Mike's Meanderings
Travel writer and broadcaster Mike Souter on his three week rail journey round Europe.
Thursday, 16 January 2025
Sunday, 17 June 2012
Bonus Trips to Villefranche-sur-Saône, Dijon and Postscript
Days
20 and 21
I
am delighted that Belleville-sur-Saône has a station from where you
can easily reach some splendid destinations.
The station itself has
been beautifully restored, which is lovely to see. As is so common at
French railway stations, there is a nice restaurant nearby.
'Le
Buffet de La Gare' is very popular with locals. So much so, that all
the tables on the terrace are full when I pop in for lunch, so I have
to sit in the bar. But that's great, because I can watch the hustle
and bustle and just soak up the atmosphere.
I
just manage to finish my meal before I have to dash to catch the
regional express train to Villefranche-sur-Saône, only 12 minutes
along the track towards Lyon. I am delighted to find that the station
is only a short walk from centre ville. The people at the tourist
office are especially helpful in telling me what sights there are to
see.
In the office, there's an extraordinary machine, which dispenses
a selection of Beaujolais wine at the press of a button. I purchase
the necessary smart card and enjoy sampling a Brouilly and a Fleurie.
Just as I am about to leave, a French lady engages me in
conversation. This turns out to be Liliane Melinand, whose family run
the Domaine des Marrans in Fleurie. Her wine is one of the dozen or
so in the machine and I think she is rather pleased to see that
someone is actually trying it out.
Villefranche-sur-Saône
turns out to be well worth a visit, with lots of historical
buildings, some dating back to the 15th century, to see, a
lovely 12th century church and much besides. I am glad I
am walking rather than in a car because the main drag, the rue
Nationale, seems to be almost permanently gridlocked. For not the
first time in Beaujolais, I note that the bakers shops seem to be
vying with each other to produce the biggest meringues in town!
It's
back to Belleville-sur-Saône for dinner, where we are joined by two
Belgian couples. Dinners at Domaine Geoffray are always a delight,
but especially when other folk are booked in. (The following night,
three French couples arrive in 'Camping-Cars'. I have a look inside
the impressive camper vans and am not surprised to discover that they
each cost over €52,000. Gulp.)
My
final bonus trip is on the line north to Dijon, famous
mustard-producing town.
The
station is undergoing a major transformation for the arrival of a new
TGV line and, on September 1st, two new tram lines. It's
impossible to walk through Dijon without seeing publicity about the
new DIVIA service, which will incorporate new smart card technology.
If
Villefranche-sur-Saône was packed with history, Dijon just oozes
it, although the Tourist Office is rather less forthcoming about what
there is to see than their colleagues in Villefranche. That's bizarre
but maybe it is just the smaller organisation being better at
capitalising on their fewer number of resources?
I
stop for a much-needed haircut and although I am not keen, 'un
shampooing' is, apparently, 'obligatoire'. I am at pains to explain
to the girl that I do not want too much cut off, but she does what
she does and I won't need to visit a hairdresser again for quite a
while.
Dijon
is a lovely city with many lovely old buildings. I am drawn to Les
Halles market, which is absolutely splendid and clearly hugely
popular. It is surrounded by little cafés and restaurants which, at
1pm, are similarly packed.
I choose the Café de l'Industrie, mainly
because it seems to be especially popular and I am lucky to be given
the one recently vacated table. It turns out to be an absolutely
excellent choice. Interestingly, by the time I leave at 2.30, most of
the hustle and bustle has left the street, the market stalls
surrounding Les Halles are all gone and Dijon has gone into Saturday
afternoon slumber mode.
I
have to buy some mustard, but while a visit to the Maille Moutarde
shop is interesting, the prices are extortionate. So I head to the
nearby Monoprix supermarket where the same products are a lot more
kind to the pocket.
I
have added brief details of my two bonus trips just as an example of
how flexible and easy it is to get about using railways as a means of
travel. And how much there is to discover close to the many thousands
of stations throughout Europe. I especially enjoy not being stuck in
traffic or going around in circles trying to find a parking space. I
like the fact that trains are generally comfortable, much more
spacious than aircraft and there is no hassle about security.
For
users of InterRail passes, the main tip is to book ahead on routes
where there are compulsory reservations. That is especially vital
when trying to use French High Speed Trains, the TGV's. Wherever
possible, use the excellent network of Regional Express trains which
are often less crowded and a lot more fun than their faster
equivalents.
