côte-d`or - La Bagnosienne bed and breakfast

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côte-d’or
W
ith a history and
landscape as rich as
its wine and cuisine,
it’s no surprise that
Côte-d’Or ticks the box with
gastronomes and country lovers
alike. A short jaunt from Paris and
you’re in the heart of the department
surrounded by lush countryside and
vines aplenty. Although it’s a rural
department, the main hub is the
bustling city of Dijon, once
capital of the Dukes of Burgundy
and now home to a vibrant
student population.
The city is very attractive with
impressive medieval half-timbered
houses and Renaissance mansions.
During the Second World War only
the train station was bombed leaving
the well-preserved beautiful buildings
intact. One of the nicest ways to
discover the city is on foot. It’s a
perfectly manageable size, allowing
you to weave in and out of the
cobbled streets that intertwine the
centre, discovering hidden gems
along the way. An 18th-century arch
marks the entrance to the old town
and the main shopping street of Rue
de la Liberté which, from May to
November, is lined with flags
representing the coats of arms of
different towns in Côte-d’Or.
If you want a guided tour that
takes in all the main sights then
follow the owl’s trail which starts in
Place Darcy and has three different
loops to choose from. You can pick
up a map at the tourist office or
simply look out for the owl symbols
located on the pavement with arrows
telling you which way to head. Don’t
forget to stop and make a wish on
the small stone owl which is carved
into the exterior of the impressive
Église Notre-Dame. Legend has it
that if you rub the owl with your left
hand then your wish will come true.
For a fantastic vantage point of
the city and the surrounding
paysage, it’s worth climbing up the
316 steps to the top of the 46-metre
high Tour Philippe le Bon located
inside the Palais des Ducs. From the
summit of the watchtower you can
clearly see the beautifully coloured
tiled roofs that grace many of the
houses. If you’re in need of
refreshment after the climb, head to
Place de la Libération which is just
opposite the Palais des Ducs, the
former throne of the Dukes of
As the home to one of France’s most famous wine regions,
Côte-d’Or has much to tempt wine lovers but it also boasts stunning
scenery and plenty of medieval villages waiting to be explored
WORDS AND IMAGES: ANNA MCKITTRICK
www.livingfrance.com
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Burgundy which today houses the
town hall and mayor’s office. The
semi-circular place has recently been
transformed from a car park into a
pedestrianised area and is now lined
with restaurants and cafes with two
water features that provide endless
entertainment for children.
Burgundy is renowned as a region
geared up for gastronomes and, as
the home of Dijon mustard and Kir
liqueur, Côte-d’Or doesn’t
disappoint. The Maille mustard shop
on Rue de la Liberté is a must-visit
for fans of the hot stuff with 36
different flavours, many of which
you wouldn’t find on the shelves of
the supermarket back home. The
iconic mustard brand dates back to
1747 and there are plenty of samples
to try with varying degrees of heat
depending on your palate.
The lively Saturday morning
market takes place in Les Halles,
built in the 19th century by famed
architect Gustave Eiffel, and a feast
for the eyes and nose. The selection
of fresh produce is incredible and we
couldn’t resist stocking up on
delicious crusty baguettes, tomatoes
and cheese, with a bag of ripe
cherries for dessert, to have for our
picnic lunch.
If you ask many expats why they
have chosen to put down their roots
in Côte-d’Or, more often than not
wine is mentioned. Of course there
are other reasons but as one of the
most prestigious wine regions in
France, it would be almost criminal
not to enjoy the local tipple. For a
department so famed for its wines,
it’s surprising that the vineyards
actually only make up a small
proportion of the department.
Surprising too that small-scale
growers abound compared to the
large estates that dominate the
Bordeaux wine region.
As soon as you venture south out
of Dijon you hit the Côte de Nuits
wine region which runs till the
village of Corgoloin and just past the
pretty village of Nuits-St-Georges.
There are rows of vineyards
everywhere you look along this
stretch and if you venture off the
main road, there are lots of smaller
villages each with their own
vineyards and caves. Côte de Nuits is
most famous for its robust reds
made from pinot noir grapes
although there are whites too and
September 2011 Living France 27
côte-d’or
there are plenty of cellars where you
can enjoy a dégustation or pick up a
bottle or two to take home; that’s if
you can resist drinking it before you
get back! We stopped in Nuits-StGeorges and enjoyed a morning
coffee in the delightful little square.
Everywhere you look there are gentle
reminders that wine is at the core of
the village from the numerous wine
cellars with old barrels used to
display their tasting menus to the
large bunches of ornamental grapes
that dangle overhead.
