After a week and a half on the farm, we headed to Lyon, a large city only 20 minutes away. Two rivers run through Lyon, which divides the city in to three main districts - the old city, the shopping area, and the financial center. Each district has it's own personality and appeal and no matter where we went, delicious food was easy to find. We spend the majority of our two days in Lyon walking through the city and exploring the different neighborhoods. The old city is mainly car-free, so afternoon and evening strolls were true delights. There was also a plant exposition one day in the main town square, Place Bellecour, which was a traveling art show featuring native plants from around the region.
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| A view of Lyon, France from Fourviere Hill. |
As the gastronomic capital of France, there are dozens of restaurants and cafes on every block. Most serve typical Lyonnais specialties, though numerous ethnic restaurants are also present. In our two days, we sampled all types of local food - crepes, cheeses, breads, ice cream, pastries, olives, and vegetables. Many of these were found at the daily market along the river, which on Sundays, stretches nearly 1/2 mile.
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| A relaxing dinner featuring traditional Lyonnais cheese. |
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| A great way to start the morning - Pain au Chocolat and Croissant aux Amandes. |
One evening we enjoyed a delicious dinner at a restaurant that features tartines - an open-faced sandwich served on crusty bread. The restaurant was so good, that we went there twice, ordering the same food both times. To our surprise and delight, the dishes were made completely differently each night - a true example of a chef working with ingredients on hand and his inspiration for the night.
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| Our first dinner at the restaurant. |
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| Our second dinner at the restaurant. |
Although one of the bigger cities in France, Lyon was a great city to walk through and we felt like we got a great sense of the city even in just two days. Our next stop is Aix-en-Provence, a small city in the south of France. We are looking forward to the contrast between these regions and exploring the delicacies of southern France.
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One of the public squares in Lyon.
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| Us in front of the church on Fourviere Hill. |
