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.