Just a few miles south of NuitsSt-Georges marks the start of the
Côtes de Beaune wine region which
is home to some of the finest
chardonnays in the world including
Chassagne-Montrachet, Meursault
and Puligny-Montrachet. Expats
Lady Céline and John Nicholls have
called the latter village home for the
past three years. The couple owns
Domaine des Anges, a charming
maison d’hôtes in the picturesque
tree-lined Place des Marronniers,
where we joined them for afternoon
tea, a daily ritual that has proven a
hit with the international guests who
love this British tradition that has
made its way to Burgundy. With
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vineyards all around, we enjoyed Lady
Céline’s homemade scones, jam and
cream, and delicious apple cake as
they told us how they fell for the area.
When the Nicholls, who are from
Silverstone, decided to move to
France, they emptied their wine
cellar of all but one bottle of their
favourite white wine, PulignyMontrachet, to drink when they
found their dream home. At the time
they didn’t know that they were
going to end up in Burgundy but
after 15 months and 60,000 kms of
searching throughout France they
came across the eponymous village
and totally fell for it.
Unfortunately there was nothing
for sale so they rented a house
nearby; visiting the estate agent every
day in the hope that something
would come onto the market. By
chance when their son was visiting
from the UK he came across a
property that Lady Céline and John
hadn’t seen and straight away they
went to view it. Lady Céline says it
was a coupe de foudre and although
it needed an extensive amount of
work they saw its potential. The
couple transformed it into a maison
d’hôtes and from meeting them it’s
clear they are loving the new
adventure with John happy to share
his knowledge of wine and Lady
Céline enjoying the cooking and
entertaining side of things. Ironically
the bottle of Puligny-Montrachet
they had been patiently saving,
which had travelled with them all
the way from England, came from
vines only 200m away from
Domaine des Anges!
From Puligny-Montrachet we
headed back towards Beaune, known
as the capital of Burgundy wine and
the second largest town in the
department. As with the smaller
villages, wine is the crux of life in
Beaune. There are cellars in
abundance but it also has
magnificent architecture; notably the
famous Hôtel Dieu des Hôspices de
Beaune which dates back to 1443.
The impressive gothic building
with its iconic glazed coloured tiles
was founded by Nicolas Rolin,
chancellor of the Duke of Burgundy,
and was used as a hospital until
1971. Every year since 1860, a huge
wine auction has been held at the
Hôspices de Beaune to raise money
for charity and celebrate the new
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vintage from the 60 hectares of vines
that belong to the hospital. The
event, which attracts wine
enthusiasts and connoisseurs from
across the globe, takes place on 19
and 20 November this year. Beaune
has a lively atmosphere with plenty
of cafes and bars lining the cobbled
streets that are ideal for enjoying an
alfresco refreshment or bite to eat.
It’s also the perfect starting point
It’s the perfect starting point for
exploring the vineyards by bike and
taking in some of the many villages that
make up the Route de Grand Crus
for exploring the vineyards by bike
and taking in some of the many
villages that make up the Route de
Grand Crus which is often
nicknamed the Champs-Elysées of
Burgundy due to its profusion of fine
wine. Most vineyards will be pleased
to offer tours and impart their
knowledge but if it’s during
les vendanges in September and
October it’s best to call ahead to
check they are not too busy with
the harvest to welcome you.
Heading away from the vineyards
we stopped off in the beautiful
medieval hilltop village of Mont-StJean which was so peaceful when we
visited on a Sunday afternoon.
Behind the tiny mairie was a pretty
garden offering stunning views of the
surrounding countryside. From
Mont-St-Jean we drove along
country lanes to get to the charming
village of La Motte-Ternant where
we spent the night at the wonderful
La Chouette qui Chante owned by
Opening spread:
the surrounding
views just outside
the village of La
Motte Ternant
Opposite page,
clockwise from
top left: the pretty
village of Flavignysur-Ozérain; enjoy
an alfresco aperitif
at Domain des
Anges; the
sculptured gardens
of Fontenay Abbey
This page: NuitsSt-Georges is
famed for its wine
expats John and Annemarie
Williams. When we arrived John was
working in the garden and
Annemarie was preparing the
evening meal with delicious smells
already wafting out of the kitchen.
The gardens at La Chouette qui
Chante are delightful and the perfect
setting for indulging in local aperitif
Crème de Cassis, a speciality from
Dijon, topped up with Crement de
Bourgogne, Burgundy’s answer to
Champagne which was very tasty
indeed. Annemarie served us an
amuse bouche of gougères, a savoury
choux pastry bun traditionally
topped with Gruyère.
Over dinner John and Annemarie
told us how much they enjoy life in
Burgundy and have been welcomed
into village life. From the offset the
couple wanted to integrate with the
locals and for them joining clubs was
a great way to get know the villagers
and also improve their French.
Annemarie attends a quilting club
and John goes to an art group and
they are both members of a walking
club that meets once a month to do
different hikes across the region.
