Oh my goodness. I don't even know where to start. Lyon, we love you. What a day. It was so amazing in every way.
We began by getting excellent advice from the hotel. The young woman at the front desk should be working for tourist information. We had planned to walk into the Le Vieux Lyon as we are about one and a half km out, but she suggested the metro and then starting our day with the funicular to the Norte Dame de Fourviere Basilica. She was so right.
There is always a sense of satisfaction when you figure out a new city's metro, and Lyon has an excellent system. We were in Vieux Lyon in the blink of an eye after a short walk from the hotel. The funicular was fun (they always are) and when we walked off and saw the Basilica we were awed. The views were amazing on the outside and inside. We really took our time and it was fantastic.
Our hotel in Lyon. The Best Western Saphir. A little less atmospheric than our usual choices, but the price was right and the bed was spectacularly comfortable.
Then we walked to Le Theatre antique, a Roman amphitheater. It was built in 63 BC ( how do they figure that out?) and is still used today. When I think of the crowds in Rome last year, and we had this amphitheatre virtually to ourselves, I am amazed. We watched a few river cruise groups go through, but once they were gone it was ours to admire.
On our walk down. We don't think this would receive Canadian Worker's Compensation Board approval. Safety first!
Then we walked down through the park and into Vieux Lyon. The day was fantastic. Walking was the best way to see it. The entire area is a Unesco world heritage site and there was eye candy everywhere we looked. We sipped espresso, we ate crepes, and we listened to music.
The unexpected and unusual event of the day was a high speed chase of a motorcycle by the police. It was incredibly high speed, on cobble stones, on a very narrow street. Yikes. It is a miracle, even with the sirens and lights that there wasn't any collateral damage. The motorcycle literally flew by...he was probably louder than the police cars and their sirens. Double yikes. We have never seen anything like it.
After lunch we went Traboule hunting. These are shortcuts created between streets to protect the silk in inclement weather when Lyon was heavily involved in the silk trade. We got the map from Tourist Information and it was like a treasure hunt. You find the door, push a button which unlocks it and then you are in a secret passage. Absolutely wonderful.
After finding several Traboules and cours (courtyards) we stopped for a glass of wine and to listen to the buskers on the steps of Cathedral St. Jean. I loved the people watching. Then we crossed a branch of the Soane into the shopping area. We went to Tourist Information first and again got brilliant help. We left with a great free map of the Via Rhona and clear instructions on how to get to the bookstore where we bought the guide book. Then we wandered. The architecture and pedestrian areas were beautiful. The shopping was over the top. Fortunately the panniers keep me from going crazy but I sure enjoyed the window shopping. There was an Emile Henry bread baker I have never seen at home in the Emile Henry store that I really wanted for Keith (he is the official bread baker at our house) but not enough to pedal it around Europe for five more weeks.
Then back over the river to the other side. The CN had done a little dinner research and we had the most wonderful meal at a restaurant called Un, Deux, Trois. The server was part of the appeal. She was so welcoming. Back onto the metro...easy peasy as we were now experienced hehe, and we are back in our room, me writing the journal and Keith planning our day tomorrow.
Just an amazing city, an amazing day. Everyone from France we have met in the last weeks said Lyon is fantastic, and they knew what they were talking about. I will try and download the pictures in the morning. There are so many it will be very hard to choose, and the wifi is so slow I can't get any to load tonight.
This photo is blurry but I had to put it in. It perfectly captures the moment when you find a Traboule. These doors aren't marked and the wonder when you find one is real.
On the inside. Secret passageways are for kids and grown ups too. Not long after we left this one we saw a guide lead a river cruise group through. Somehow I don't think it would be quite the same experience.
