounded by peaceful countryside, tiny stone villages and the vine-covered hillsides for which Burgundy is justifiably famous.
As we travelled through the eerie, black tunnel that took 4,000 men seven years to build and which at the middle offered barely a pin-prick of light at either end to light our way, it was hard to imagine a better setting for a spine-chilling horror film. Nearly 200 men lost their lives during the mammoth project and at night their souls are said to haunt the tunnel. But it was so dark in there, how did they know when it was day and night?
The walls dripped with tiny stalactites and slimy mould and the occasional bat (or was it a ghost?) flapped past our specially adapted solar-powered boat. I presumed we'd stored enough solar power before we entered the tunnel to get us through... It seemed a bit pathetic to state the obvious half-way through. Gulp.
Clearly I'm more an action film fan than a horror fan and it was a great relief to emerge into bright sunshine once again.
Our next stop was a restored medieval fortress, Chateau de Chailly where we had a golf lesson to attend. First we had a whizz round the 18-hole course in a couple of golf buggies before getting a few swings on a club with the club pro.
Okay, so far most of our activities had been fairly sedentary, but the following day things hotted up. We drove down to Cravant to pick up our mountain bikes and then it was back to the canal again, this time cycling alongside it, rather than gliding along.
The weather was ideal, sunny with a slight breeze and we powered along Canal du Nivernais spotting heron and the odd falcon hovering for prey. The canal path joined the mighty Yonne River which, along with the Saone and the Seine form three of the biggest rivers in Northern France.
The surrounding hills offer some the best wine growing conditions in France, hence the appellation "Cote d'Or" or golden hills. Names like Nuits St Georges, Chablis and Puligny Montrachet which are normally just labels on a bottle of wine, are pretty hamlets surrounded by acres of vines.
At this time of year the vines are severely pruned but in a few months time the whole area will be green with bushy vine leaves and plump, juicy grapes ready to produce some memorable Burgundy vintages.
Which is exactly what we were rewarded with after our bike ride. Stopping in Accolay's Hostellerie de la Fontaine we lunched in a converted wine cellar, sampling a hearty selection of local delicacies. Burgundy snails cooked in Dijon mustard and locally caught river fish were washed down with red wine from next door Irancy and this time the cheese trolley was ours to sample.
Of course, there's nothing like a hefty five-course meal with wine to set you up for an afternoon in the saddle. It had been eight years since I'd dared get on a horse, the last one having bucked, bolted and scraped under a huge tree branch in a failed attempt to get me off its back. So while getting drunk may not be the way Tom Cruise prepares for a dangerous stunt scene, it was exactly what I needed to give me the Dutch courage necessary to mount my steed.
Travel guide: Burgundy
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| | | | Horses from hell
Assured that our horses were obedient and well trained, we set off along the sunny, grassy path. Unfortunately the grass was our downfall. It appeared there was nothing getting between a horse that had been stabled for several long winter months and the sweet, juicy grass growing in abundance along the roadside. My pony practically yanked me over his head in his greedy dash for a mouthful of weed.
It wasn't until we reached the mulchy, muddy paths of forest that the horses finally started behaving and, confidence restored we went along with our instructor's breezy: "Let's gallop!". For about three seconds anyway. All hell broke loose as Laura head-butted her horse (or was it the other way round?) and my horse inexplicably turned sharply into a tree catapulting me forward and leaving me dangling by a mane hair from its neck. I knew I hated horses.
As it was such a clear and sunny day we decided to take our hot air balloon ride after horse riding and while some of us had left our fears behind at the stables others could barely peer over the side of the basket to admire the magnificent views of medieval Vezelay and its Saint Madeleine Basilica, a major pilgrimage site dating back to the 9th century.
The patchwork of surrounding fields were dotted with grazing Charolais cattle and the manicured lawns of ancient chateaux. We spotted several deer and even a wild boar as we glided quietly over the hills and valleys of the Yonne region.
Landing next to a nearby chateau, we had a drop of local bubbly, this time quelling our fears for our next expedition. Yes, not only was I attempting rock climbing for the first time, but I was trying it at night, in the dark. Hm. I gulped the champers quickly.
Half an hour later we parked at an ancient quarry, one of many in the area that were used to provide the stone for such grand monuments as the Palace of Versailles and the Statue of Liberty. Now the disused quarry had been converted into a rock climbing school with a series of death slides, rope bridges and metal rods drilled into the rock walls to create a rocky, outdoor climbing frame.
