une Canadienne en France

I only had one class this week (French on Tuesday), so I decided to take a day trip to Lyon. The train ride is only 1.5 hours and the ticket was only 18 Euros, so I figured, why not? I woke up early and the sun was already shining, so I knew it was going to be a good day. The train ride was very scenic and I was in Lyon by 11 am. Unlike most Canadian cities, public transit is well-organized so I only had to walk 200 m to the Metro station. I took my first subway ride ever and was in downtown Lyon in no time.

I emerged from the Metro into the huge Place Bellecour. It is a large square city block covered in dirt and housing only a Ferris wheel and a statue. It is the more southern half of the downtown, so I walked through it and started North.

The Ferris wheel in Place Bellecour.

Place Bellecour and the Basilique Notre-Dame de Fourvière on the hilltop.

I strolled down the main pedestrian street, Rue de la Republique, and was stuck with the architecture and the feel of the city. There were no cars on this street, it is only for pedestrians and bikers, and it seemed as if everyone had at least one shopping bag in their hands. The French have stores for everything. They have a few big box stores, but mostly there are boutiques, selling one type of product. I love it. You can stroll in and just be encompassed in something. I tend to wander into shoe stores, book stores, bakeries and pastry shops, and Lyon seemed to have ample supply. I didn’t go to shop though. I went for the scenery, the Musée des Beaux Arts, the two main Cathedrals and the famed food.

Merry-go-round in the Rue de la Republique.

For lunch I walked down a few side streets before picking a little Bistro with a quaint exterior. My French is still very sketchy, so the only thing that I recognized on the Plat du Jour menu was Duck. Regardless, I went in for lunch. Disappointingly, the food did not live up to my high expectations for Lyon. The duck was good, but there was nothing creative (or overly classic) about how it was served. The lemon meringue pie I had for dessert however was quite heavenly. It had lemon custard instead of lemon Jello filling like American lemon meringue pies. I reasoned that I will just have to return to Lyon when my French is better and try again.

After lunch I headed to the Musée des Beaux Arts. It is located in the Place des Terreaux, another large plaza.

Place des Terreaux. To the left are cafés, bistros and apartments, I think the building directly in front is a government building, and the Musée des Beaux Arts is the building on the right.

Huge fountain of a woman and four horses in the Place des Terreaux, directly across from the Musée des Beaux Arts.

Before entering the museum, you walk through a serene courtyard housing statues and a fountain. There were people reading, snacking on pastries and (what looked like) contemplating.

Courtyard of the Musée.

Courtyard of the Musée.

Ceiling of the walkway around the courtyard. The detail was stunning.

Upon entering the museum, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that students do not have to pay a charge for the visit. Because I went on a weekday the museum was nearly deserted and I toured through the exhibits without any distractions. The art within the museum was spectacular. There were sculptures, artifacts and paintings from Egyptian to modern times. In all, there were three floors of the second largest fine arts collection in France. It was so much to take in, that a second or third visit would be good.

Afterwards, I walked to the old neighbourhood, Vieux de Lyon, to find the two Cathedrals. Vieux de Lyon is built across the River Saône and is the sight of many medieval and Renaissance buildings. There are winding streets everywhere, and old cobblestone paths up and down the hill.

The view of some of downtown Lyon from across the Saône river.

A photo to prove that I was really in Lyon.

One of the many steep paths through the neighbourhood.

Looking back down the many stairs I just climbed.

The hike up the Fourvière Hill was long and winding but completely worth it. The Basilique Notre-Dame de Fourvière was stunning. After climbing a few switch backs, you enter the Rose Garden at the base of the Basilique. The Rose Garden was quite lovely even though it is January. The path has metal rose buds stamped along it and the vegetation was still quite green. There were even a few small buds out.

Rose bud in the pavement path.

Tiny blooms in the middle of winter.

The Basilique really is on the top of Fourvière Hill and offers a stunning view of the city. The church itself was gorgeous, inside and out. I am sure my few church visits and North American upbringing contributed heavily to my amazement of this Old World Landmark.

The view from beside the Basilique.

In front of the Basilique.

The impressive front of the Basilique.

The stained glass, mosaics and monuments from inside the Basilique:

After tourist-ing it up at the Church, I walked back down the hill to see the Cathédrale St-Jean. It wasn’t quite as breathtaking as the Basilique; it had a much more medieval, looming feel.

A part of the path down from the Basilique Notre-Dame de Fourvière to the Cathédrale St-Jean.

After sitting in contemplative silence for a while, I headed back the Place Bellecour.

One last look from Cathédrale St-Jean up to the Basilique Notre-Dame de Fourvière.

The trip to Lyon was a wonderful departure for the day from Grenoble. I will definitely head back again on search for better food, another look at the Musée des Beaux Arts, and a visit to the historic silk district of the city.