Departing for Dijon (From Dorset Society)

Departing for Dijon

6:00am Saturday 1st October 2011 in Travel stories

IT’S easy to see why Cistercian monks would choose this particular spot outside Dijon to establish an abbey in the twelfth century.

This beautiful hideaway near lovely Dijon, deep in the Burgundy countryside, simply oozes peace and tranquillity and clearly offered just what the English Abbot of Citeaux, Stephen Harding, was looking for when he founded the abbey.

Equally, in more recent years it clearly had the same appeal for English hotelier Clive Cummings, who has painstakingly transformed the Abbaye de la Bussière into a sumptuous and relaxing country hotel.

Whatever stresses and strains you bring with you seem to melt away as you drive past the little lake, complete with rowboat and ducks, and first set eyes on the sandy stone walls of the abbey.

Of course, when the abbey was founded in 1131 the inhabitants would not have enjoyed the luxury on offer to today’s guests.

With its graceful arches – some with cherubs peeping from beneath them, intricate stone balustrades, friendly gargoyles and solid wooden beams, the structure of the building is pleasing enough.

But add to that the beautiful furnishings - with more distressed wood, gilding and chunky tassles than you can shake a stick at – and you have something really very special.

The 15 acres of grounds are open to explore, with some interesting outbuildings, woods and of course the lake. Make sure you take the rowboat out for a paddle.

We stayed in the Trizay room, a triumph of perfectly-matching, rich black and gold fabrics, bespoke upholstery and ornamental furniture. The bathroom is a sight to behold – you can choose between the enormous shower tumbling onto the slate flooring or the fabulously deep bath with spa and coloured under-water lighting.

You’re more likely to see chefs scuttling about the grounds than monks, and when you dine in the restaurant you understand why.

Under the watchful eye of Michelin-starred head chef Emmanuel Hébrard, the kitchen team produce plate after plate of beautifully styled, delicious dishes to tempt your palate.

Our sommelier Aurélien offered us a blind wine test stating with Gallic pragmatism: “You either like it or you don’t.” Luckily the Auxey-Duresses Jean-Marc Vincent Grand Vin de Bourgogne (2009) that he recommended was very much to our taste, superbly complementing the meal.

And breakfast the next morning was no less delightful – as birds chirruped contentedly and insects hummed lazily around us on the terrace we learned that a continental breakfast is more than just a couple of croissants.

A beautifully presented array of mini-dishes included apple with cinnamon, a fabulous chocolate mousse, salmon, cheese and pastries. That sealed it – we are determined to return to this special place as soon as is humanly possible!

• THERE’S nothing straightforward about the art of making fine wines, as you’ll discover if you take a guided tour of Burgundy’s vineyards.

The permutations and computations which go into growing the fruit, producing the wine, ageing it, bottling it and labelling it are seemingly infinite.

As we learned from our guide Elohim of Alter & Go, there’s more to developing that special Burgundy taste than just sticking a vine in the ground and hoping for the best.

The variables are bewildering – position on the slope, drainage, soil quality, hours of sun and rain levels all play a crucial part. So exact is this science – perfected by the monks who first established these venerated vineyards – that neighbouring small plots of land, or ‘parcels’, will produce discernible differences in flavour.

Not possessing an expert palette, I didn’t expect to be able to taste that difference. But sampling sessions at a couple of the ‘caveaux’ (cellars) proved me wrong – the variation in flavour between a Premier Cru (top notch) and the ‘village’ (several notches below) designation land parcel just yards away was quite clear.

Elohim, with ten years of experience and enthusiasm as a wine-maker, is a gem of a find for anyone interested in learning more – and our party included people with varying levels of knowledge.

He even took us to a remotely-located little truffle emporium where we learned about Burgundy’s burgeoning truffle trade and sampled products made with those rather unprepossessing but much-prized fungi.

Dijon’s Notre Dame church and gargoyles

DIJON

Beautiful Dijon, a duchy of European dimensions in the Middle Ages is a fascinating city.

The fabled capital of the Dukes of Burgundy, it is steeped in history and culture and boasts a wonderful architectural legacy – it’s called the city of 100 towers, with a preservation area of 90 hectares.

Don’t miss the Notre Dame church with its many gargoyles, the Palace of the Dukes of Burgundy and the tower of Philippe Le Bon (Philip the Good), the richly decorated and colourful townhouses and the many churches and museums, including the Museum of Beaux Arts.

There’s also the Well of Moses, the architectural masterpiece of Claus Suter and Claus de Werwe and you’ll certainly want to follow the unique owl trail to discover the secrets of Old Dijon and the chouette (owl) carved on the side of Notre Dame. Touching it with your left hand is reputed to bring good luck.

The city also has 700 hectares of public parks and gardens and a whole host of fabulous restaurants.

Since its earliest times, Dijon’s geographical location in western France has placed it at the crossroads of trade routes and political influence. And it makes the perfect base to explore wine country!

Down in Dijon

Make sure you buy the informative Taste Burgundy Wines booklet from Cartes Info Saveurs www.infosaveurs.com) – it’ll be your Bible of all things ‘vigneron’.

Alter & Go offer a range of tours in the Burgundy region - www.alterandgo.fr You can have a guided truffle visit or just sample the flavours in the remotely located shop - www.truffedebourgogne.fr You can fly to Dijon from Southampton on Mondays, Fridays and Sundays, one way from £75 – www.easternairways.com.

Services finish on October 28 and resume in April 2012.

The Abbaye de la Bussière is about 40 minutes’ drive from Dijon.

Prices start at 195 Euros for a standard room, with suites like the Trizay from 405 Euros per night. Visit www.abbaye-dela-bussiere.com.