It was Touching the Void and Cliffhanger all rolled into one. Once I'd mastered the annoying but vitally important clipping and unclipping of the safety harness to the safety ropes around the course, I thought I was doing well.
Although once we'd got round the course and negotiated the smaller rope bridge to get to the top of the death slide, everyone was discussing the bat cave that we'd squeezed past. I hadn't noticed a single bat squeak. Obviously I'd been concentrating far harder on not slipping off the side of the rock than I'd realised.
It wasn't until we were sitting around a camp fire knocking back yet more local wine and eating a hearty barbeque meal that my shoulders finally relaxed.
During the long, painful days that followed, when even breathing hurt, I came to the conclusion that perhaps I'm more of an action film voyeur than a participant. In the future I might leave the hard stuff to Tom.
For more information on France, visit www.franceguide.com and for Burgundy, www.burgundy-tourism.com. You can find out more information about holidaying in France by calling 09068 244 123 (calls charged at 60p/min) or email info.uk@franceguide.com.
Train fares from London to Dijon start at £79 return, standard-class. New for 2006 is the France Railpass, a rail rover ticket offering unlimited travel at economy rates. For more information or to book visit www.raileurope.co.uk or call 08705 848 848, or call in at the Travel Centre, 178, Piccadilly, London W1.
Horses from hell
Assured that our horses were obedient and well trained, we set off along the sunny, grassy path. Unfortunately the grass was our downfall. It appeared there was nothing getting between a horse that had been stabled for several long winter months and the sweet, juicy grass growing in abundance along the roadside. My pony practically yanked me over his head in his greedy dash for a mouthful of weed.
It wasn't until we reached the mulchy, muddy paths of forest that the horses finally started behaving and, confidence restored we went along with our instructor's breezy: "Let's gallop!". For about three seconds anyway. All hell broke loose as Laura head-butted her horse (or was it the other way round?) and my horse inexplicably turned sharply into a tree catapulting me forward and leaving me dangling by a mane hair from its neck. I knew I hated horses.
As it was such a clear and sunny day we decided to take our hot air balloon ride after horse riding and while some of us had left our fears behind at the stables others could barely peer over the side of the basket to admire the magnificent views of medieval Vezelay and its Saint Madeleine Basilica, a major pilgrimage site dating back to the 9th century.
The patchwork of surrounding fields were dotted with grazing Charolais cattle and the manicured lawns of ancient chateaux. We spotted several deer and even a wild boar as we glided quietly over the hills and valleys of the Yonne region.
Landing next to a nearby chateau, we had a drop of local bubbly, this time quelling our fears for our next expedition. Yes, not only was I attempting rock climbing for the first time, but I was trying it at night, in the dark. Hm. I gulped the champers quickly.
Half an hour later we parked at an ancient quarry, one of many in the area that were used to provide the stone for such grand monuments as the Palace of Versailles and the Statue of Liberty. Now the disused quarry had been converted into a rock climbing school with a series of death slides, rope bridges and metal rods drilled into the rock walls to create a rocky, outdoor climbing frame.
It was Touching the Void and Cliffhanger all rolled into one. Once I'd mastered the annoying but vitally important clipping and unclipping of the safety harness to the safety ropes around the course, I thought I was doing well.
Although once we'd got round the course and negotiated the smaller rope bridge to get to the top of the death slide, everyone was discussing the bat cave that we'd squeezed past. I hadn't noticed a single bat squeak. Obviously I'd been concentrating far harder on not slipping off the side of the rock than I'd realised.
It wasn't until we were sitting around a camp fire knocking back yet more local wine and eating a hearty barbeque meal that my shoulders finally relaxed.
During the long, painful days that followed, when even breathing hurt, I came to the conclusion that perhaps I'm more of an action film voyeur than a participant. In the future I might leave the hard stuff to Tom.
For more information on France, visit www.franceguide.com and for Burgundy, www.burgundy-tourism.com. You can find out more information about holidaying in France by calling 09068 244 123 (calls charged at 60p/min) or email info.uk@franceguide.com.
Train fares from London to Dijon start at £79 return, standard-class. New for 2006 is the France Railpass, a rail rover ticket offering unlimited travel at economy rates. For more information or to book visit www.raileurope.co.uk or call 08705 848 848, or call in at the Travel Centre, 178, Piccadilly, London W1.
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