Through the city and over the hill.: Quincieux to Sarras

June 8, 2016

Today it was calm and sunny, altogether nice riding weather. Clouds that looked like they might bring rain quickly dwindled to little puffs. The major obstacle for today was the crossing of Lyon. While any city crossing is fraught with traffic, one way streets, construction and congestion, Lyon has made the bicycle its preferred means of getting around. Bike lanes are everywhere, and contrary to what Parisians and those who equate Paris with France may think, it was the first city in the world to develop a bike sharing scheme. So with few worries I set off. There are bike lanes way out into the country, even to Quincieux, so I was quickly into the city after crossing over to the left bank of the Saone.

A last view of the Saone. Barge included for scale.

Island property just on the edge of Lyon. Nice digs.

I stayed an the left bank of the Saone through most of the city to where construction forced me over to the right bank.

Left bank mural. Lyon is famous for its murals. There are over 100 of them, all over the city.

Vieux Lyon (old Lyon) was the seat of the Roman administration of Gaul. Later, it became a center of the silk weaving industry. There are three churches, St. John (Jean), St. George, and St. Paul. This is St. George. There is no St. Ringo, though.

I rode out of Lyon and headed for Givors, where I would pick up the Via Rhona cycle route. On the way a group of Brits on Bromptons passed me by, whooping and hollering and ringing their bells. They were headed to Marseille on a charity ride, and clearly having a great time of it. After Givors, I stopped in St. Romain en Gal, just across the river (now the Rhone) from Vienne, and once more availed myself of lunch in a bistro. This has to be the best deal in France. Businesses with more than a certain number of employees are obliged by the government to provide lunch. If the business doesn't want to open a canteen on site, they can provide "cheques restaurant" to there staff which are redeemable just about everywhere, so for a modest price, usually less than 15€, a lunch may be had. Today's menu was pork cutlet, rice, and terrine, with fromage Blanc for dessert.

I crossed the river two more times, once in St.Rambert, and again at Andancette. I took a hotel in Sarras, which happened to have a good restaurant (no surprise that, is it?). Tartare de merlu and dos de cabillaud with a half bottle of white Crozes Hermitage for supper, then bed. The room was quite hot, so I didn't see get to sleep right away, but eventually Morpheus arrived.

Today's ride: 112 km (70 miles)
Total: 324 km (201 miles)

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