Following Owls Through History & Heart
Amboise to Dijon – 256 Miles
Next stop – Dijon!
- Hotel – B&B Hotel Dijon Marsannay
- We paid – £46.31 (1 night)
- Pet charge – €6.00
- Parking charge – Free
After running on fumes for the past couple of days, we took this rare opportunity to enjoy a well-deserved lie in before departing Amboise and making our way to our next destination – Dijon!
Once we managed to get a very reluctant Henry up and ready for the day, we piled into the car and made the 4-hour journey to the Dijon Historic Centre. Dijon thoroughly took me by surprise. The moment we walked out of the parking garage, it was like stepping into a storybook. Surrounded by medieval townhouses and Renaissance spires, Dijon’s pedestrianised old town has an enchanting charm, like wandering through the streets of Beauty and the Beast, half-expecting to see a frazzled mother pleading for six eggs.
Almost immediately, my eyes caught sight of a beautiful old-fashioned carousel that I couldn’t help but gravitate toward. ‘The Carrousel du Bareuzai’ was installed in 1978 and sits beside a 20th-century fountain featuring a statue known as ‘Le Bareuzai’, depicting a grape harvester stomping on grapes, a nod to the wine making traditions of the region.
These local landmarks are located in ‘François Rude Square‘, a charming and lively hub, home to several restaurants and cafes where locals and visitors can enjoy a glass of Bergundy wine or enjoy traditional French cuisine. The square itself is named after the 19th century French Sculptor, François Rude, who was born in Dijon in 1784 and was known for his social art and his work on the iconic Arc Du Triomphe in Paris.
Who says road trips can’t be educational?!…
We couldn’t have found a better place to stop for lunch. We were spoilt for choice but when in France, we see the word crepes, we eat crepes. We chose a really pretty spot called ‘Mon Amie Suzette’. Partly because of the menu (featuring croque monsieur’s and crepes), and partly because I couldn’t resist sitting somewhere with the cool carousel backdrop.
The weather was perfect for our outdoor dining, taking in the sights and sounds of Dijon and enjoying a “sunset” cocktail. Chris ordered his expected croque monsieur and practically licked the plate after. I chose a bruschetta with a chive cream cheese, smoke salmon, tomatoes, avocado and candied lemon. Honestly, this was a bit out of my comfort zone but those fresh, sun kissed tomatoes were the star of the show. Something I never thought I’d say! Meanwhile, Henry was the picture of patience, sunbathing quietly with his water bowl, watching children whirl around on the carousel, and hoping (in vain) that Chris might drop a bit of ham. Sadly for Henry, not a single crumb was spared.
This was our last day in France, and I was NOT leaving without getting myself a fresh crepe! While my main stomach was full of bruschetta, my dessert stomach was ready and waiting. Chris went simple and ordered a plain, sugar crepe while I went the extra mile with Nutella and strawberries. Probably not what the French would call traditional, but I still got my fix.
I’d like to say I planned to take this day easy and leave the plans somewhat open ended but thoughts and reality didn’t quite match up the way I thought they would. Hindsight…
The only thing I really wanted to do on this day was follow the Dijon owl trail that I had read up on. We took a short walk to the tourism office to purchase a copy of the Owl Trails booklet for €4 and started our journey to the first location.
The Owl Trail is a self-guided walking tour around Dijon’s historic centre, marked by roughly 1,600 tiny owls and leading to 22 of the city’s main landmarks. The booklet claims it’s about an hour’s walk but I beg to differ. Perhaps we were strolling a little too leisurely, but our adventure easily stretched to 2 hours! Henry will never forgive me!
Some of our favourite stops included:
Jardin Darcy – A beautiful and peaceful park filled with street art and sculptures and home to the stunning Fontaine du Jardin Darcy, where we couldn’t resist sitting for a while just to admire the view.
There were so many dogs here! Henry was having the best time making new, French friends and receiving plenty of compliments calling him handsome and a good boy. Understandably, he didn’t want to leave. Honestly… neither did I but we had places to be and owls to see.
Les Halles Gourmandes – A huge indoor market inside a 19th century iron structure offering fresh and local products like meats, cheeses, seafood and bread, to name a few. Henry was having a field day with all the smells. This was closed when we walked past but we had plans to visit the next morning (next blog post in the making).
Notre Dame – Built in the 13th century, this gothic building is the oldest church in Dijon and is host to 51 gargoyles around the west façade of the building, meant to represent humans, animals and monsters. It’s kind of crazy (creepy) to see these figures staring down at you.
Ru de La Chouette – On the North side of Notre Dame, there is a magic owl carved into the corner of the building.
Legend says that if you stroke the owls face with your left hand, place your right hand over your heart and make a wish, it will come true. This little guy has been granting wishes for over three centuries, so I think he knows what he’s doing!
Palace de La Liberation – A 17th-century royal square with a fantastic view of the Palais des Ducs. It’s a great spot to rest, enjoy a coffee, and watch the little ones cool off around the water jets. Henry, unsurprisingly, was not a fan of the jets, despite us trying to get him to cool off from the sun.
These were just a few highlights from our adventure walking from Jardin Darcy, all the way around the historic centre of Dijon and ending at Place St Benigne. While there were extra routes we could have explored, our feet were tired, and we had seen everything we possibly could in one afternoon.
By the end of the trail, we had clocked a good 8000 steps in those 2 hours alone. I’m too ashamed to calculate how many steps that would represent for Henry’s poor paws! We peeked in a few of the shops, searching for authentic Dijon gingerbread and balanced that with a quick Starbucks stop before heading to our hotel for the night, more than satisfied that we’d made the most of our time in Dijon.
B&B Hotel Dijon Marsannay was only a 15 minute drive away. It was a classic motel setup with a free parking spot directly outside your room, a vending machine in the corner of reception and a basic double bed, touching distance from the door. We couldn’t have asked for anything more!
With our feet aching, I knew we would be opting for fast food in bed. To my absolute surprise, Chris didn’t request the McDonalds round corner from the hotel! Instead, he was willing to step out of his comfort zone and try a very similar fast food, burger joint, ‘Burger S’. It had burgers… it had fries… it had nuggets… we were able to take off the salad and sauce for Chris. You could say it was familiar, but the thought was there!
Despite what felt like a journey around the whole of Dijon, I fear we have only touched the surface. I hope to return to this charming and beautiful town in the future, walking shoes at the ready. I think this was one of Henry’s favourite stops on the trip (apart from all the walking). The locals were wonderfully friendly and delighted to see Henry coming! Every corner offered rich history and stunning architecture to be admired, and we loved our expert golden owl guides.
Getting around Dijon with your dog:
We spent our day walking from one landmark to the next. Bear in mind, it was A LOT of walking so would not be suitable to do the entire historic centre route with dogs that are older or have joint problems but you can still have a very enjoyable day visiting one or two of the sites! Jardin Darcy would be my top spot to take your dog.
‘Divia’ run Dijon’s public transport routes for buses and trams.
According to their website “With the exception of guide and medical companion dogs, only small and non-dangerous pets (dog or cat) are allowed on buses and trams, provided they are transported in a suitable carrier.”
There is no extra charge to bring your dog with you on public transport.
As usual, the website does not specify how big a ‘small’ dog is but there is an assumption that they are small enough to carry in your arms (in a carrier). We didn’t go anywhere without Henry’s backpack.
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