We landed in Lyon mid-day on Thursday and successfully negotiated the trains from the airport to the rental flat. Once we dropped off our luggage, it was time to explore.
The city is very walkable, in some ways even more so than Paris. On the Presqu’Ile (the peninsula between the Rhône and Saône Rivers where we’re staying) and in Vieux Lyon, there are very few two-way or three-lane streets. Several streets have been converted into pedestrian and bicycle boulevards, such as the Rue de la République.
Rue de la République.
Other streets are barely big enough for a Fiat to pass through.
Yesterday’s travels were concentrated around the apartment. We located the local Monoprix (supermarket) and found assorted cafés and shops. We got dinner at a traiteur (takeout deli) of duck à l’orange terrine and green beans. Today we took the Metro up to the Croix-Rousse neighborhood and walked downhill. The way down from Croix-Rousse is where we saw the Star-Wars-related plaque. We had lunch at a nice little North African restaurant. Julian had the grilled sardine special, while I had the mechouia salad. We were both happy with our choices.
On our way over to Vieux-Lyon, we saw a fresco on a building that depicted luminaries of Lyon history. Chef Paul Bocuse was represented, along with the Lumière brothers, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, and the Little Prince. If Julian’s photo comes out, I’ll post it; in the meantime, you can go to the above link.
Walking can build up an appetite. We stopped at a gelato stand in Vieux Lyon to have some sorbet. Both of us had a scoop of pink grapefruit sorbet; Julian had a second scoop of mango, while I had a second scoop of white peach. As it happened, the outdoor eating area of this gelato stand was the exact spot where the below photo was taken last year:
Julian, hard at work in Lyon,
On our previous trips, we went to the Basilica of Notre Dame de Fourvière. It’s a relatively modern church that got built with contributions from local silk industry barons. The Cathedral of Saint John (St. Jean) is much older, but has more historical significance.
The Cathedral of St. Jean in Lyon.
Two historic church schisms were reconciled in this church. In addition, the cathedral holds the heart of St. Vincent de Paul. As with the church of Saint Gervais in Paris, St. Jean got damaged by war; in this case, World War II. This is a panel of stained glass that replaced the earlier window damaged in the war.
Modern stained glass, Cathedral of St. Jean.
In a side space of the church, there’s a mini-museum of tapestries, chalices, censers, and vestments from church history. Here’s a sample of the clerical apparel:
From the collection of the Cathedral of St. Jean.
Tomorrow we start museum-hopping.
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