La Dijonnaise
Bonjour from Dijon! It’s so nice to be settled into my apartment for the month—there’s something about having a solid home base that just makes it so much easier to relax. I’ve stocked up on provisions, set up my workstation, and started to explore my new neighborhood. And what a neighborhood it is! Call me a uncultured American, but I cannot get over the feeling of looking up and seeing medieval buildings all around me. I am literally steps away from Église Notre Dame de Dijon, a staggeringly gorgeous 13th century Gothic cathedral that gives me chills every time I see it. There’s a charming little carousel designed by Gustav Eiffel himself at the Place François Rude, and tons of cute restaurants and shops everywhere I turn. It may lack the bustle of Paris, but I love it here.
Grocery shopping was a bit of an adventure. I knew about the unrefrigerated eggs but didn’t expect them to be on the top shelf. I was so busy checking things off of my shopping list that I forgot to document the insane amount of cheese. I still have no idea what the cashier said to me at check out. Doing the remainder of my shopping the next day at Monoprix (basically French Target) was much smoother, and now I’m pretty well setup for the rest of my stay.
I got nervous enough today to take my first ever Covid test, which was an adventure given how little French I suddenly remembered (“Désolé pour mon français,” I said to the nurse. “Désolé pour mon anglais!" she replied, which was generous of her given the setting.) It was expensive and uncomfortable but ultimately pretty painless. I walked around a bit after, checking out the outdoor market that I didn’t realize would sprawl all over the historic city center; I bought some local wildflower honey in case my symptoms are allergies. Beyond that, I’ve mostly spent the day at home, working, resting, making some delicious snacks with that incomparable boulangerie bread, and watching TV. I got my test results back within a few hours—negatif!
Tomorrow, I head to Lyon for a weekend of good eats, and hopefully some good photos as well.
