Slept like a baby last night and was up at 8:00AM and had breakfast in the hotel dining room.Then I was off to begin my full day of sightseeing. When traveling I always buy the "Hop-On, Hop-Off" pass which allows you to see the entire city at your own pass. You get a map of the stops and then you get off when you want and get back on the next bus when you are done at the stop. Great way to travel without the burden of being with a group.
The city is just magical with cobbled-stoned streets, period architecture and the Soane river flowing through it, it's truly a romantic and charming place. Since pictures speak louder than words here are some of the images I caught today. . . . .
All over Lyon you will see the "Painted Walls" of Lyon, these world famous full wall trompe-l'oeil renditions are just magnificent Remember that each photo is actually a flat cement wall that has been painted....there are no windows or people in real life. . . here are a few:
At the end of the day we visited the Basilica of Notre Dame De Fourviere....just breathtaking!
There was a demonstration on global warming in the city so traffic was a nightmare and it took longer to get from one stop to the next so I got back to the hotel around 5:30PM
I was so tired that I took a nap but woke up in a panic when I realized it was 7:00PM and I had an opera to go to at 8:00PM......no time for dinner so I rushed to get ready and jumped into a taxi and I was in my seat at 5 minutes before curtain call.....whew!
Well I hated the opera, it wasn't one of the famous operas that I like but a modernized version of the story of Faust (note to self...stick to the classic operas in the future!).... After 90 minutes of sheer boredom the intermission started and I made a beeline for the exit and made my way back to the Old Town to have dinner close to the hotel.
I found this charming little "bouchon" restaurant, Le Francois Villon.
I had another incredible meal consisting of a cream of vegetable soup, a "bavette" steak with pan fried shallots...just fabulous, the highlight was the creamiest cheesecake I have ever eaten topped with a praline sauce....OMG hide the bathroom scale!!!
A leisurely short walk back to my hotel was welcome. After a relaxing bath, my bed was all I wanted. Before ending my post I just had to add a cute tidbit.
One tradition which I have when I travel is to pick the cutest or most interesting dog I see in the particular city I'm in and give him my "Dog of the City" award. I have dozens of these dog pictures from all over the world which I have collected over the years and I find it lots of fun to find that special little fur friend with a winning personality.
So without further ado......drum roll please......tada: the winner of the "Lyon Dog" award goes to. . .
Wait for it!
Alphonse!
Great pics. The Basilica is amazing.
ReplyDeleteLinda