We arrived in Lyon around 4, having made good time from Paris. Dad had a nap while Will and I wandered into town where we found a nice cafe and had a beer. We had some light showers just as we headed off, but they cleared up and didn’t return. Our hotel was at the southern end of the “presqu’île” (almost island), so-named because it’s where the two rivers meet (the Rhône and the Saône), forming a thin peninsula.
We had dinner that night at a nearby restaurant, the Brasserie Georges, which has been in existence since 1836. It’s an enormous space, could easily seat a few hundred people, decorated in Art Deco style (my favourite). We arrived when it opened around 7, and by 8, it was close to full. The waiter said that it fills up every night, they just have a lot higher turnover on the weekends. Lyon is known as the gastronomic capital of France, and therefore, the world and our first experience didn’t disappoint. Will had French Onion Soup to start, a first for him since we moved here. It was the usual onions in a rich broth with bread and gobs of cheese, but in addition, a lightly beaten egg yolk, prepared by the waiter at the table. Apparently, they prepare a number of dishes table-side, so I’m glad we got the experience.
After taking Dad back to the hotel, Will and I headed out to explore the nightlife. We tracked down a few bars, but in both cases, we had them mostly to ourselves. We then stumbled upon a hole in the wall bar, almost literally, it was just big enough to hold ten people at a time. The barmen were very friendly, almost too friendly if you know what I mean, but amusing and talkative. They mentioned a small club that did karaoke on a Tuesday, so we decided to give it a try. It was nearly 2 before they started singing, and although I was tempted, I’ve decided to give karaoke a rest until I can find some decent songs to do. Will would have preferred to stay out longer, but we were meeting Dad at 9 the next morning, so called it a night and walked home.
We spent the next day exploring the city. We got all-day passes for public transport, good on any bus, tram or metro for €5. We got a local bus to the main square, then walked over the bridge to the “old town”. This is on the left bank of the Saône river, which rises very steeply, so is mainly just a few roads with lots of old buildings. First stop was a museum of the history of Lyon, from prehistoric up to modern times, laid out over 30 different rooms. Next stop was lunch outside, at a small cafe serving Mexican food. From there, we took the funicular to the top of the hill. This is a tram that is built at a 45 degree angle and it makes the trip from bottom to top in under 2 minutes. At the top is a large white basilica, which is visible from almost anywhere in the city. We didn’t go in, but instead made our way to the nearby Gallo-Roman museum, which sits next to two ancient amphitheatres. This museum detailed life in Roman times, and included many artefacts recovered in the city, many of them in recent times when works were being done. Mostly, there were columns with inscriptions, but also, some lovely mosaics.
We had a drink at the Place Bellecour, an enormous square in the centre of town, then walked back to the hotel and rested. Dinner that night was in town, so we took the metro. Earlier in the day, I nearly left Chuck and Will behind, getting on a train whose doors were about to close. I was more successful the second time, and I got on a train just as the doors were closing, leaving the two of them to get the next train. I don’t really have an excuse, other than my urban reflexes took over. I rejoined them at the next stop, and then we all got off in the town centre, and headed to a place that I scoped out on Trip Advisor. It was an exceptionally good meal, even in comparison to our local eateries. We returned to the hotel and had a drink in the bar before bed.
I had an upset stomach since our first night in Paris, which I blamed on the beer. After four days, it wasn’t any better, and it was really bad the entire drive back. I had started taking antibiotics for an ear infection just before we left, and I’m fairly sure they were the cause, and not the alcohol. We didn’t have much food in the house, so made confit with a pasta side-dish, which was fine, but not for my stomach. I had a fitful night’s sleep, but my morning, was feeling a bit better. I have since been eating a lot of yogurt, which is meant to restore the good bacteria that was wiped out by the antibiotics.
We had a quiet day on Friday, mostly catching up with work, shopping, cleaning etc. The night before we returned, our web server crashed and I awoke to find emails saying as much. I was able to get it back on-line before we left, but then spent the entire journey trying to figure out what went wrong. I still don’t know for certain, but think I’m getting to the bottom of it. Dad and I went for a walk in the afternoon, then I made a Thai-style noodle soup for dinner.
The following days were fairly similar, except for dinner. On Saturday night, we went to a new restaurant in Brantome called La Récré Gourmande. It used to be in the town itself, but recently moved to a hotel complex up a hill on the edge of town. It’s set in some lovely grounds, and it was warm enough to eat outside. The restaurant’s menu, although French, is not typical. It consists mainly of Tartines, which are like an open-faced Croque Monsieur crossed with a pizza, salads, and a few mains. Between us, we sampled all three: Will had two tartines, I had a melted-camembert salad, and Dad had lamb tagine. The portions are huge, including the salad, which in addition to an entire mini-round of cheese, had sliced potatoes and lardons. The waiter/owner was very chatty, and as we were leaving, enquired about their web site, which is still “under construction” after three years. We made an appointment to meet with them in November, so hopefully something comes of it.
On Sunday, Bryan and Carol joined us for dinner. I planned to make Sweet Potato Enchilladas, but at the last minute, remembered that Bryan doesn’t eat tomatoes, so I found a different sauce on line. It called for a hint of chocolate, like a mole sauce, but I ended up using way too much, and the result was a bizarre dish. The filling was fine, and featured fresh corn from our garden, but the sauce tasted a lot like hot chocolate. Everyone finished theirs, but I’m sure it took a lot of effort. It was nice seeing the neighbours, since it had a been a while.
We had an excursion to Aubeterre on Monday afternoon. It’s an hour and 15 min drive, so a lot of the time was spent in the car. We parked at the top of the hill, strolled into town and went to the subterranean church. We just did the audio tour which was fine, but no where near as comprehensive as the previous time when we had a guide. Like the last time, we looked for a place to stop for a drink, but everything was already closed at 4pm. Instead, we headed back via Brantome for supplies, then had a drink outside at Port 80, which in the end, was just as pleasant.
Tuesday was another stay at home day. I mowed the front lawn in the afternoon, then Dad and I had a walk. He did very well the entire trip, despite his recent fall. We avoided any dirt paths, and instead strolled around the roads of various local hamlets. The first day, we went to Chantres, which is on a hill, so has good views over the surrounding area. The other two walks were La Grange and La Jaunie, both accessible from here. By the third walk, we were doing over two miles, with no real problems for Dad. The only thing that bothered him was reading, after which he felt dizzy when he stood up. Before coming here, he found an eye doctor at the last minute, and got some new glasses. He thinks they may be the problem, and will be seeing his regular doctor next week.
We had great weather the entire time Dad was here, with temps in the mid to upper 20’s. It was meant to storm yesterday, but held off until last night when we had a few good ones, including thunder and lightening. Dad’s train was not until 4:30, so we decided to see a bit of the Charante before he left. We had planned to go to Cognac, which is said to be a lovely town, but instead opted for Jarnac, about 15K away, since it is smaller and closer. We had lunch in a place on the square, which was just ok, then had a brief walk. The town is the home to Courvoisier, and we just enough time for a tour, which lasted about an hour. It was meant to include a taste of cognac at the end, but we ran out of time and had to skip it. We got to the train station, and made sure Dad got on the right train before heading home.
I shall conclude by saying that we really enjoyed Lyon, much more than Paris. It’s still a big city, but on a very manageable scale. It’s within a few hours of the sea, the mountains, and Paris (by train). The people were very friendly, even for a city of its size, and every local that we spoke to said they were very happy there. Weather-wise, it’s probably a bit more extreme than here, but probably not by much. It’s been officially added to the list of places to move to, should we decide to move out of the sticks.