Beaune and Lyon!

Hi all,

I can’t believe that we’re already in the depths of autumn; it seems like last week that I arrived sweating and sunburnt to Tours. Though I’m shocked by its sudden arrival, fall here in the côte d’or is beautiful–the mornings are a little brisk, but it makes a hot cup of coffee all the more welcome. What really makes this region beautiful this time of year is the foliage (côte d’or means ‘golden coast’) in all the vineyards, transforming the landscape into a mosaic of earthy hues. My host parents broke out their vintage car and we spent the afternoon driving through the vines, admiring the scenery and visiting the beautiful Hôtel de Dieu hospices in Beaune, a small town about 20 minutes away from Dijon. Even from a New Englander’s perspective, the scenery was amazing and made for a thoroughly enjoyable Sunday afternoon.

In addition to my weekend adventures in Beaune, this past Friday I took a solo trip to Lyon– France’s third largest city. After my 6:00am train arrived around 8, I spent about two hours walking around, not realizing that shops in France (even in major cities) do not open before 10. Despite the waiting, the city offered breathtaking sights–from the waterfronts of its two rivers to panoramic views from the top of the Croix Rousse hill and the spectacular basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière, I was struck by how quaint the booming city felt. Located next to the basilica, the ancient Roman amphitheaters made the modern city center seem miles away and allowed for a closer glimpse into gallo-roman history. Known as the epicenter of French gastronomy, Lyon offers many small, traditional restaurants called bouchons, and the many classical lyonnais recipes do not disappoint. Despite the many many pit stops to admire the grand views over Lyon and indulge in some delicious food, 20 miles of walking made me ready to return to Dijon!

You can see why it’s called the côte d’or!

Beautiful Beaune

These occasional trips away from Dijon help to mitigate the stress that accumulates throughout the week. Knowing that so many places are left to explore and discover makes me invigorated to learn, see, and do more! Overall this week has been a great opportunity to explore some areas of France, whether alone or with my host family, and I’m happy to take every chance I get to see more of this beautiful county!

À la prochaine,

Tom

This entry was posted on Sunday, October 11th, 2015 at 9:10 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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