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Wednesday 10 August 2011
This morning we rose early and packed up. We met J&P downstairs and decided to breakfast in the hotel (in view of our previous problem with finding somewhere which served breakfast). Wasn’t too bad either – all the usual things they provide for a Continental including cereal, yoghurt, fruit, toast and coffee.
J&P had booked their train ticket to Troire the day before and had to be at the station by around 9.30am. We walked down with them and said our goodbyes. It was sad to part as we had had such a lovely time with them but all good things come to an end.
We then set off to pick up our rental car. Kev had been there for a walk the day before and had sussed out where to go. Anyway we have mentioned the roadworks but probably hadn’t described just what a shambles the roads were. Everywhere roads are closed and the route we would have taken to get back to our hotel and pick up our bags was closed. When we picked up the car (from a very lovely French lady who spoke very little English but was great) she drew us a map to show us how to go about getting back. So, we set out in our latest model Volvo station wagon and almost immediately got lost. We went round and round a few times but finally found Rue de Menier which led back to the street behind the hotel where their parking area was. This was the only way we could think of getting our bags out without having to wheel them for miles. Sarl helped us and we checked out, packed the car and headed on our way. He gave us good instructions to access the A31 south to Lyon. In the meantime I was prodding Mary, or should I now call her Maree, and trying to get her to come to life. This was crunch time for her as it was the first time I had used her in France. On our taxi trip from Corbigny I did my damndest to liven her up but she wasn’t having a bar of it. Anyway in the end I stuck her on the window and concentrated on the map and all of a sudden she came out of hibernation and started giving directions. She is one fickle woman! What I didn’t bargain on was that she would run out of battery just when we got into Lyon and it was all hell broken loose there for a moment while I stuck the phone on charge and livened it up again. In the end she came through for us and delivered us right to the door – thank goodness as it is a big city.
We arrived about 2.30pm – unpacked and headed out for the city. Our hotel is on the outskirts of the CBD about 2k’s from the old city and we were given directions to the Metro station. We travelled 4 stops which delivered us to the area directly under the hill bought a Carne (10 tickets) and then hopped on the Funicular which carried us up to the top of the hill, all in a tunnel, to the Our Lady of Fourviere Basilica. We were gobsmacked when we got out of the Funicular as the church was right in front of us when we got out into the sunshine. It is an amazing cathedral which has been recently cleaned and stood shining in the bright sunlight. We decided we wouldn’t go in as we had seen so many cathedrals but in the end I thought I would go and get a pamphlet so I could learn a little about it. Firstly there was a downstairs entrance, which we took and it opened up into a huge church area, with seats and an alter but the ceiling was quite low. We went back up the stairs and out into the sunlight again and climbed the stairs either side of this downstairs entrance and went into the Basilica. Well, we were both dumb struck with the beauty of it. It is decorated floor to ceiling with mosaics, pictures and other decorations.
The first written record of a chapel on this site dates back to 177AD with others being built in 1643 and 1852. It is by far the best church that we have ever been in! It was built because after the Franco-Prussian war, the citizens of Lyon prayed that their city would not be touched. True to their word they built the church in honour of the Virgin Mary looking after them. Families donated sums of money, jewels and in some cases the amounts given were only modest in order that the church could be built.
We walked around the church and again we couldn’t believe our eyes at the view of the entire city of Lyon. The views we have seen from the Eiffel Tower and Arch de Triumph are small by comparison. The colours of the roofs and buildings were extraordinary. We could see the two rivers, Soane and Rhone threading their way through the city. The whole thing was so lovely. The only blot on the landscape was the horrible rocket shaped building that is the Raddison Hotel – so out of character. We then walked behind the Basilica and across the hill to the Roman ruins and amphitheatres, yes they built two of them, so high up the hillside, a bit like Delphi. They are being restored and concerts are held here and the large one of the two can seat 4600 people. It never ceases to amaze me that in 76AD the Romans had the technology to construct so many of this sort of thing all over their empire.
We then started to wend our way down the hillside in the hot, hot sun and eventually we got to an area of narrow, cobbled streets and tall buildings that appeared to be all apartments on the upper floors and bars, cafes, restaurants and shops at ground level. The whole area was full of people. By this time it was 5.30pm and we decided that we were going to have early dinner and then go home rather that coming out once we had been home. Salads and a cold bottle of Viognier.
Thursday 11th August
We have now been away from home for nine weeks and often can’t remember where we saw what or where we ate in a particular place. Life is a bit of a blur – but lovely.
Went on the train again to the other side of the Soane River and found a place for brunch. Crepes and coffee – it was lovely. We then walked a wee way and saw another church that was being cleaned. Lots of scaffoldings covered so that you can’t see the church at all. This is the church of Saint John the Baptist. This façade of this church was finished in 1480 but the main bits were built around 1392. There have also been other additions since then. We found the door and went in – the interior of this one was very ordinary except for an amazing clock inside. The astronomical clock is huge and the two faces are all gold and so many facts and figures, days, months, years, sun and moon, astrological signs and stars – really ornate. On the top of the clock is a rooster and below him are people around the bells – lots of people. It was built in the 14th century and restored in 1572 and 1660. It is 9.35m high. The chiming and action of all of the figures happens at 12noon, 2.00, 3.00 and 4.00pm daily. As it was 11.50 we decided to wait and see what ever was to happen. Soon the place was filled with throngs of people and we had a ringside seat. Noon came and the Cockrel started flapping his wings, the chiming started, the little people began banging the bells and the cacophony of sound lasted until the hour of twelve finished chiming.
We wended our way outside and set off through the narrow streets, however as it was now past midday all of the shops had closed for lunch. So what to do but stop and have a beer. Boy was it now hot, we sat in the shade and drank our beer and watched the people go by. A lovely way to spend the day! After this we crossed the Soane and booked our tickets for the river trip today and the hop on hop off bus tomorrow. We had about 35 minutes to kill before we had to be down on the quay. There was only two tall spindly trees on the quay so not enough shade so we went through the streets looking in the shop windows at the stuff that millionaires buy. Everything in the shops in France has been so expensive – So girls don’t expect any presents – some things have been dearer in Euros than the same number in NZ dollars – forget about the exchange rate. We buy ok in NZ I can tell you. Girls, I might have to get a Manbag as everyone has one across his shoulder?
Back to the quayside and we were told that the boats only go if they have enough people. Well let me tell you that the quay was crowded and the space under the two spindly trees was at a premium. We squeezed in! The boat trip took us down the Soane River to the junction of the Soane and Rhone. We started off down the Soane River away from the main part of Lyon. The colour of the water of the two rivers at the junction were definitely different. The building on the sides of the rivers was mainly industrial and there are a lot of areas being developed with museums and cultural buildings that take up huge areas. It was as hot as on our side of the boat for half the trip so we were glad to be off it. The weather has definitely hotted up the further south we have come and it seems to get hotter much later in the afternoon than we get in NZ. This is not one of the not to be missed river trips..
Home to shower and change and out to dinner when the sun has gone down a bit.
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