I really miss Dijon...it's such a lovely and friendly little paradise! These pics really bring back memories of the conference...and of the fun times I had in Dijon. Not to mention, the food! Anyway - you'll see more pics of this square when I do a post on the town centre!
I think I did LOTS of climbing when I was in France. In Paris, I scaled the Eiffel Tower AND the Arc de Triomphe in one day (that's a total of 2000+ steps!). In Dijon, I climbed up the Tower of Philip the Good. A total of 316 steps up! The Tower of Philip the Good is located behind the Palace of the Dukes of Burgundy (Palais des Ducs et des Etats de Bugorgne). Just a little note, Philip the Good was the Duke of Burgundy from 1419 to 1467, and during this time, Burgundy (where Dijon is located) flourished as a centre for the arts.
Before we scaled the Tower of Philip the Good, we went for a quick walk behind the Palais des Ducs. And I spotted this cute owl on a floor mat. I've got a keychain with the same owl. This is the icon of Dijon - and apparently there is an owl carving somewhere in the town. I've yet to find it. But this owl is too cute to be true!
Some of the buildings behind the Palais de Ducs. We headed towards the Notre Dame Cathedral - not to be mistaken with the famous Notre Dame Cathedral of Paris...and I just realised that I forgot to do a post on the Notre Dame Cathedral of Paris! Oh gosh. I'll do a post of it after I finish off with the Dijon series.
Anyway here is the Notre Dame Cathedral of Dijon. It's got really beautiful details, including the gargoyles...
Walked around the smaller streets of Dijon. Half-timber houses are pretty common around the city. When I do my next post on the Dijon alleyways, you'll see lots more half-timber houses.
Ah yes. We wandered back into the Palais de Ducs compound, found a staircase leading up to the second floor, and spotted this declaration.
After walking around for a bit, it was time for us to scale the tower! We went in a group of about 10, and there was a tour guide accompanying us at all times.
Here's a glimpse of the climb upwards. The tower was actually really sturdy - and enclosed. It didn't feel as dizzying when I was climbing up. Climbing up the Eiffel Tower was probably the most challenging of all the climbs I did as I was doing it in the open AND being exposed to the elements. This climb was quite mild.
We were introduced to carvings along the way. One of the carvings (2nd pic below) was of sculptors and people working on the buildings of Dijon. At that time, there were already mathematical tools like set squares and compasses...and these are depicted in the carvings.
View of Dijon - halfway up! We were given opportunities to stop and take pics along the way.
Finally reached the top...of the staircase...and I spotted this gorgeous ceiling detail...plus the details on the railings.
Up onto the roof we went - and the first thing I spotted was this interactive map which gave us general directions on where the prominent buildings in Dijon were.
From ground level, the tower looked rectangular, and on all four corners, there were gargoyles, overlooking the cityscape. I kind of wish the clouds were strategically placed, such that the gargoyle looked as if it was blowing out a cloud...or something along those lines. Now that would be fun...now it looks like the gargoyle is trying to eat the clouds. Mmmm...cotton candy...
St Michel's Cathedral - the cathedral that was nearest to my conference venue. I passed it so many times when I was walking around Dijon!
Another beautiful cathedral not too far away from St Michel's. And from here the cityscape was gorgeous!
Another place I passed by very often - Place de la Liberation. Now it's got quite a number of restaurants and bars. We ate there one evening, and I had the most delicious chocolate mousse EVER! I even have a picture of the chocolate mousse - that's how amazing it was. So amazing that I have to take a pic of it!
Roofs, roofs and more roofs. The colourful tiled roof belongs to the Vogue Residence, built in 1614 for the parliamentary counsellor of that time. I did wander into the Vogue Residence for a bit, when exploring Dijon, but not all of it was open to public. The entrance is absolutely gorgeous!
After hanging around for a bit more, it was time to climb down! And here we are, right in front of the Palais de Ducs again. With the tower in its full glory. I decided to include a couple of additional pics of the Palais de Ducs here. I was alternating between my wide-angle lens and my zoom lens. The Palais de Ducs is a true masterpiece - and houses the town hall and Musee des Beaux-Arts. We visited the museum before my conference commenced - more to that soon!
Needless to say, the most convenient place for lunch was Place de la Liberation, which was directly opposite the Palais de Ducs! And so we went there, and I settled for a brownie. Initially I planned to try all the restaurants there, but we didn't have much time (I was only in Dijon for a week or so!). I managed to have lots of good food though - and had the best chocolate mousse EVER...right here in this square. It was so good that I had to take a picture of it. Unfortunately I only had it once - and I'd obviously like to have it at least three times to satisfy myself! Anyway - I'm sure I'll return to Dijon again someday!
And while I was waiting for my lunch, I took some pics of the square!
Ah yes. Here's my lunch. I had such a big breakfast in the hotel...no joke! 3 chocolate croissants, half a baguette, lots of scrambled eggs, some coffee (sometimes tea), a fruit juice and occasionally a plain croissant. I literally ate the same breakfast everyday when I was in Dijon, but never got tired of it. Free flow breakfast is the best - especially for people who love eating :)
I couldn't resist posting my chocolate mousse pic too. It's just too good to be true. The texture, the taste, the smell...gosh! So heavenly...and I savoured every bite.
Visited a souvenir shop after lunch and bought Dijon Nonette - a pastry made with cinnamon. It's so delicious. I bought at least 6 packets back to Perth, and I still have 2 packs unopened. I can't even bear to finish them...
Ah yes - here's the conference venue. The magnificent Grand Theatre, opened in 1828. I absolutely love the Corinthian columns and the little balcony behind it, with all the carvings and details. The inside is even more mindblowing, with gorgeous frescoes and balconies. I spent lots of time admiring the interior during the conference of course.
And that's it for the Phillip the Good tower tour! I'll post more pics of the Palais de Ducs soon, and of the alleyways of Dijon! Do stay tuned!