Today we planned to visit some of the museums here in Dijon, and did just that. The first one we visited was literally across the road from the backdoor of our apartment. The Musee Magnin is installed in a 17th century mansion and is the work of two collectors who bequeathed a remarkable set of paintings and drawings to the state in 1938. We had trouble trying to converse with the two old ladies on the front desk. They understood we were Australian with limited French, but they knew no English whatsoever, so we ended up pointing and guessing and got there in the end. It was a really nice building, encircling a stunning courtyard area and there were rooms and rooms of French and Italian paintings. We were told twice that the museum closes at midday (presumably for the staff to have their lunch) and so we made our way out before then and back home for some drinks.
We decided to pop into the city to collect some pre-made baguettes (sandwiches) and eat them on the run. We also had to take a jacket Kym bought yesterday back to the store to have the security tag removed - not the easiest thing to explain when your French is a bit off. Mission accomplished none-the-less and then we waded through the street market stalls lining the streets of Dijon this morning - most of which were selling cheap rubbish. We also passed through the covered food market - now, this was impressive. A huge open hall of boulangeries, fromageries, charcuteries and poissonaries. All very colourful and all very fresh. We passed by one stall just selling spices out of hession bags - the smell was incredible. If we were staying longer, we could have bought so much (and eaten it too).
After our market experience, we went back on the museum trail and called into the most impressive (and free) Musee des Beaux Arts. This museum is housed in the Palace of the Grand Dukes and had endless rooms and corridors of paintings and sculptures covering several centuries. There were works from 1350 through to present day. We even discovered works by Manet, Monet, Sisley and Delacroix in the hot, hot rooftop attic area. How the oil on the paintings wasn't running down the canvas, we don't know. Because it was hot, hot, hot up there. In fact the whole museum appeared to have climate control apparatus, but wasn't using it.
To cool down, we sat outside the museum in a lovely little public garden at the back of the palace in Rue de Forges. Here a few large trees provided shade over a cool tranquil pond. Park bench seating surrounds the perimeter of the park and here people come to read a book or have their lunch or just cuddle up to that someone special. Everytime we passed this garden, with it's low wrought-iron fence, we could see couples playing together. Tres romantique!
After our moment relaxing, we returned to the apartment to commence some domestic duties. We had the use of a washing machine in the apartment and so washed all our clothes and tonight we ironed what needed ironing and started packing all our belongings back into our backpacks ready for our departure tomorrow. Our next blog should be from a small town at the foothills of the French Alps, Annecy.
So it is goodbye to Dijon for now - we will be back. We are about to embark on a guided tour run by the tourist office here - Dijon by Night - showcasing all the monuments and buildings under the spotlights. A fitting end to a lovely stay here in Dijon.
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