If Paris is the heart of France then Dijon is the heart of Burgundy. It is a little known fact that snails were first baked with butter, garlic and parsley and devoured right here in this fabled region. And if there is one thing the French like more than a frog’s leg it’s a delectable snail. Just the other day I saw a Frenchman in traditional snail hunting garb seeking out his prey. He was wearing yellow track shoes, red spandex short shorts, a white net tank top and a bright blue feather boa wrapped around his neck. The minute he eyed one of those rascals he took off at a full sprint chasing the wily critter down the middle of the street while yelling so that all could hear, “Get me zee garlic and butter, get me zee parsley!”
“Enjoying an order of snails in the middle of a vineyard, sans feather boa.”
Lately we have been using the car to tour the countryside. There is so much to see in Burgundy that Lisa and I have decided to return next year. We could probably spend 10 years here and not see everything. We drove to Chateau de La Rochepot just outside of Beaune. Started in the 13th century, La Rochepot owes its name and architecture to Lords Regnier and Phillippe Pot. With a last name of Pot they were no doubt some righteous dudes. They were also considered the most accomplished knights of their time, and members of the famous order of the Golden Fleece. The order still exists to this day though most of its members reside on Wall Street. During the French Revolution the castle was destroyed. It wasn’t until 1893 that Madame Carnot, wife of the president, bought the ruins. She gave them to her oldest son who was the chief architect of historical monuments in Dijon. It took over 25 years to restore the castle to its original splendor.
“Chateau de La Rochepot.”
“Guarding the entrance to Chateau de La Rochepot.”
“The well in the center of the garden was hand dug in 1228 and is 72 meters deep (236 ft.)”
“The Chinese bedroom in La Rochepot.”
“La Rochepot.”
From La Rochepot we drove to Montagne des Trois Croix (Mountain of Three Crosses). Unfortunately Peaches, our GPS couldn’t exactly find the place, and we ended up doing a little off-roading. Eventually we were able to get close enough to the top of the mountain that we parked the car and hiked the rest of the way. The off-roading experience in our Citroen station wagon and the hike were well worth the effort as the views were spectacular that day.
“This where we parked and then hiked to Montagne des Trois Croix.”
“Enjoying the view from the top of Montagne des Trois Croix.”
“Suffering on Rabelo. Do you feel our pain?”
-Tom Miller
Author of “The Wave” – a Chuck Palmer Adventure novel
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About the Author:
Tom Miller graduated from the University of Southern California with a Bachelor of Science in Geology. He is a consummate adventurer with over 1,000 dives as a recreational scuba diver, and an avid sailor who has traveled 65,000 miles throughout the Pacific including the Hawaiian Islands. Miller has also cruised the canals of Europe on his canal barge and given numerous lectures on cruising the canals of Europe, as well as sailing in the South Pacific. Piloting is also an interest of Miller's, and He has completed over 1,000 hours flying everything from small Cessnas to Lear jets.