16 December 2014

Avallon (5)

Here are a few more photos of Avallon scenes. We really just buzzed through. With the threatening weather we couldn't do much, and we decided to drive on to our gîte and get settled in for the evening. Callie hates riding in the car, so we were anxious to get to our destination and take her out for a long walk before night fell. Travelling with a dog is a pretty limited experience in many ways.



I'm sure there was a lot more to do and see in Avallon. A walk around the fortified city's old ramparts would have been picturesque and interesting if we had been able to do it. As it was, I managed to snap these photos from the end of the Promenade de la Petite Porte. Views from the park there are panoramic.



The great French military architect and engineer Vauban (1633-1707) was born in the Avallon area. I noticed a plaque commemorating the 300th anniversary of his birth. He is buried at Bazoches, a town in the Morvan just south of Avallon and Vézelay. I snapped the photo below as we drove around the town to the north, looking back up toward the old fortified town.


Today, I'm cooking a daube de bœuf in the slow-cooker. It will simmer for at least four hours, maybe six. The cooking liquid is about a third red wine, a third tomato sauce, and a third beef broth, and it's flavored with shallots, carrots, thyme, bay leaves, and orange and lemon zests. To go with it I plan to make some cornmeal gnocchi (dumplings). If it's any good, I'll post some photos and a recipe soon.

13 comments:

  1. I really like the look of Avallon.

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    1. I did too, Andrew. Wish we could have seen more. Lousy weather.

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  2. I agree with Andrew on that...
    the first picture is quite amazing...
    it looks to have been lifted straight out of someone's model railway layout!
    And the whole town is extremely photogenic.

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    1. Tim, too bad the weather kept us from seeing more of the town and taking a longer walk. Next time...

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  3. Good old Vauban. His forts are wonderful constructions. We loved staying within one on Ile de Re.

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  4. One of my favourite childhood memories is of a visit to Bourton on the Water model village - a model of the real village, knee high. That first picture reminds me of that model. The little houses have come to be together completely by chance, but the whole is very satisfying.

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  5. So lush and green. I always love those kinds of photos, especially when the grey of winter sets in.

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  6. Another beautifully preserved town and exceptional photos.

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  7. A good example of why I love car travel in France.

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    1. E., I love car travel in France too, and our little old Peugeot served us well this time. I just wish Callie loved car travel.

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  8. I agree with Evelyn, Mitchell, and, well, everybody today. Avallon looks very appealing and a car may be the best way to get there to see it.

    Ken, best not to think about what you might have missed because you will never know what else was there to be seen. So you can tell yourself you have seen the best.

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    1. Carolyn, I fully intend to return to the Avallon area one day. Walt and I have even talking about re-locating to that area — Auxerre, specifically — one day, when we need to move back into a town. That may never happen, of course, but I kind of like to contemplate the move in my more optimistic moments.

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