Day One in Lyon

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The sleep last night was not too bad although it was rather warm in the room. We are unable to adjust the air-conditioner because it is between seasons and has been turned off.
We headed off to the station to purchase a pack of tickets for the local public transport system of bus, tram, metro and funiculaire. We found the appropriate ticket machine and started the process only to find it would not accept cash. Not to worry, some local gypsies were there to help , either by selling us “spare new” tickets or offering us help at a price. We were not born yesterday. One who shall remain nameless took a newspaper that was being offered only to find a little man running after us wanting his payment. Needless to say the paper was given back. On a positive note the Garnier people were everywhere handing out free satchets of shampoo. We now have enough for most of our trip (well a few days anyway).
The receptionist at the hotel was very helpful and told us to take bus 99 to the old city. So along comes bus 99, on we get and head off in the opposite direction. It was not all in vain. We had a great sightseeing trip before we arrived at our destination. We took the funiculaire up the hill and had a great view over the city with its two rivers, Rhone and Saone. We also took the opportunity to visit the Basilica Notre Dame de Fourviere. A young woman was playing the organ and what a fabulous sound in a beautiful church.
Time for lunch and then a visit to Muse des Tissus et des Arts Decoratifs. This was a great chance for Marilyn to see so Chris went off for a wander along the river bank of the Rhone and added to the camera memory stick. At this museum were displayed textiles from antiquity, often just fragments of ornate clothes but sometimes whole garments. Then the jaw dropping special exhibition of clothes from the 18th century. Men’s and womens’s clothes that could have been worn at court boasted intricate embroidery on most beautiful fabrics like silk. Whole room setups with models decked out in their gear gave an impression of richness and colour. It was hard to believe that every stitch would have been done by hand – and not by the wearers!
While having a snack of pastries we spotted a sign pointing to a 12th century basilica so had a quick visit before heading for the metro and back to the hotel via Carrefour. It has been a great day. The sun was shining although spoilt by a breeze. We took things quietly and started to soak up the language. It’s not long now before we pick up our car and the adventures will really begin.

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