Day 2 in Lyon

 [11 April]

Warning! Lots of photos and several very short videos follow.

Another gorgeous day in Lyon! It's 72F right now as I write this (early evening) and the sun has been out strong all day long. Still we found plenty of shade during our outings today so for the most part we remained cool and comfortable.

The morning slid by quietly as we relaxed at home and just enjoyed being where we are. About 1:30 pm we got our act together and left the apartment heading toward Quai des Celestins and our boat cruise. Along the way we walked through Place des Jacobins, the hub of some 12 streets.  We then passed an Algerian restaurant (Souk Souk/O Couscous) specializing in couscous and tajine dishes that we might try next week. 

Arriving at the boat dock we had a few minutes to kill before boarding so we walked across the pedestrian foot bridge (passerelle) that goes over to the right bank and the Palais de Justice.

our boat patiently waiting

the basilica and Palais de Justice on the right bank

the Pont Napoléon Bonaparte

the Passerelle du Palais de Justice

In front of the Palais de Justice is this stunningly poignant statue of a man carrying his own body. Titled "The Weight of Oneself "it was designed by artists Elmgreen & Dragset and ostensibly represents man as his own savior and his own burden.

After strolling back we stopped at the ticket booth, had our city cards checked and queued up to board. We had to wait only about 15 minutes -- albeit in the sun -- before we boarded and were soon out on the water. 

Susan wisely waits in the shade

this is gonna be fun!

The cruise is on the Saône River (see the company website for more information about these cruises) only. 

We went upriver for about 20 minutes, turned around and headed down river all the way to the area the locals the Confluence, where the Saône meets the Rhone. It was a wonderful trip and although sunny we had the occasional nice breeze to keep us company.

The trip focused almost solely on buildings, usually ones of some historical import but also those that had an interesting architectural aspect worth noting. For me I was impressed by the large number of people strolling, sitting, just relaxing on the riverbank walkway, itself seeming to go on forever.  Oh, and the left bank is the presqu'île side.

remnants of an old castle/rampart on the left bank

the right bank

Now we're headed downriver to the confluence.

one curious houseboat

the Confluence Museum

meeting the Rhone

the south tip of presqu'île - you can see the Saône (foreground) and Rhone (background)

This part of presqu'île, the southern tip is packed with commercial and residential buildings that just scream imagination; maybe nots yours or mine but creativity is often difficult to grasp. And the watercraft tied up in this part of Lyon are almost equally fascinating, but on a smaller scale. 

this is meant to represent Mimolette cheese

pulling back in to the dock

For those of you who have followed our travels you know how keen we are on taking a river cruise when visiting a city in Europe. It's a superb way of getting a feel for the place from a waterside view point plus learn more of its history in the bargain.

We can't recommend this cruise highly enough. The audio presentation was in both French and English and we did get to see a lot of the river. Perhaps some of the most intriguing sights were the incredibly creative buildings close to the Confluence. That and the amazing array of houseboats and assorted barges lining the quai on the southern end of presq'île.

Once we had disembarked we walked over to Pont Napoléon Bonaparte and crossed the river to the right bank, heading for the funicular that would take us up the hill to the Basilica Notre-Dame de Fouvrière and the Roman theatre ruins. (The funicular is also covered in the Lyon City Card.)

a partly shaded walk to the Pont

a view of the passerelle from the Pont

entrance to the Funiculars 1 and 2  

The ride up was short, sweet and and crowded As soon as we exited we found ourselves in an enormous throng in front of the basilica entrance, some joining in a mass being said on the open space in front of the church while many others like us cruised in and and out of the basilica. The interior was full of color and strikingly beautiful scenes of biblical events in biblical proportions. 

From the basilica we made our way around the church to get a glimpse of the city to the east from the wonderful panorama that seemed specially designed for just that. One can just see both rivers that create presqu'île.

Leaving the basilica we then made our way o the nearby Roman theaters and accompanying Lugdunum Museum. (Lugdunum was the Roman name for Lyon.)

After browsing the museum, part of which was still undergoing remodeling apparently, we exited and passed in front of the Roman theatres on our way back to the funicular. Incredible views of the city.

Once back down at street level (in the neighborhood Vieux Lyon) we walked back across the river, and eventually skirted along the edge of Place Bellecour. 

Just before the Place I noticed that we were on rue Chambonnet. Below the street sign there was a plaque for Colonel Albert Chambonnet, local leader of the resistance in Lyon. He and four other resistance members were shot by the Germans on nearby Place Bellecour on 27 July 1944. So typical of what one sees scattered around Paris. . .

We meandered a bit before finding ourselves back home where we relaxed with an aperitif and congratulated ourselves on enjoying a lovely day in Lyon.

That evening we enjoyed a rice and vegetable meal compliments of Picard and U Express.

Tomorrow we have a scheduled tour of the Trabouls in the Croix-Rousse neighborhood and a visit to a silk workshop.