Yesterday I mentioned that Walt and I have talked about what kind of house we would want, and where, if we were to move out of the house we've lived in for 18 years now. Someday we will a house without staircases (we have two here) and with a smaller yard ("garden" if you call it that.
One option would be to stay in the Saint-Aignan area, of course. However, with the Parc Zoologique de Beauval, only a couple of miles from our house, drawing a million or more visitors per year, traffic around here is getting to be an issue. The upside is that property values in Saint-Aignan are going up. The other option would be to move to a town like Blois or Bourges. Or to go to a new region. Why not Burgundy? And why not a town like Auxerre?
One option would be to stay in the Saint-Aignan area, of course. However, with the Parc Zoologique de Beauval, only a couple of miles from our house, drawing a million or more visitors per year, traffic around here is getting to be an issue. The upside is that property values in Saint-Aignan are going up. The other option would be to move to a town like Blois or Bourges. Or to go to a new region. Why not Burgundy? And why not a town like Auxerre?
This 2014 photo shows what it's like to drive toward Auxerre — pronounced [oh-SEHR] — from the south.
And here we are arriving in the town in 2014. Auxerre (pop. 35,000) is what I'd call a big town or a small city'.
Blois is bigger, and Bourges is bigger still. Saint-Aignan is far smaller.
Blois is bigger, and Bourges is bigger still. Saint-Aignan is far smaller.
The town of Auxerre is located on the banks of the Yonne river, about two hours south of Paris.
The photo above and the two below date from 2001.
The photo above and the two below date from 2001.
It's scenic with all the boats and barges along the riverfront. Chablis, Tonnerre, Irancy, and Noyers —
places I've posted about recently — are just 20 to 30 minutes south by car.
places I've posted about recently — are just 20 to 30 minutes south by car.
This is one of several churches in Auxerre. I think it's the Cathédrale St-Etienne.
This is the hotel where Walt and I stayed for a night in September 2001. We were on our way to Provence.
And CHM and I had rooms in the same hotel for a night when we drove through Auxerre in 2011
on our way back to Saint-Aignan after one of our trips to Picardy.
And CHM and I had rooms in the same hotel for a night when we drove through Auxerre in 2011
on our way back to Saint-Aignan after one of our trips to Picardy.
Auxerre is a lovely and lively town. I visited Auxerre when I was staying at some friends a few miles away. I like the scenic banks of the Yonne with three or four churches of different styles, including, as you say, the Saint-Étienne cathedral.
ReplyDeleteWe arrived late in Auxerre that day (June ?, 2011) and we didn't go walking around the town to take photos. I remember that I ordered boeuf bourguignon and a half bottle of Auxerrois red wine to have with it in my room. It was delicious. Walt and I had stopped in Auxerre in 1993 on our way to Provence. We had dinner there, again boeuf bourguignon, in a restaurant in 1995, but I don't know where we stayed that night. Before that, I had been to Auxerre in about 1980. In 2014, we just drove through on our way back to Saint-Aignan after a few nights in Môlay.
DeleteAuxerre looks wonderful. Do it before you get too old.
ReplyDeleteGood idea.
DeleteI love the looks of that hotel. Being closer to Paris might be a good thing for weekend jaunts.
ReplyDeleteBut when you’re retired, every day is a weekend, right? ;)
DeleteYep. C'est samedi tous les jours, et dimanche une fois par semaine pour varier les plaisirs.
DeleteWell, the fun thing is that now you can amuse yourselves, looking online at properties, with zero commitment :)
ReplyDeleteExactly. And as I said to Kiwi below, think about a week in a gîte or apartment in Auxerre to see how it feels there.
DeleteWhat a nice looking town! To me, 35,000 is the perfect size.
ReplyDeleteAuxerre looks charming, as does pretty much all of Burgundy that you have shown us. What a fine location for you two, particularly as you really appreciate the wines. Perhaps a property hunting expedition is in your future. I would hope you might also consider a pied-à-terre in Paris as well, even a less expensive rental if you don't want to buy. You know you'd never be bored here!
ReplyDeleteParis, no, probably not at least, until we no longer have a dog and a cat. And don't think I'm bored. I'm not. I'm just forseeing the day when the stairs in this house in Saint-Aignan will become a bigger issue. Yes to the expedition, if we can figure out who will keep our cat. I'd like to spend a week in Auxerre to get a better feel for the place.
DeleteThank you for the pronunciation oh-SEHR. I would have pronounced it Ox -erre, quickly identifying me as a non-native! Nice little place, the Hotel Normandie, very attractive.
ReplyDeleteDavid, the x replaces two s and many natives don’t know that. They also mispronounce Bruxelles (Bruck-cel) when the real pronounciation is closer to the English.
DeleteGo for it!!
ReplyDelete