But
do plan ahead. The Thomas Cook book 'Europe by Rail' and their
European Rail Map are essentials. Their regularly updated timetables
too are great to have with you, but, if you are online, I can also
recommend the German Railways' website for the best up to date
timetable information for all European trains.
Of
course, as one who has been a victim of robbery, be vigilant with
your valuables, especially near major railway stations.
An
InterRail pass represents great value, is available in many options
and can be bought by anyone.
In
closing, I'd like to thank Eurail for giving me the opportunity to do
the trip I'm also very grateful to the many friends who have
contributed to such an excellent three weeks and the many new folk I
have met along the way and who have helped make it such an
experience.
If
you haven't InterRailed before, try it. You will not be disappointed.
Best of the trip photos are at:
The very best of European Rail Journey 2012 |
You can see all the photos at:
European Rail Trip 2012 |
Labels:
'Domaine des Marrans',
Beaujolais,
Belleville-sur-Saône,
Dijon,
Eurail,
Fleurie,
InterRail,
Maille,
moutarde,
mustard,
SNCF,
TGV,
Villefranche-sur-Saône
Friday, 15 June 2012
Belleville, Beaujolais and a side trip to Bern
Day
15-19
At
the end of a two month trip around the world, followed by two weeks
on European Railways, I am very much in need of a week of rest and
relaxation. Domaine Geoffray (http://www.domaine-geoffray.com/en/)
provides exactly that.
Although
I am accommodated in the very spacious gite that adjoins the
farmhouse, I am officially a guest in the bed and breakfast
accommodation, so breakfast is provided for me. I have also opted, as
over 80% of visitors do, to take my evening meal with the family.
Weather
permitting, both meals can be taken in the front garden, with a
lovely view over the vineyards to the valley below. Early in the
morning, you can even see Mont Blanc, many kilometres distant.
Brigitte
is very particular about the quality of her bread and pastries and
when, on a trip to a boulangerie, I ask her why she uses that
particular shop, she says 'Because I am certain it sells the best
bread in town'.
I
love the French tradition of saying 'Bonjour' to everyone when you
enter or leave a shop. Alain and Brigitte are surprised that it
doesn't happen everywhere. 'It is just politeness', they say. Even
French youngsters expect you to shake them by the hand or kiss them
on both cheeks upon meeting or departing.
Brigitte's
breakfasts include lovely fresh bread and croissants, about eight
different varieties of home-made jams plus locally-produced honey.
There is Alain's red or white grape juice and coffee, tea or hot
chocolate, as you wish.
Evening
meals include nibbles with your aperitif, followed by a wonderfully
varied four-course meal featuring local charcuterie, cheese and other
seasonally available produce. Starting around 8pm, you are unlikely
to be finished before 10. While the food is excellent, the best bit
is that it is all washed down with Alain's splendid wines,
Beaujolais, Brouilly, Gamay and Morgon as well as sparkling versions
of the white Beaujolais and Gamay Rose.
You
don't have to stay at Domain Geoffray to try the wines or local
produce; there is an excellent shop at the farm which stocks things
like Brigitte's home-made jam and local honey plus a cellar where you
can try out the wines before deciding what to buy.
The
conversation at dinner is wide and varied, but I love listening to
Alain on the subject of wine How to graft vines, the complex rules of
domain and vintage, what soil and terrain is best for a good vineyard
and much else. When the sun shines, he is away on his
specially-designed vineyard tractor at 0530 in the morning, finally
returning home shortly before sunset.
With all the neighbours doing
the same, the term quiet countryside can be, at times, a misnomer!
The
local town is called Belleville-sur-Saône, but sometimes marketed as
Belleville-en-Beaujolais. Officially, it is just plain Belleville.
There's
not a great deal to see really, but there are some delightful
historic aspects of the town if you venture just a little way off the
beaten track.
On such a mission, I spot some lovely old gates with
ancient advertising painted on them, plus the entrance to what used
to be the municipal bath-house.
The
12th century Notre Dame church certainly deserves an hour
of your time. Started in 1168, the church was consecrated 11 years
later. Some 14th century decoration of the pillars is
especially striking.
The
Hôtel-Dieu, opened in 1733 and in use till 1991, is certainly well
worth a visit. Like many French towns, the name refers to the main
hospital, originally set up by the church and commonly run by nuns.
Belleville has a particularly well-preserved example which you can
experience by using an audio-guide or as part of a guided tour. I was
disappointed that, as an audio guide user, I couldn't see the
apothecary, but three perfectly preserved wards and the 18th
century chapel are fascinating.
