NewsletterOctober 2014

I'm doing something a little different with this newsletter. I'm listing 10 things you can do in Southern Burgundy, that you can't do in Paris. This is my response to '10 things you can do in Paris, but not in the US'. Paris is a great city but there's so much more to France than the City of Lights. So here's just one example of what you can do outside Paris.

1. Have cows stare at you.

In Paris you might get stares, but not from cows :). Southern Burgundy is home to Charolais Cattle, who very much like to look at those looking at them.

2. Eat at Le Bissy & speak French, English, Dutch...

This out of the way cafe and restaurant in Bissy la Maconnaise (north of Mâcon) offers pizzas cooked in a wood oven and great conversation (in a number of languages!) with owner Koen Gerretsen.

3. Bike along the Saône River or in a Vineyard

Yes, you can bike along the Seine in Paris, but in Southern Burgundy not only can you bike along the Saône River, you can also bike through a vineyard. Southern Burgundy has the Voie Verte that zigzags through the department including vineyards. The section of the Voie Verte that runs along the Saône River is called the Voie Bleue.

4. Drink a Chardonnay in Chardonnay.

Nowhere in the world can you drink a Chardonnay in Chardonnay but Southern Burgundy. Chardonnay is the village that gave the world's most popular white wine its name. Two best places to drink a Chardonnay are the local cave - wine store and Le Chardon Hotel & Restaurant.

5. See the once the most powerful steam hammer in the world.

If you take the TGV from Paris you'll arrive in Southern Burgundy near Le Creusot, home to the once most powerful steam hammer in the world. Also the center of Southern Burgundy's once industrial heartland.

6. See where the first photo was taken.

The above photo taken by Nicéphore Niépce in 1826 or 1827, is the first known photo. Niépce's home in Saint-Loup-de-Varennes, where he took this photo is now a museum open in the summer. The Niépce photography museum in nearby Chalon-sur-Saône is open year round and offers free admission.

7. Chapel built in a day.

Paris may claim Notre Dame and Sacré-Cœur, but Southern Burgundy has Chapelle de Charcuble, built in one day - May 1st 1941. Another plus Chapelle de Charcuble isn't overrun with tourists!

8. Once largest church in the world.

You can find the once largest church in the world in the town of Cluny, north of Mâcon. The church is now a museum. For the tech savvy, local tourist office has iPads for rent with tours of the town.

9. Site of a B-26 Bomber crash.

On the morning of November 13, 1944 a US B-26 bomber crashed in the woods of Plottes near Tournus. A memorial in the village center marks this event. This is one of four WWII crash sites in Southern Burgundy. The others are in La Chapelle-Thècle, Savigny-en-Revermont and Montcony.

10. Pagan Stones.

Southern Burgundy is home to many pagan stones, including La Pierre Levée, Les menhirs d'Epoigny and the village stone in Saint-Micaud.

Mailbox

BluesKOOL: First-time festival of American Blues and Roots music October 4/5 in Plaisance du Gers (32).
French Lessons: Personalized French lessons in Paris given by a creative teacher.
Avignon Blues Festival: October 16-18, 2014.
Stylisshh Contessa: Fashionable clothing in France, in English!
BlueSky Finance: Tailored Mortgage and fiscal representation solutions for France.
Seussical JR: Strasbourg Oct 11-12 & 17-19.

Fall Books

French Kisses: Twelve stories depicting Americans in France, a broad array of characters and situations- -a boozy basketball player colliding with bigotry; a vet at Omaha Beach confronting a memory; a boy sent abroad while his parents divorce; a jealous sister coveting one last heirloom; a killer seeking peace at Lake Geneva; a pharmacist shielding his suspect wife; an American woman who’s never lived in America; sons bullied by fathers; a relentless dreamer about to go illegal. All seek the enchantment, refuge or even forgiveness France might offer. But they can’t quite discard the baggage they carry.
Past Imperfect: Everything you wanted to know about teaching English - a non-nonsense approach to the realities of an English teacher in France. This book is in three sections - before: teaching in a provincial French city and preparing to move to Paris. During: living and working in Paris. After: leaving Paris and re-locating.
Crossing the Line: Another Paris Homicide Mystery by Frédérique Molay and brought to you in English by Le French Book. Just how far would you go for your loved ones? It’s Christmas in Paris and Chief of Police Nico Sirsky is back, in love and rearing to go, when he’s handed an odd case. He and his team of crack homicide detectives follow the clues from an apparent suicide, to an apparent accident, to an all-out murder as an intricate machination starts breaking down. Just how far can despair push a man? How clear is the line between good and evil?

Advertisement

Chez Peshi in Burgundy: An opportunity to experience the real France and enjoy one of the most captivating regions of Europe. Chez Peshi is a fully-furnished private home in Saisy, a farm village minutes west of the charming, medieval market-town of Nolay. It is at the center of a vast area considered among the most beautiful in France - a region of stunning scenery, unbounded outdoor opportunities, three thousand years of fascinating history, castles and chateaux, Roman antiquities, cathedrals and monasteries, quiet winding canals, palate-pleasing gastronomy and, of course, the world's finest wines.