Lyon

I arrived last night after a beautiful TGV ride from Paris. The countryside is stunning, small towns, beautiful old farmhouses, fields and the ocassional herd of goats, sheep or cows. It almost feels like travelling back in time. Then you arrive in Lyon. It is the second largest city in France, but it is really a world away. I am in an area called the Perrache. And the station is appropriately called "Lyon Perrache" and is about 2 and half minutes from Lyon Part Dieux.

(note: when talking to the SNCF agent, even if he has the little British Flag over his head that indicates that he speaks English well enough to sell you a ticket, you will have to say "Lyon Perrache" at least three times. "Lay-ohn Pear esh" you say. "What?" he replies. You repeat, he repeats, you repeat and a light bulb goes on and he says "Ah! Lay-ohn Pear esh, Yes." Seriously. It happened just like that.)

But you cross the Rhone and arrive in this pretty little part of town. Broad pedestrian only walks, little back streets, incredibly expensive designer shops and a restaurant, cafe, tabac, bar, pub or sandwich shop about every 4 feet. Lyon is known as the- THE - place for cuisine in France. Celebrity chefs reign supreme here, and eating out seems not to be a passion as much as an imperative.

This morning I wandered the St. George district, thinking I would take the funicular up to the Basilica Notre-Dame de Fourviere, which sits like a gem high up the hillside. There are Roman ruins nearby and the view from either is said to be spectacular. Today the funicular was not functioning. Not to be deterred, I thought hey, there are streets and such here on my map that lead right there. Here is another tip - if something is high up a hill and has a funicular dedicated to getting people to and from it, those probably aren't streets, the are most likely stairs. Lots and lots of stairs. Stairs that wind around building so about the time you think, surely - surely this is it, you come upon more stairs. I gave up. Tomorrow the funicular may be running.

So the day was spent browsing the streets below the Basilica. Lyon is full of art and artists. Studios of potters, metal sculptors, painters; galleries with everything from the spectacular to the profane; I think the only thing I didn't find was glass blowing. Then again it was unbearably hot and humid today and I imagine glass blowers would take the day off in such weather. It was also apparently field trip day. Herds of small children herded by adults randomly yelling names and "attende!" while busily marking off sights. It looked like a huge scavenger hunt. A shopkeeper tells me that school is out on July 1, and this is the tradition for the last couple of days of school.

So tomorrow the funicular. Maybe some shopping. Perhaps a boat trip on the Saone (the river that is on the other side of the Perrache), then again, I have decided to extend here for an extra day, so there is time to do both. And maybe a trip to Burgundy.