Day 17, Tuesday, July 21, 2006

Travel day!  Au revoir Colmar and bonjour to Lyon.  As many know, Lyon is the culinary capital of France.  It also has a very long past with 2,000 years of history; it was the capital of Roman Gaul, and during WW II it was the capital of the French Resistance.

We started our day returning for breakfast at the same café where we've dined for five of our six days in Colmar, and we were in our car, heading south by 9:30 AM.

The drive to Lyon took over four hours; it was all highway driving through the farmlands of eastern France.  Our room at l'Hotel de l'Abbaye was ready when we arrived so we rested for about an hour before heading to the Basilica of Notre Dame of Fourvière.  

Our hotel, built in 1852, as the name suggests, is the former clergy house of the Saint-Martin d'Ainay basilica.  The hotel itself, could not be more modern, and it's a great example of combining antique structures with modern design.

The dining room

Here are a few views from our room's window.

Vacationing in Paris one year we had a room that overlooked the Eifel Tower, while sitting on the toilet.  I  couldn't resist recreating that photo from the same position at this hotel. 

Rested enough to give up the comforts of our hotel we headed for the Basilica of Notre Dame of Fourvière.  It is the most visited tourist attraction in Lyon, probably not for religious reasons, but due to its location, perched on top of the Fourvière hill, which provides spectacular views of the city.  The basilical's construction started in 1180 and was completed in 1476.  Unlike many of the beautiful European churches with such long construction times, the architectural style here is very consistent.

We took a funicular up to the basilica.  It was a short ride and relatively cheap.  It certainly beats hiking up there.  For me those days are gone.

Exiting the funicular, and stepping out into the open the first you are immediately facing the basilica.  WOW!

Mary looks pregnant.

Looks like the Eifel Tour was moved!

After walking around the outside of the cathedral,  we went inside.  The mosaics, sculptures, and columns were incredible, but photos are  forbidden, perhaps because a mass was in session, so we respectfully observed that request. 

Exiting the basilica, we opted for a drink on the patio next door.  Amazingly we got a table in the front row, so we enjoyed the views for quite a while before heading back down into the city.

The church in the foreground is the Cathedral of Saint Jean the Baptiste, which overlooks the Saone River. 

Returning to the lower part of the city we walked across the Pont de Napoleon and crossed Place Bellecoeur, where an equestrian statue of Louis XiV dominates the center of the place.  Apparently a statue of Antoine de Saint-Exupery also stands in this place, but we could not find. it.  

"Le Cheval de Bronze” built by the sculptor François-Frédéric Lemot, cast in Paris, was transported to Lyon in 12 days, pulled by 24 horses and set up on Oct. 29, 1825. It is 5.70 m high and weighs 15 tons.  Louis had himself portrayed wearing the clothes of a Roman emperor.

Leaving Louis, we continued our walk back to our hotel via one of the several pedestrian only shopping areas, passing this man and his two best friends.

 We arrived at l'Hotel de l'Abbaye  just in time for our 8:30 PM dinner reservation.  The menu featured tapas, so even though there were some uncommon offerings typical of Lyon restaurants, we found enough choices, which were delicious, and certainly comparable to our best meals in Provence.

falafels des pois

gazpacho

salad

regional cheese board    

millefeuille a la pistache

So far I think Lyon has exceeded our expectations by a mile, and speaking of miles,  I think we clocked in over two miles walking just since we arrived in Lyon so sleep came easy.