The car return to Marseille St Charles and then TGV to Lyon went off without a hitch. We are getting a bit long in the tooth so opted for a taxi to the apartment rather than heft heavy bags and not knowing how many stairs we may encounter. Great decision. Turns out we are ensconced in a listed building circa …well I don’t know …but it’s old. The area is Renaissance but not sure about our building, but it is amazing.

Our accommodation was in Vieux Lyon- the old city- directly above a very popular René Nardone Glacier. Late afternoon seemed to be the time for Aperò, usually alcoholic or a glace, an ice cream. There was often a queue at that time, and it made the place feel very vibrant and happy. 

So why Lyon? We had never been before. It’s the gastronomic capital of France and consequently- the world! And John likes to cook and Paul Bocuse was the first ever of ‘the world’s best…’ (in his case ..chef). John likes to check out lists of ‘the best …?’ It sometimes gives him/us structure for our travels. He often tracks down ‘the best bar’, ‘the best street’, ‘the best beer’, ‘the best café’ and it gives us a bit of a framework around which to work. Of course, we understand that ‘the best’ is always ‘political’. That is the nature of the beast, but it has led us to some amazing places and experiences. 

And then there were the myriad of things I did not know about Lyon. It was the capital of the Roman Provence of Gaul. It’s at the confluence of the Saône and the Rhone. It was the heart of the European silk industry for a couple of hundred years. Hermes still creates and produces scarves here. There are spectacular murals mostly celebrating the workers of the city. It was the centre of the Resistance during WWII. And here’s the thing…Lyon has a Catholic Church that is independently owned. This is unique and that church is spectacular, and its architectural style is totally unique. I like this city.

Lyon has a ‘City Pass’ and we were pleased with the one in Aix so decided to get another. It included a walking tour, a river cruise, museum entry and all transport. We bought a four day pass and probably saved a couple of dollars and it was convenient. We did a Hop on Hop Off Bus tour firstly which was good as it gave us an overview of the city. It was definitely the best way to get to the Bascilica of Notre Dame of Fourvière which sits on the hill and dominates the city. This is the church that is owned by an association. There is some outstanding architecture and then there are the traboules.