From Paris, Linny and took the TGV to Dijon, which we had briefly visited on the trip to France to celebrate Linny's dad's 80th, but this time we'd have a real visit. First, though, we connected with Robin and Donna Cody for a stay in Fontaine-Française in the countryside NE of Dijon. What a wonderful reintroduction to the country. We stayed in their good friends house in this tiny, shrinking farm village with its lovely buildings and its enormous chateau. Pastoral mellowness. Fantastic weather and long walks to match.
Linny, Donna, & Robin dived into refreshing their French with Annick's help that included shopping and cooking with her. I shared the work, but was mostly lost in the French banter. Still, it helped all of us before Linny and I left for Uzes. Annick organized and lead a marvelous tour of Dijon where we fell in love with the enormous indoor public market. She also took us to a couple of interesting museums and architectural sites both in the city and in the country.
Visiting this tiny, verdant village was both sweet and sad. The sweetness will be obvious in the photos; the sadness was the realization that this sort of hamlet was dying. The last bakery closed a few years before, which I think might be called a "little death" in any language. There are no shops at all, now. Folks drive to the nearest Carrafour or other supermarket and, I hope, to the amazing market in Dijon.