Three
display cases have a wide variety of surgical instruments including a
display on enemas and the guide informs you that Louis XIV had one
almost every day. Colonic irrigation is certainly not a new concept!
There are even live leeches as part of a display about blood-letting,
plus some very fearsome looking dental forceps which remind me that
my toothache is so severe, that I cannot wait until my appointment
back home next week.
But
help is at hand. Brigitte has booked me an appointment almost next
door to the Hôtel-Dieu. My French is challenged severely when I have
to complete my medical details on the registration form, but, having
done so, I am seen very quickly.
Melanie
Muller learned her craft in Strasbourg and very quickly establishes
that I had, as I thought, broken a tooth some six weeks ago in
Australia. An X-Ray reveals that the nerve is very close to the
damage and that is why I am having such intense pain. What I thought
was another problem on a tooth above the broken one appears just to
be a reaction to the inflammation below. All this detail conducted in
French! After a jab and a bit of drilling, Melanie puts in an
emergency filling, good for two weeks and sends me back to reception.
I
am expecting a large bill and have my credit card ready, but the
consultation fee, including the filling and the X-Ray is just €21,
much less than I would have to pay under the Health Service in
England. Melanie has also given me a prescription for painkillers and
an anti-inflammatory drug and, at the pharmacy, that costs a little
over €6.
But
the pain relief is almost immediate and I am immensely grateful.
I
have planned an away-day to Switzerland to organise an emergency
passport. Luckily, with several days left on my InterRail pass, I can
get from Belleville to Bern without additional expense.
It
means a very early start though, because I need to be at the British
Embassy by 11am. Alain kindly gets up before dawn to run me to the
station in time for the 0525am 'TER-Car'. In railway-speak, a TER is
a regional express train, but the 'Car' tag is anew one on me. It
turns out that it means a bus. A little one is waiting to go to the
TGV station in Macon, while a big coach appears to take 25 or so of
us to Lyon Part-Dieu station. Under a somewhat surreal blue light,
the waiting passengers look like something from a theatre set.
The
coach takes the auto-route to Lyon and deposits us right in front of
the station and well in time for my train to Geneva. This turns out
to be a very stylish and comfortable new TER, with a small First
Class section immediately behind the driver's cab.
Swiss
and French customs and border officials are in evidence, but nobody
asks to check my briefcase or see my non-existent passport.
The
connection to the Swiss Railways double decker Inter City train to
Bern is made within twenty minutes and, almost exactly five hours
after leaving Belleville, I am on the tram for the short trip to the
British Embassy.
I
have filled in the forms in advance and have all the necessary
documentation to hand, so the paperwork doesn't take long. An hour
later, I hand over 147 Swiss Francs (Around €122 or £100) and I
have my Emergency Travel Document as the bureaucrats call it,
although it says Emergency Passport on the front.
I
am asked to fill in a customer satisfaction survey and am happy to do
so. The staff at the Consular Service in Bern have been completely
polite, professional and efficient, but the call centre you have to
deal with in the first instance is truly awful and makes the
experience of losing a passport much more traumatic than it needs to
be. If one of the Bern Consular staff hadn't given me a direct email
address on my first visit, I am certain I would have completely lost
it with the call centre.
I
have been in Bern for under two hours and just manage to catch the
fast train back to Geneva. There I am in plenty of time to catch the
TGV to Lyon but, same old story, there are plenty of seats if I pay
the full fare, but none are available for InterRail pass holders.
So
there is time to repair to the nearby Lebanese/Moroccan restaurant
Al-Amir, which serves a delightful lamb stew lunch for 17 Swiss
Francs (£11.50 or €14), a pretty amazing price for hugely
expensive central Geneva.
As
it happens, there is an old-style TER which, because the line is not
to TGV standards, takes only ten minutes longer than the high-speed
train to reach Lyon. And, amazingly, it's one of the most comfortable
and best-appointed carriages I have had in almost three weeks of
travel.
Some
13 hours after setting off, I am back in Belleville in plenty of time
for one of Brigitte's splendid dinners and, of course, copious
amounts of Alain's excellent wines.
On
Sunday, I take my final rail trip back to Geneva and have one night
there before I take, three weeks later than initially planned, my
final leg of my round the world journey
(http://mdsouter.blogspot.com).
The best of the rail trip photos are in a new album:
The very best of European Rail Journey 2012 |
Tuesday, 12 June 2012
A lovely day in the Black Forest, plus relocating to Beaujolais
Having
expected to have a very quiet Sunday, largely as a result of a very
wet weather forecast, I awake to sunshine and fluffy white clouds.
