Lyon, Day 1 and Day 2, October 1 & 2

 October 1 First full in Lyon

The basilica at Fourviere

     We explored our neighborhood today and are impressed with our location. Mark picked a great spot and a nice place.

      We went for coffee and a croissant first and then we walked to the Tourist Bureau at Place Bellecour where we found out about the transit tickers and got maps of the bus and metro lines.  It is a drizzly day, so we decided it was a perfect day for a museum.

Mark with Paul Bocuse, famous Lyonnaise chef

       We took a bus to the Museum of the Confluence at the southern end of the island between the two rivers. It is a science and anthropology museum which opened in 2014. It is said to look like a floating crystal cloud of stainless steel and glass. 

     There were a number of school groups there and they were quiet and attentive. The museum was rather empty of people, so it was easy to access all the exhibits which were organized into the topics of: "Origins, Species, Human Theater and Eternities." 

   

Museum of the Confluence

 Afterwards we took a tram, but had to get off early due to a political demonstration, but not one by the Far Right. This one was evidently against the government and probably a leftist union group protesting.

At any rate, we had to get off the tram and walk to a metro station and get on that. But, it was great as it took us to Place des Cordeliers which is a five minute walk from our place.

      We ate lunch on our street at the Winch restaurant. Mark and Jerry had a raviole dish of cheese and pasta and Barbara had a smoked salmon salad. Jerry said that raviole is NOT to be confused with Italian ravioli and confusing the two upsets the Lyonnaise. We all liked our meals. Then, we found a SuperU grocery store and bought supplies for dinner etc.

Our windows are in the third floor of the brown/red building to the left of the Garden Bistro

     

From the Museum of the Confluence looking down at the confluence of the rivers

 What a nice rainy day, especially as we never were in any downpours, just drizzle and gentle rain.

October 2 Exploring Lyon - from the old to the new - with Jerry

     Today was a sunny day in the 60's - a good day to ride the funicular to Fourviere.

We walked over the Bonaparte Bridge and found the station for the funicular and went up. The Notre Dame de Fourviere basilica, which dominates the skyline of Lyon, provides a grand view over the city. On a clear day, it is said that you can see Mount Blanc, but we did not see it.

   

Funicular

  After descending from Fourviere, we explored Vieux Lyon. Most of it is pedestrianized and we decided to flamer (stroll). Our first stop was at the church of St. John, a Romanesque church started in the 12th C, but not finished for 300 years. Inside the church is a 30-foot high astronomical clock dating from 1538 which was impressive. Unfortunately, it was vandalized in 2013, but was recently repaired. 

 

Traboule

   We kept strolling in hopes of discovering some traboules which are famous medieval passageways between streets. It is thought that some date to the 4th Century. Carts would stop in the roads and the traboules were used to transport the goods to shops. They were important in a revolt of the silk workers in the 1800s and instrumental in the French Resistance evading the Nazis during World War II.

      We had a map, but knew that they would be difficult to spot. So, we stopped for lunch at a Bouchon Lyonnaise, a traditional restaurant which was on Rue St. Jean. The owner of Le Petit Bouchon was at the door of the small restaurant and invited us in. We shared a salad; Jerry had ___; Mark had beef and Barbara had onion soup. 

    The owner told us that the traboules are privately owned and were not possible to see. However, after eating there, he pointed one out across the way. We would not have noticed it. So, we went in and it connected Rue St. Jean to another road.

 

Entrance to one of the traboules

 Intrigued, we decided to try to find some more...and we did. Some close in the morning as the tourists disrupt the residents. But, we found two more as well as a 'hanging garden' in Rue du Boeuf which is accessed by a traboule. (Cour de la Tour Rose was its name). The last one was the longest and it went through four buildings. The owners and the local authorities made signed an agreement. The owners agreed to keep it open in the day and the city would keep it clean. All of the traboules requested silence while traversing them.

The courtyard of one of the traboule with a hanging garden. Silence required.

     We felt very proud of ourselves for having discovered some traboules and we actually think that our building must have been part of a traboule at one point.

    We walked "home" and took a short break. Then, as it was still early, we caught a bus to check out Les Halles de Paul Bocuse, a large indoor market devoted to all things food and named for Paul Bocuse, a famous French chef from Lyon noted for the high quality of his food.

But, we chose the wrong time of day as most everything was closed. Disappointed, we headed back to our neighborhood in a quest for ice cream. The first store we checked said that the season had come and gone. But, we persevered and found a place where we sat and had some well-deserved ice cream. And, after we saw that shop, we found another one, but we had had our fill.