DAY 3, SEPTEMBER 18, 2022

STAY

2 nights Annecy, Zenitude Hôtel-Résidences Les Hauts d'Annecy

SIGHTS

Dijon Ducal Palace (Palais des Ducs}Musée des Beaux-Arts" (Museum of Fine Arts),

churches, drive to Annecy,

Annecy old town stroll

CHECKED OUT

DIJON HISTORIC CENTER

Drove to the historic center

Classed as a Unesco world heritage site in 2015, the centre of Dijon is an attractive late medieval and Renaissance city centre.

Parcours de la chouette /The Owl's Trail

Dijon has adopted the owl (chouette) as a symbol for the city and uses it to promote its tourism. The original owl is carved on the side of the Église Notre-Dame. Local tradition says if you rub the owl with your left hand and make a wish, your wish will come true.

We parked near the church of Notre Dame to see the famous owl.

Église Notre-Dame

this is the 13th century church of Notre Dame, with its very unusual western facade decorated with three superimposed rows of arches. The facade is also decorated with 51 dummy gargoyles (real gargoyles carry away rainwater, "dummy" gargoyles are just decorative). Today's gargoyles are not medieval; the medieval facade was indeed decorated with gargoyles, but these were later removed arter a fatal accident, and those that decorate the facade today were put up in during restoration of the church in the 19th century.

there was a maintenance truck blocking and making a horrendous noise. We waited for a couple of minutes, could not stand the noise and the exhaust fumes, decided to move on.

below are the details of the recommended walking tour... we never got to do it though. Such a pity!

[The city's walking tour, The Owl's Trail (le parcours de la chouette) uses the owl as its symbol and to mark the trail. The owls are seen on brass plaques in the sidewalks and streets, symbols that provide a guide for your walking tour. At each site there is a larger owl plaque with a number that is keyed to the trail, and often a description of the site.

we can buy a guide to the Owl's Trail at the Tourist Information Office for 3,5€. This booklet (which comes in several languages) provides brief explanations of the 22 stops along the trail, as well as three additional "loops" to areas outside of the center.

Although the Owl's Trail officially starts at the Place D'Arcy , we can pick it up anywhere along the way . There's an annotated map in the center to help find our way.

Some of the major sites include the Palais des Ducs de Bourgogne and the Musée des Beaux Arts, several different churches of Dijon, the Halles or Market, and a variety of museums.

William Gate [Porte Guillaume Monumental 1700s city gate featuring a stone archway with allegorical relief sculptures].

We parked in a metered street parking on the street in front of this church and walked to the ducal palace.

Eglise Saint Michel de Dijon

PARKING

had taken a 2 hour parking ticket, the max, and displayed on windshield. In Reims on our 1st day of vacation, , son had put in the duration and was wondering why his cc was not being accepted in the machine when a French lady told him to put in his licence plate number. The puzzle pf getting the ticket had been solved and it became easy at other places.

Palais des Ducs de Bourgogne and the Musée des Beaux Arts

At the heart of the old city, the Palace of the Dukes of Burgundy, most of it dating from the 18th century, is the most impressive of the old buildings in Dijon.

Ducal Palace (Palais des Ducs et des États de Bourgogne). Nowdays, the building is split between the roles for town hall on its western and central areas, while its eastern area is occupied by the "Musée des Beaux-Arts" (Museum of Fine Arts). It contains priceless treasures and wonderful art that was the property of the Dukes of Burgundy.

This art museum is in the Palais Ducal and has a permanent exhibition of medieval art from Dijon's heyday as capital of the Dukes of Burgundy. On the upper floor, there are lots of paintings by local artists and Flemish painters. The museum sometimes hosts temporary exhibitions with works from local artists. The most famous part of the museum is the Guard Room with tombs. On the top floor, there is 19th- and 20th-century art like Picasso, Monet or Courbet

RELIGIOUS PAINTINGS

RELIQUARIES

TEMPERA AND GOLD LEAF ON PANEL

AMAZING gold leaf altar...

TOMBS

Ceramics

Note rhe grill work

PAINTINGS

STUNNING STATUES ... so life-like

Venus and Cupid

we thoroughly enjoyed all the exhibits... top notch museum.

Got out and enjoyed the lovely courtyard

COURTYARD

FOUNTAINS

walked back to our parking.

Drive to Annecy avoiding entering Geneva [to avoid swiss vignette costing 40 chf]

Drove to Annecy, decided to take the highway. 294 km, 3 hr, A6, A40

https://goo.gl/maps/LVunZKD4VsctatrS8

ANNECY APARTMENT

It was a full fledged appart-hotel with elevator and parking available on-site at a small fee. Huge openable windows with a lovely view of the mountains. Well equipped kitchen. Would have been nice to have a small couch.

Disliked · Musty smell in the bathroom. We had to keep the bathroom door open , and the windows open to ventilate, and it became ok.

PICTURESQUE ANNECY

after check in, we drove a couple of kms, parked on the huge lot.

Strolled around, enjoying the lovely town along the teal waters of the canals.

AWESOME REFLECTIONS OF THE OLD BUILDINGS IN THE CANAL WATER

Dubbed the “Venice of the Alps”, the winding cobblestone streets of the Vieille Ville, or old town, are lined by pastel houses and bright flower boxes