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Published: October 8th 2018
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Lyon is one of those cities that some rate as the best in France. It did deserve more time than we allocated this time through. That wasn't really a slight on Lyon but more an indication that our key priority was to get some laundry done, then have a look around and move on to Marseilles before we had to fly home. Our being able to enter into the discussion of whether it is the best in France will have to wait until we have had a look at the rest.
The three km walk carrying and towing luggage to our accommodation in Lyon wasn't the ideal introduction to the city. It wasn't that far but, by the end, we were starting to wonder whether we should have given the idea of getting a bit of exercise a little more thought and caught a taxi. We had, however, been sitting down without too much exercise for a week on the boat so we wanted to walk a bit. The seven flights up to our Air BnB apartment finished us off pretty well. It was a good place though and close to the centre and some of the other good bits
of Lyon. And it had a washing machine.
We had a lovely night at a restaurant that was more flash than we would normally pick out - the Leon de Lyon - but we were there to celebrate a couple of birthdays and the end of the boat trip. The food was very good and and the service exemplary. A good restaurant but not one of the Michelin star places that Lyon appears to be very proud to host. It was also very enjoyable to spend the time with all of our boat people and a memorable way to celebrate a birthday.
Sunday afternoon was a part of a month long 'Biennale de la danse' in Lyon. The 'Défilé pour la paix ' took place down the Rue de la Republique for about two and a half hours, with a grand conclusion in Place Bellecour, a large square not far from our accommodation. The 4500 amateur dancers from 500 communities in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region had been practising for this for close to a year, with around 250 professional, innovative choreographers. This was a special parade. Peace was the theme and it was easy to see
that the relatively recent attacks on France had provided an impetus. Each group provided its interpretation and each had its own music, some with considerable amplification. Dancers were all shapes, sizes, ages (10-80 years), abilities, races and genders. To say it was special is a considerable understatement. The photos (we've kept them together at the end of the batch for this post) won't do the event justice but, hopefully, they will give you some idea of what we saw, despite one of us (and her camera) being surrounded by taller spectators and relying on glimpses some of the time.
Sunday night we were lucky to chance upon a 'bouchon' nearby, a restaurant that serves Lyonnaise food. Although my French is close to non-existent, I will admit a minor surprise when my entrecote arrived completely raw; but all was revealed when the neat, little, well heated and salted stone was delivered. I cooked my own small pieces of steak to perfection - might have been the steak rather than my cooking - and had a very good meal. There are bouchons all over the city and, since finding the first, we have found numerous others. We were told that the
word 'bouchon' or 'buchon' is a Lyonnaise word and not used elsewhere. They are normally family owned and serve traditional Lyonnaise food. This is not the food of the Michelin star places that tends to be less heavy and could not be said to be home cooked.
We decided to try a walking tour given that we didn't really have the time for a longer examination of the city. This tour was delivered 'free' by Nico and was excellent. It was a large group but Nico was able to handle it well. Partly because it was a large group, it lasted for a little over two and a half hours, starting in the centre of the city at Place Bellecour and moving through the older parts of the city until we climbed into Croix Rousse, the area that used to house the silk workers.
On the course of the walk we were shown two of the city's Michelin star restaurants, across a relatively small road from each other. One served French food, the other Japanese. Food is important in Lyon. It promotes itself as the gastronomic capital of France, even the world, and has been known as such
for many years. Paul Bocuse is spoken of with reverence normally reserved for saints. There are said to be more restaurants per head of population in Lyon than any place in the world. This may or may not be the case but there are certainly plenty and, on the nights we were there, the streets of restaurants and bars in the close proximity of our accommodation were well patronised, first by the rather older people who tend to need their sleep and, later on, by the young who are clearly not convinced that night time is a time for sleeping. It was good to see young people out eating and drinking, rather than just drinking as seems to be a pattern in other parts of the world.
In the past, the silk workers had a major impact on Lyon where its production was a major industry. The area of Croix Rousse was where most of the silk was produced and where the workers lived. Apartments were built with high ceilings to accommodate the looms. Back before 1830, looms were operated by two people. With the development of new, improved looms in 1831 just one person per loom was required.
Good for the owners, not so good for the workers and their families. Of course, most workers in the whole of Europe had a major issue around the 1830s as machines took over their work. In Lyon, the strong relationship between the workers and the fact that they lived closely together and had a strong sense of community meant that a battle was inevitable and thus commenced a period of disruption that resulted in strikes, riots and battles in the area for many years.
Emperor Napoleon III was so concerned about the disruption and the riots in Croix Rouge that he decided that something needed to be done. So he had a church built. This would calm the people down. A very large and rather well built church emerged across the road from a large government building. The plan was to knock the government building down so that a suitably special entry and set of steps could be constructed for the church. Unfortunately, or fortunately - depending on your perspective - a revolution intervened and the new Republican government, adhering to the principle that there should be a separation between church and state, decided that a government building would
not be knocked down to suit the needs of the church. After 150 years that situation remains. The church has never been used and sits there without front steps or any other method of entry through the front doors; a very expensive white elephant, athough this one is pretty mouldy.
Much of our tour of the old city was assisted by the use of 'traboules'. These nifty arrangements were established, initially, to allow quick access for traders from up in the old city down to the Saône River. Traboules start with a door on a street, apparently locked, and on opening the door you proceed along the passageway through the lower part or courtyard of a large house or apartment block and exit through a similar relatively anonymous door in another street. Traboules provide excellent 'short cuts' from street to street; and those with a good knowledge of the city are able to move around very efficiently. The only rule is that users must be quiet and not upset those who actually live in the houses.
During the Second World War the traboules were used a great deal by members of the Resistance and they always have been
used by criminals and police, along with the general population. These days there are some that have been marked with the little lion's head for use by tourists, but there are many others only known by those in the know - usually locals.
We didn't have enough time in Lyon. It is an interesting and attractive city and we should have allocated more time to its exploration. Maybe on another trip? Perhaps after we have saved enough to not pass out when asked to pay 80 Euros for a small plate of excellent food?
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D MJ Binkley
Dave and Merry Jo Binkley
Thanks for the tip
When we go back to France we will allow plenty of time for this area. We love walking tours in European cities. They really know how to do them well. Thanks for some history.