The Road Less Travelled to Auxerre

Staunchly resisting the Garmin’s attempts to keep us on the straight and wide, i.e. the A6, for the hour and three-quarter trip from Chalon-sur-Saône to Auxerre, we instead chose a route slightly less travelled, the D906 via Chagny.

This is the heart of Burgundy, passing through gorgeous little villages, and farmhouses covered in autumnal vines and creepers. But you’ll have to take my word for it – Roy was on a mission to pass lorries, and was in no mood to stop the car, especially if it meant having to pass them again.

We did, however, stop at a supermarket in Vallon for (a) a wee, and (b) a picnic lunch to enjoy on the roadside, just 12km further on.

Auxerre

Restaurant Hotel de Seignelay was exactly what it promised to be, and once we’d rejected the double room with shower (€62) and accepted a triple one with bath (€81), everyone was happy. (I should mention here that we’re travelling with four suitcases (one very heavy) and my carry-on; that these old places don’t have lifts; and that Roy’s back is still giving him grief – he’s decided, in diagnostic consultation with the internet, that he has sciatica. So, settling into each new hotel is a bit of a trial for all concerned.)

St Etienne Cathedral, Auxeerre — St Etienne Cathedral, Auxerre

Fellow South Africans may rest assured that their favourite rooibos tea is available in Auxerre

We were situated in the heart of the old city, which rises up from the banks of the Yonne and features marvellous medieval churches, most particularly Saint Etienne cathedral. Though my husband duly got a city map from the be-jeaned, Harley-driving receptionist (who later transformed into the epitome of a conservative waiter, complete with waistcoat), I left it behind in the hotel room.

The old city of Auxerre rises up from the river bank

A so-called circle of silence outside the city hall – this one to call for acceptance of child immigrants

Curiouser and curioser - a tiny square in the heart of old Auxerre city, complete with a red British telephone booth and a sign saying — Curiouser and curioser – a tiny square in the heart of old Auxerre city, complete with a red British telephone booth and a sign that reads Petit Square de Redditch. (For those who don’t know it, Redditch is an uninspiring town in the English Midlands.)

So, what began as an exploratory walk along the river, across a bridge, through the port de plaisance, back across the pedestrian bridge and through the cathedral area, ended up with us not absolutely lost, but slightly mislaid. Once we’d got back to the hotel, one of us was decidedly grumpy and in no mood to head out for dinner, so the hotel’s traditional restaurant was the obvious choice.

Off-ally Good

Oeufs en meurette - poached eggs in bourguignon sauce — Oeufs en meurette – poached eggs in bourguignon sauce

Frayed tempers were rapidly soothed by a traditional dinner at Restaurant de Seignelay, served with friendly formality in the hotel’s old-world dining room. From the €23 set menu, it was my turn to try the yumminess of oefs en meurette. For mains, both Roy and I ordered l’hure de veau; this splendid local dish may not be to everyone’s taste, being a rich brawn of tête de veau (various bits of a calf’s head) surrounded by something mysteriously gelatinous. Washed down with a couple of glasses of cremant de Bourgogne, the local sparkling wine, plus half-a-litre of pinot noir, it was that rare thing – a memorable meal.