French Roadtrip: Paris To Toulouse in Four Days

Downtown Auxerre

After a few days walking around in Paris, we picked up our rental car and spent four days driving to Toulouse in southwestern France. It was a lot of ground to cover and we had to stick to a tight schedule to meet up with family, whom we hadn't seen in almost a year. But it was a fun road trip, with plenty of varied attractions along the way. We tried to spend as much time as we could on the backroads, although every now and then it is nice to hop onto the French Autoroutes (with a speed limit of about 80 mph) when you need to get somewhere fast.

We spent the first day in Auxerre, a pretty little city in Burgundy a few hours south of Paris that owes much of its historical importance to its location at a critical crossroads of land and river trade routes. Auxerre was on the Via Agrippa (all roads lead to Rome) and was a provincial capital of the Roman Empire. But it's the city's rich medieval heritage that is so striking. Auxerre boasts an impressive collection of old churches and colorful half-timbered buildings, and an ornate 15th century clock tower marks the town center. We spent our time wandering the quiet cobbled streets while admiring the scenic views along the Yonne River. For dinner, we enjoyed some local culinary specialties - beef bourguignon and a "pichet" of cold Chablis. It's a sleepy gem of a place, and certainly deserves more visitors than it gets.

Auxerre and the Yonne River

Another river shot

Talia in Vézelay

We spent the second day visiting three more towns in Burgundy: Vézelay, Semur-en-Auxois, and Autun. Vézelay is a gorgeous little village that winds its way up a hill to the renowned Basilica of St. Magdalene. A masterpiece of French Romanesque architecture, this imposing church dates back to the 11th century and was a major pilgrimage site in medieval times. Today, it's one of the most visited historical monuments in France - but Talia's favorite part of our visit was the descent from the church back down to the parking lot through the town's hilly side streets.  She also liked the french fries and artisanal ice cream.

About an hour away from Vézelay, Semur is an elegant town (of about 4,000 people) built on a pink granite outcrop, with extensive medieval fortifications overlooking the Armançon River. The town apparently had a bigger population in the early 1800s than it does today. The river used to provide power to mills and tanneries, but today the  town relies mostly on agriculture, wine and tourism for its economy. We met some locals and the kids played soccer and other games under a medieval tower after we enjoyed a delicious Senegalese dinner at a popular cafe and music club. We wanted to spend the night in town (or nearby), but there weren't many choices left by the time we arrived in the late afternoon - I guess it's the price we pay for our spontaneous, laid-back approach to finding accommodations, which rarely involves making reservations or even an inquiry ahead of time.

Vézelay Cathedral

Semur's skyline

Semur - down by the river

So, we continued on to Autun, a 2,000-year old city that was originally named Augustodunum after the first Roman Emperor Augustus. It prospered during the Roman period and was a powerful religious center during medieval times. The city offers a variety of attractions, including Roman ruins, a towering Romanesque cathedral, a number of attractive squares and buildings from over the centuries, a vibrant outdoor market, and beautiful green countryside. We easily could have spent another day seeing the sights in Autun, but our long-awaited rendezvous with family in Toulouse was rapidly approaching.

Autun Cathedral

Roman ramparts in Autun

Good thing I took a picture of the restaurant!

For the third day, we drove through the remote, rural center of France, stopping in some very small towns along the way. We enjoyed a tasty lunch in a village so diminutive it wasn't listed on our map. It seemed there were fewer than 50 people living there - and many of them didn't seem to be at home. We subsequently forgot the town's name and I was afraid we'd never be able to accurately retrace our improvised route through the tiny, hilly backroads of central France. Fortunately, I took a picture of the restaurant where we ate - and it's on the internet! So, we were able to figure out where we were - Verneuil-en-Bourbonnais, a charming hamlet in the middle of nowhere and that you will probably never hear of again after leaving this blog. After a leisurely lunch, we meandered southward through the countryside, pausing for brief picture-taking stops in St. Pourçain sur Sioule (a winemaking town known for its old belfry), Charroux (a beautiful fortified village famous for its mustard), and Ebrieul (with its large medieval abbey).

St. Pourçain sur Sioule

Charroux

Jeremy in Charroux

Talia in Charroux

Abbey in Ebrieul

Home away from home - for a night

We stopped for the night in a tiny riverside village, Chouvigny-sur-Sioule, at a bed and breakfast (indicated by a small sign reading "Chambres d'Hote") with only three rooms for guests. The friendly hosts made a dinner reservation for us at what they said was the only open restaurant nearby (in the town of Lalizolle). The lavish three course menu (at only 20 Euros per person) was unforgettable for several reasons - not only was the food outstanding but it was remarkable to see both children devour foods (like duck casserole and oysters gratinée) they'd never even been willing to try before.  It was equally remarkable to have such a sophisticated meal in a town that seemed no larger than a swimming pool, many miles from the nearest city.

The volcanic countryside of central France

On the fourth day, we drove through the grand volcanic landscapes of the Massif Central, with a stop in the eerily empty mountain resort town of La Borboule before reaching the stunning Puy de Mary. The kids also wanted some family soccer time, so we pulled over in a field and had a friendly game with some of the local cows. We stopped for an early dinner in Salers, an immaculately preserved village of graceful old buildings that reached its peak in the 15th and 16th centuries. Salers calls itself "a black diamond on a green carpet," an appropriate moniker given the dark volcanic stone used as building materials against the surrounding lush countryside.

La Borboule

Salers

Playing soccer with the cows

Classic French paysage

We then hightailed it on to Toulouse, which is known as the "Ville Rose" (or "Pink City") for its distinctive brick architecture. The kids didn't know Toulouse from Torrance, but they were very excited to stay in a fancy hotel (thank you Papa John and Mimi Suzanne!) and to see their cousin Griffin. Ah, the important things in life...

Here are some more pictures from our road trip.  See you in Toulouse.

Pictures from Auxerre

"The taste of others"

Pictures from Vézelay

Cruising in French style!

Enjoying some local cherries

Pictures from Semur-en-Auxois

Ah, the universal language of sport

Pictures from Autun

Pictures from Verneuil-en-Bourbonnais

Pictures from Charroux

Family goes crazy in Charroux

Pictures from Ebrieul

Our B&B in Chouvigny

Pictures from La Borboule

The open landscapes of central France

Pictures from Salers