(Read more about John and
Annemarie’s life in France on p32)
The next day we headed to
Semur-en-Auxois, a fortified town
nestled within a loop of the River
Armançon, and characterised by
cobbled lanes and medieval
gateways. We walked around the
ramparts and managed to find
shelter in a cafe just before the rain
came down. At breakfast that
morning, Annemarie had
recommended visiting the UNESCO
World Heritage site of Fontenay
Abbey which was founded in 1118
and is one of the oldest and best
preserved Cistercian monasteries in
Europe. With its serene setting, it’s
incredibly peaceful to walk around
and the gardens, with their manicured
lawns, topiary and pink roses in full
bloom, offset the magnificent creamcoloured stone buildings.
After a short drive along country
lanes we arrived at Flavigny-surOzérain, which is perched on the top
of a limestone plateau. Classified as
one of France’s plus beaux villages, it
certainly lives up to the accolade and
is very pretty indeed. Wandering
around the narrow medieval streets
that snake through the village and
around the ramparts, it’s clear that
September 2011 Living France 29
côte-d’or
the residents of Flavigny take pride
in its appearance with floral blooms
in abundance and shutters painted in
the traditional shade of soft blue.
The village and its surrounding
vineyards were used as the setting for
the film Chocolat which was based
on the novel by Joanne Harris and as
you walk around there are a few
familiar sights from the film
including the shop that Juliette
Binoche’s character Vianne opened
and the church.
This hasn’t spoiled the charm of
Flavigny, however, and thankfully
there are no tacky souvenir shops
selling merchandise from the film.
The village is also known for the
famous aniseed sweets, les Anis de
Flavigny, which have been made
from the same recipe since 1591.
You can now get the small pea-sized
sweets in more than a dozen flavours
presented in a pretty tin.
From Flavigny we headed to the
final destination on our whistle-stop
tour of Côte-d’Or, the village of
Baigneux-les-Juifs where we met
John Phillips and Lesley Polley who
run the chambres d’hôtes La
Bagnosienne. When John and Lesley
went on holiday to the department
with friends four years ago, little did
they know that they would end up
finding the house of their dreams.
The group of six friends had
initially planned to buy a property
between them and then take it in
turns to use it as a holiday home but
when Lesley saw the property in
Baigneux-les-Juifs she knew it wasn’t
big enough for the six of them but
would be perfect for her and John.
The couple returned two weeks later
and ended up buying the former
butcher’s shop which although
needed extensive renovation had
plenty of potential.
John and Lesley have adapted
well to French village life and were
amazed at how welcoming and
helpful the locals have been,
particularly when they were rushing
to finish the renovation work in time
to welcome their first guests.
The couple feel very much at
home in the community and when
Lesley gave us a tour of Baigneux
she popped into the village shop and
was greeted with an enthusiastic,
“Bonjour Lesley, tu vas bien.” Once
a month John and Lesley have three
students, Melanie, David and
Thibault, who are studying at the
residential college in Baigneux, to
Clockwise from
left: Lesley and
John with students
David, Melanie and
Thibault; a beautiful
house in PulignyMontrachet; lively
Place de la
Libération in Dijon
stay at the chambres d’hôtes and that
week happened to coincide with our
visit. Seeing John and Lesley interact
with the students, it’s clear they very
much enjoy their company especially
as their own children are back in the
UK. The students equally look
forward to their stay, especially
John’s cooking.
After meeting various expats
along the route, it’s clear that one of
the most appealing aspects of life in
Côte-d’Or is the peace and quiet.
Whether they have moved from the
hustle and bustle of city life in the
UK or just wanted to experience a
different pace of life in a stunning
setting then they have found their
match here in Burgundy. And having
spent a long weekend in the
department, I would certainly raise a
glass to that. LF
VISITING CÔTE-D’OR
TOURIST
INFORMATION
Burgundy Tourisme
5 Avenue Garibaldi, BP
20623, Dijon 21600 Cedex
www.bourgogne-tourisme.
com
WHERE TO STAY
Chez Marie
14 Rue Poissonnerie,
21200, Beaune
www.chezmarieabeaune.com
30 Living France September 2011
La Chouette qui Chante
Les Bordes
La Motte-Ternant
21210, Saulieu
www.b-break.co.uk
La Bagnosienne
Rue de Quemigny
21450, Baigneux-les-Juifs
www.labagnosienne.com
WHERE TO EAT
La Table de Guigone
1 Place du Docteur Jorrot
21200, Beaune
www.latabledeguigone.fr
Restaurant D’Zenvies
12 Rue Odebert
21000, Dijon
Tel: 00 33 (0)3 80 50 09 26
WHAT TO DO
Hospices de Beaune
2 Rue de l’Hôtel Dieu
21200, Beaune
www.hospices-de-beaune.
com
Fontenay Abbey
Tel: 00 33 (0)3 80 92 15 00
www.abbayedefontenay.com
GETTING THERE
Anna travelled with Rail
Europe, return fares from
London to Dijon start at £116
per person in standard class.
www.raileurope.co.uk
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