So, it's off to Ehrensburger's bakery in Lahr for an absolutely
splendid al fresco breakfast. Not only lovely freshly baked breads
and croissants, but slices of ham and cheese with some tasty
scrambled eggs, washed down with freshly brewed coffee.
As
it's turned out to be such a nice day, we decide to get into the
cabriolet and drive to Staufen, a delightful village on the edge of
the Black Forest. It's very pretty indeed and a perfect choice of
Schwarzwald destination.
I
am fascinated by the cracks on some of the otherwise pristine
buildings. It turns out that, a few years ago, the town hall decided
to get some geothermal heating and, during the drilling process, a
chemical reaction occurred deep underground which has meant that some
areas have shifted by as much as 30 centimetres. Google Staufen to
find out the detail.
Clearly, there is a fighting spirit in the town,
because red labels have been positioned across the cracks with a
slogan along the lines of 'Staufen is not broken'.
From
there to the historic settlement of Breisach, bordering the Rhine and
thus France. Archaeologists have discovered evidence of stone age
folk living in the area, which was very important in Roman times. So,
it's got a lovely atmosphere, with the original town built on a mound
overlooking the river.
We
stop for a drink at the museum gallery and bistro, which seems to be
being run by folk on their very first day at work. It's a complete
shambles with, it appears. no system or proper organisation in
place. We eventually get served, but have to ask for the table to be
cleared, which takes three attempts. The 'Museumsstube' should be a
little goldmine – and possibly is – but anyone with any
experience of the hospitality industry would make major changes to
the way it is run.
There's
a nice run through terraced vineyards, clinging to the edges of
hills, before stopping in Teniningen for some much-needed sustenance.
It's been a lovely day and all the better for evolving rather than
being planned.
Overnight,
it chucks it down and it is still pouring at 6am when I have to set
off to start the journey to France. A bus to Lahr station is followed
by a regional German Railways' train to Offenburg, where I pick up a
regional express to Strasbourg.
Rather
than stay in the station precincts for breakfast, I walk across the
square to the Hotel du Rhin where a bit of bread, a croissant, some
chemical tasting orange juice from concentrate and a pot of lukewarm
coffee costs €8.50. I really thought that such mean French hotel
breakfasts were a thing of the past, but clearly not. At least it's
quiet and has nicely filled in the time between trains.
The
French Railways' TGV from Strasbourg to Dijon is of the double decker
variety. A large group of Chinese travellers with many suitcases are
being installed which causes complete chaos as nobody is sitting in
their allocated seats. But eventually it all gets sorted out. My
oriental neighbours immediately set out to devour a large picnic of
some strange looking and smelling foodstuffs, clearly brought from
home, and proceed to wash it all down with French beer. It is just
after 9am!
The
Regional Express train from Dijon to Lyon turns out to be the best
rolling stock of the day. Unexpectedly, there is a very nicely
appointed and quiet First Class carriage with some very comfortable
seating which makes the journey to Beaujolais country very pleasant
indeed.
At
Belleville sur Saone, I am met by my hostess, Brigitte. She and her
partner Alain run a vineyard at nearby St-Jean-d'Ardières,
coupled with B&B and an adjoining cottage. I am expecting to be
staying in the main house, so I am surprised to be shown into the
gite which sleeps 8. But Brigitte tells me it is vacant until Friday,
so, for five days, I have more space than I do at home!
But
at least I can do some washing, a much overlooked essential for a
traveller, before doing some exploring in the local area.
Domaine
Geoffrey, as the vineyard founded by Alain's grandfather is called,
is right in the middle of Beaujolais wine country. There are
vineyards as far as the eye can see. I set off on a little promenade,
to discover later that I have taken a picture which shows Alain and
his father, far away from me, tying up the vines by hand.
In
the evening, Alain, Brigitte and I enjoy dinner in their kitchen,
washed down with some excellent Beaujolais and Brouilly wines, all
produced by Alain within a few metres of where we are sitting.
Despite
the fact I am suffering from 'rage au dent', raging toothache as a
result of losing part of a tooth in Australia, it's a lovely evening.
I
repair to bed, armed with a pack of Dafalgan, a codeine/paracetamol
painkiller mix that seems to calm things down for the night.
Thankfully, I have a dental appointment set for next week, but it
can't come soon enough.
Photos at:
Photos at:
European Rail Trip 2012 |
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