Paris

We love Paris in the spring. Well, we love Paris in general.

We were staying on the Isle St Louis. It is the little three window wide place below, on the third floor.

This was our view:

You had to walk around to see this part.

Don't feed the birds, and don't walk your dog jauntily.

Doreen standing on the Center of the World.

The clock on the Conciergerie.

On the tip of the Isle de la Cite.

Both Directions.

Lyon

This is an ecclesiastical clock that was originally constructed in the 14th century, destroyed in the 16th century, reconstructed in the 17th century.

It is card to see in this photo, but it shows what church readings will be used on any given Sunday.  The little hand below shows the readings.

IT was vandalized in the 1960s. People are horrible.

It is in the Lyon Cathedral:

After that visit, we stepped through a few more traboules:

and went to the Miniatures Museum. I didn't take many photos, as I found the place so darned odd.

Here is the Budapest Hotel (from the movie):

We also went to the Beaux Arts museum.

It had a Phrygian Cap! A real Phrygain Cap. I have always wanted one.

They also had some posters from the Revolution.

They also had a guillotine blade. Yes, a real guillotine blade. It had been used by the people who built it to intimidate the masses.

Be careful what you build.

A Salad Lyonnaise.

We had lunch at a local cafe.

It was probably the least delicious meal we had the whole trip.

Brother Matthew has a photo of this butcher's sign as well.

My theory is that if a cow had a meat cleaver, he wouldn't be chopping up other cows:

Another odd museums was the Automaton Museum. I have videos of this that I will post later;

 A jacquard loom:

 A swan. This is not an automaton.

We took a boat ride from the Soane to the Rhone:

This is the original wall to the city

The Confluence:

OH! Another swan.

That is our apartment building

It was nice.

That is our place.

We liked Lyon.

Food in Lyon

If you only know one thing about Lyon's food, it is probably that Paul Bocuse is from there.

And that is not a bad thing to know.

But there are many other places to eat in Lyon, and most of them are really quite delicious.

Bocuse has put his name on the main market in Lyon, Les Halles de Lyon - Paul Bocuse, and it is stuffed with vendors, restaurants, locals, and tourists. We ate at a place called AOC, which was certainly a treat. Lyonnaise food, well prepared and delicious. Along with a "pot" (46cl, a Lyonnaise thing) of a noce Cote du Rhone wine, a great meal in the pouring rain.

We ate at two other special, small places. Le Canute et Les Gones was a  little less formal, a little noisier, and sort of more fun. Le Jean Moulin was a little more formal, and a little more delicious. Both are worth the money, and provide good service and good suggestions for both the wine and the meal.

And, of course, we ate at Augeberge de Pont des Collonges. Paul Bocuse's three Michelin star palace just outside of Lyon. All I can say is thank goodness for Uber!

Lyon. Good food there.

We've never been to Lyon before. Brother Matthew has (see here) and  niece Domi did her study abroad year here. It is France's third largest city with about a half million people in the city itself, and over 2 million in the region.

It is old, old. The original administrative center for the Romans. Then, time went by, and it was the center of the silk weaving trade. (the weavers are called Canutes. Kids from Lyon are called Gones. Go figure)

The image of our apartment is in the previous post, and the view as well.

Because it was an industrial city, there was a need to get goods to and from the weavers in all parts of town, in particular far from the rivers (the Soane and the Rhone). They developed an interesting approach that allowed the free entry into the ground level of the buildings for cutting through. They are still open today - and called Traboules.

There are over 500 traboules in the city. We went into about 30, and I think I photographed them all.
Here are a few:

Those slopey corners are called "squinches"

Sort of a form follows function word.

You got to see all the courtyards as well.

Some of the trabules were long and dark:

This is not a traboule. Lyon is also the city of puppets. Guignol, indeed!

Lots of old wells in the courtyards:

and short doors:

and towers:

But we finally got out and walked about the city.

Here we are on the Soane:

and at the Beaux Arts museum. That is, as I am sure you all know, A Puvis. He was from here.

This fountain was being restored. When Matt was here, there was steam coming out of those horses' noses!

Everywhere we go we see ruined Roman theaters.

Lots of Roman ruins. I was using this plinth as a bench.

The Lyonnaise had a special relationship with the Holy Virgin. She kept out the black plague, cholera, and the Prussians in the Franco Prussian war. To pay her back, the city built this basilica in the 1870s.

They took their time about the payback, but it is really something! 

The battle of Lepanto!

The Basilica is on a hill overlooking the city.

They have their own Eiffel Tower as well.

I'll write about food next time. I promise.