From Dijon, we headed west and stopped off for one night in Bourges (pics).  We spent the night in a nice small hotel, called Chateau Lazenay.  Driving a car affords us the opportunity to stay somewhere not in the center of town, also, provided parking is a consideration.  Chateau Lazenay is located alongside a small lake and surrounded by open parkland and walking trails, so it was very quiet and peaceful.

Bourges is a nice town with a large Gothic cathedral that dates from the 12th century and in the historical section, many of the buildings are described as “half timbered”.  The upper portions have a crossed pattern of wood embedded in the exterior walls.  This building style apparently mimics a method first used in Medieval times.