Sunday, 22 February 2015

Day 30 Lyon

Nick set his alarm for 7:30am so he could go downstairs & skype Sharlene....we told him we expect him to do the same for us when we are back in NZ - yeah right!
Cam & I had breakfast together with Nick nearby still on Skype.
After 2 hours he dragged himself away from his laptop bit it was now 10am & breakfast was being cleared up. He managed to grab some bread & a yogurt but missed out on croissants.
We then caught the metro
to Croix-Rousse, which is on a hill & is known as the silk area. There's not much specifically there but it's a nice place to wander.
There were some quaint little shops but none opened until 2:30pm because it's a Monday...really don't get this place!
We wandered the streets regardless & went in search of Mur Des Canuts, which is a well know painted wall...painted to appear 3D.
It was a bit of fun; Nick jumped to make it appear he was on the steps
....but not really up there with the big attractions we have seen recently.
We then came upon the other attraction in the area; Maison Des Canuts (the Silk museum).
We went inside & we're pleased to find it was free, and then 2 minutes later we had seen it all...it was virtually 2 or 3 small rooms.
From here we started walking down the hill via a very scenic walkway
...the buildings & alleys on the way down were gorgeous.
We took a short detour to see some more roman ruins,
and then continued down the path to Terreaux.
We wandered the alleys of Terreaux looking for somewhere for lunch. Once again Cam & I were still full but Nick was hungry. We found a quiet alley that had a place that appeared full & there was mention on the window of Michellon & trip advisor recommendations.
It also looked cute, so we went in to Cafe des Federations.
We needed Nick as were asked in French why we didn't have a booking...& were we not local? When Nick said we are from NZ & he is studying in Paris, the guy smiled & was friendly...& showed us to what seemed the only spare table.  Everyone else was definitely French & not tourists. cam & I were intending to order something light, but seems the lunch deal here is 3 courses for everyone...and somehow we coped.
To start with all tables had a selection of cold meats (one in a mayonnaise type sauce), French bread, a fishy mousse (that Nick devoured) & a lentil dish (which had incredible flavour... Not sure what gave it the flavour).  We all had a choice of main - I picked chicken in vinegar
(which sounded strange but was actually in a tasty creamy sauce) - all the other dishes had seafood or livers, cheeks, black pudding, etc. Nick ordered pork cheek stew which was tender in a rich dark gravy.
Cam chose their specialty which was a quenelle of seafood including crayfish.
It was decadent & he was pleased with his choice...& Nick was very happy to finish it off!
For dessert we did our 3 way split of 3 different desserts so we could try a selection : praline tart, chestnut cake & rum baba. All scrummy, though we may have gone a bit heavy pouring the rum...& the chestnut cake was especially good. I know this is sounding repetitive but we were seriously stuffed! All this eating is hard work.
Nearby was Place des Terreaux with an inpressive fountain,
Hotel de Ville (town hall)
& Musee des Beaux-Arts (museum of art).
We decided to check out the art as it's been at least a week since we've seen famous artworks. The boys got in free since they are students & we really enjoyed the museum...browsing at our leisure. There was a good selection of  sculptures,
Egyptian antiquities,
coins & medals
& of course plenty of French art, all spread over 3 levels.
Plenty to interest us all. It was now 4:30pm & the sun had come out...making everything look better & brighter outside. I wished we had time to rewind & retake our photos with the gorgeous blue sky.

Instead I headed back to Part Dieu shopping mall near our hotel & the boys went wandering a bit more. They found 'Rue des Farges' which they felt was relevant for the Fargher boys...
and walked further admiring some interesting lanes.
I enjoyed my few hours in the mall, though it's not so easy when you don't speak French. I did manage to find a casual top I liked & a winter dress that I love. Only spent €65 all up & they will roll up nice & small. I couldn't manage trying shoes without being able to speak French & the only handbags I liked weren't good value.
The fountain in the centre of the mall put on a laser & smoke display as I walked past...didn't distract me for long though!
The boys bought themselves baguettes for dinner & an apple tart to share.  Now on the countdown to another breakfast!

No comments:

Post a Comment