A Day trip to Dole.

It looks like Wednesdays in France is about to become Everyday in France as we pack our bags and take the Thursday flight out for Paris. We arrive on May 4 and booked in for Sue's 60th Birthday at a small restaurant next to the Shakespeare and Company bookshop overlooking the Seine and Notre Dame. It will be a thrill to share with my Daughter and our Son, the Paris we have enjoyed from past trips.

But - this Wednesday we visit Dole in Burgundy, half way between Dijon and Besancon. With a population close to 25,000, it seems just right to us - easy to find parking, not too busy but with a spark of life about it. When we arrived the people were starting to flow to the cafes for lunch or just sit in the squares to enjoy some warmth from the sun on a spring day.

Dole retains many of it 15th Century buildings in the narrow streets and the laneways of its historic centre. We have no idea why we went to visit Dole but we did and pleased that we did. It had a charm about it that invited you to discover its narrow streets. The town is beautifully presented or maybe it was just the spring growth that added to the atmosphere.

Dole was the birthplace of Louis Pasteur. chemist and microbiologist. We stumbled upon his family home, now a museum to his achievements. The river Doubs flows through Dole near the Pasteur home giving it a restful feeling and an appearance that makes you want to stop and enjoy lunch and a glass of wine. As we did - it's what we do.

There's a little bit of modern about Dole, Like this fountain.

This sculpture intrigued me as it looked like a group of ladies looking down on Dole from a high point with the River Doubs below skirting the old town.

One of Dole's famous son's was Louis Pasteur and this bust is to his memory - the family home nearby is now a museum dedicated to him.

Dole is not huge but you could explore its laneways and streets and make new discoveries on each walk.

It is quite hilly as the laneways lead down towards the river.

But once down on the river the town takes on a feeling of rest as the river and small canal slowly flows by.
A great place to sit to read a book or munch on a sandwich. This place was for sale, fortunately the credit card was maxed out otherwise I think Sue might have put down a deposit.

Occasionally you need to be a little bold and poke your camera into places where it may not be welcome - but sometimes it might just be worth a memory.

Today being Wednesday means tomorrow is Thursday and at mid-afternoon we'll be settling back and watching many movies, listening to iPods or just reading. A whole day in hours will be sitting in cramped quarters with a heap of unknowns to begin our journey of "France in May". Maybe that's what we'll change the Blog title to.

So - I expect that we will saturate you with all things French for the month of May, but travel with us and we'll show you many sights for the next thirty odd days.