Sunday 9th September

Awake at 7.45 after a restless night ( very warm) and caught the bus from outside the campsite to the bus station where we picked up the metro at the Gare du Vaise, getting off at the Old Quarter, where we caught a free funicular railway up to the huge cathedral at Fourviere with panoramic views over the city and saw for ourselves how the two major rivers the Rhone and the Soane converge here. A service was going on and the choral music was pleasant to listen to. It was an extremely ornate cathedral (in a Russian orthodox green, gold and mosaic sort of way).  Right next to this enormous cathedral on the hill overlooking the rivers, is a mini Eiffel tower, the city taking a stand for the secular state by pointedly building this symbol right next to it. Lyon prospered on merchants wealth gained from the silk trade so the architecture in the old quarter reflects this and is filled with handsome buildings. We walked down the steep hill in the heat (27 degrees at 11.30 am ) through the rose gardens and down, down, down the very long set of steps into the old town itself. The side streets are filled with speciality shops (puppets, chocolate, lavender products from Provence, small museums (e.g the Lumiere brothers of Lyon invented the cinema and there is a museum dedicated to their work here ) and small restaurants. Lyon is famed for its gastronomy and has a restaurant with 3 stars Michelin (if you invest in the impression management of all that).  Praline is a speciality, but we liked the blood orange sorbet, and the coffee was delicious. We dutifully visited all the cathedrals, and listened to a young all female group perform soaring arias on the steps (soprano, violin, accordion) and walked around the Sunday pottery, veg and second handbook markets which fully line the river banks, giving the place a real buzz. It feels like a young cool city Lyon, with a good ethnic mix and a gay-friendly feel. We visited the museum of fine arts in the afternoon and were stunned by the huge Reubens classical paintings exhibited there . As soon as we were on the main drag we were reminded that the prices double in price , esp if it's a prestigious cafe, eg 4€ for coffee and a beer in a roadside cafe earlier in the day compared to €11.50 for the same order outside a handsome Cafe (de la negotiations, EST 1894 ) near one of the main squares ( but we were very weary and desperate to sit down ). In all, a very absorbing and enjoyable day in a handsome city (third largest in France ) We would certainly come here again , even if it's just to visit one of the largest urban parks in France, le Jardin de la Tete d'Or, north of the city , which we were simply too tired to get to.

It's a long way down from the cathedral

 

The religious and the secular