Lyon

St-Paul.  St-Jean.  St-Georges.

We found a good deal on train fare and went over to Lyon for a one-night getaway last weekend.  The temperatures have dropped and we definitely felt the chill in the air, especially on Saturday.  And it was really *windy* to boot.  Our puffy/winter jackets we purchased this season kept us (for the most part) warm though!  We arrived at lunchtime so our first order of business was to find a place to eat, and we were looking forward to our first meal as the guide book raved the city is the gastronomic capital of France.  Hello, what about Paris??  

 

On our way to lunch in the Presqu'ile area, the peninsula between the Rhône and Saône rivers, we wandered through the shopping streets and found a bunch of little chalets touting ski vacations in the French Alps, a small sledding hill, and a ski jump.  Very festive! 

Ski jumper !!

After indulging in a little shopping we walked by L'Entrecote, a restaurant we saw in Bordeaux that always had a long line.  We had no idea it was a chain and were pleasantly surprised to find it in Lyon!  It's a simple approach, the restaurant offers a set menu of walnut salad, thinly sliced steak in "secret sauce" and a pile of small, skinny fries.  The"secret sauce" we believe, was butter, more butter, garlic and shallots (did I mention butter??).  Pure deliciousness although unhealthy in every way possible!  I think I felt my arteries clogging with every bite, but it was worth it.  There  was a good mix of tourists and locals as well -- we actually sat next to 3 French men who were dining solo (shout out to the one guy who ordered an entire bottle of red wine for himself), meanwhile we split a half bottle ourselves!  The only thing they really ask is "how do you want your meat cooked"?  We left stuffed, warm and very happy.  It was a great deal.

Matt in his happy place!

 
We continued to the hilltop quarter of Croix Rousse, which provided panoramic views of the city.  It's supposedly the bohemian quarter but felt a bit sleepy and washed-out, with a backdrop of gray/white skies and brown rivers.  The city's probably more lush and "vibrant" during the spring and summer months.

 

This may look like a normal building, but it's actually a mural - the entire thing!  No, those aren't windows but rather paint.

La Fresque des Lyonnais

Next up was Vieux Lyon, the medieval old town on the west bank of the Saône.  It's divided into 3 quarters - with St-Paul covering the northern end, St-Jean in the middle and St. Georges in the south.  Here, the cobblestone streets and "traboules", covered passageways going from one street to the next via corridors through houses hiding inner courtyards and spiral staircases, are quite charming.  There were also a lot of old-fashioned candy stores that looked really fun as well as quirky boutiques. 

Lyon's Christmas Market actually started this same weekend so we were definitely going to get in the holiday spirit and enjoy some vin chaud!  On our way to the "Marché de Noël " at Place Carnot we walked through the huge 17th century Place Bellecour, which is actually empty save for a statue of Louis XIV and a ferris wheel that had been temporarily set up.  I imagine in summer there are lots of tables set up to enjoy outdoor drinks/dining. 

 

Finally, the Christmas Market!  Not one of the best Markets as it didn't have an "authentic" feel, but the vin chaud was spicy and tasty!

On Sunday there was a food market near our hotel along the Saône, what a nice surprise.  We were impressed with the display of the produce - everything was placed in metal bowls, which looked very neat and organized!  It all looked so fresh and colorful, we were tempted to bring something home with us but didn't think it would fare well sitting in our luggage all day.

Afterwards we took a funicular from the old town up to Fourvière, the "hill of prayer."  The terrace of the Basilica at the top offers amazing views of the city.  On a clear day, you can see across the Rhône Valley.  Nearby is the Tour Metallique, which looks like a mini-Eiffel tower!

 A short walk away we visited some ruins, including a big theater that held 13,000 people when Lyon was the Roman capital of Gaul.

Our last stop was the Musée  de Beaux-Arts, which showcases France's finest collection of sculptures and paintings outside Paris.  It was impressive and pretty extensive but we only had an hour to take it all in.  Definitely worth the short visit though.

Before heading to the train station, we stumbled upon Best Bagels, a fast-food eatery offering bagel sandwiches, NY hot dogs and selling Aunt Jemima pancake mix, kool-aid, Heinz baked beans and sugary American cereals.  There were even chips with the fake yellow melty cheese like you get at sports events or the movies.  Very "American" but it hit the spot for our last meal in Lyon!