Lyon, France

Terrreaux Fountain

Lyon, France is the second largest metropolitan area in France (after Paris). It's known for its historical landmarks and has developed a reputation for its gourmet cuisine. We were looking forward to exploring the city.

We drove about an hour and a half to the city of Lyon, France on Saturday. It was a lovely, 73 degree, blue sky kind of day and the drive to Lyon was beautiful. The hilly green countryside was dotted with small brown barns, cattle and sheep were grazing in pastures, and farmers were planting row crops in the red dirt fields. 

I had an address of a park and ride location near Lyon where we could park the car outside of Lyon and ride the metro into the city. I had planned the route to see as much as we could in one day while allowing time for wandering, detours and people watching. We were on an adventure and one never knows what will happen. After a few glitches that reminded us how funny and challenging adventures can be, we headed toward Lyon. We found a sign with a map of the area that helped us get oriented. Since we were near the Hotel de Ville we stopped at the Terreaux fountain. In the 1800's Bartholdi, who created the Statue of Liberty, created this sculpture of a wife and 2 small children on a chariot drawn by 4 horses which represents France and the 4 French rivers.  

We wandered in the heart of the city between the Rhone and Saone Rivers for a bit and stopped in a few unique stores along the way. The streets are narrow and the buildings 6-8 stories tall so one never knows what one will find just around the next corner. We happened upon a large older building and discovered the church of Saint-Nizier. The church was built in the 14th century, suffered through times of war but has always been a place of refuge and hospitality.

Basilica Notre Dame of Fourviere

Doug's excellent sense of direction got us to the Metro line which we took to Fourviere Hill known as the praying hill. This was where the city first began as a Roman settlement in 43 BC. The Basilica Notre Dame of Fourviere was the first thing we saw as we exited the metro. We entered, heard organ music and sat on well worn, wooden pews to appreciate our surroundings. Everywhere we looked were mosaics, sculptures, and stained glass windows telling stories of the Christian faith. The floors were covered in colorful designs of 1 inch tiles. The walls were covered in huge themed murals with these same tiles. The pillars were ornately designed with sculptures of angel faces while the stained glass in the windows let in the light. Doug and I compared it to the stark cathedrals of Switzerland which had been shaped by Calvin during the reformation. The view of the city of Lyon from the terrace gave us a perspective of how large a city Lyon had become.

The city of Lyon

We walked down the hill toward the ruins of the Roman amphitheater which attested to thousands of years of life on this hill. This amphitheater was much larger than the one we visited in Avenches. Concerts are held here now thanks to modern additions of lights and power while still holding the ambience of what once was. 

The Roman ruins on Fourviere Hill

Lunch was on both of our minds and the old city called. We wandered through the car-less cobblestone streets lined with many shops of paintings, honey, spices, gelato and restaurants with their cozy outside tables. We found Giovany's, a great place to try French cuisine. Our meal was delicious, the atmosphere delightful, the people enchanting. It was a wonderful experience.

We had a few hours left before we needed to head for home so we went to a market I had discovered online filled with fruits and vegetables, fish and cheese, and desserts. It was a bit off the beaten path but that can be the best kind of adventure. We found the market (not quite what I thought it would be) but also a huge 5 story indoor mall (the largest mall I have ever seen).

Le Mur des Canuts

I was a little concerned about the next stop since I had read it was hard to find but we were up to the challenge. We were headed to Le Mur des Canuts, the largest mural in Europe. We needed to transfer to 4 different metro lines to get there but it was worth it. The entire flat face of several buildings which covered the entire block had been painted to represent the life of the silk workers who lived in this area in the 1800's. The silk workers had horrible working conditions and had staged many uprisings which eventually brought change to the area. We sat on a bench, gazed at the detail of design and illusion of depth in the painting and felt a part of the neighborhood.

On our way back to the car we stopped in the Park de la Tete d'Or which is a 290 acre urban park with botanical gardens, a zoo, a large lake, pathways through the wooded areas and rose gardens. It was just before dusk and the coolness of the evening was approaching. We knew we were still in the city and yet felt removed from the busyness. We enjoyed our evening stroll as a perfect way to end our day.