We bid Adieu to Lyon with a heavy heart, but we shall return. Dick battles the Lyonnaise streets to secure a parking spot, so we can get our luggage to the car. Sunday, street parking is free, so of course, it is all full.
We have a long drive today, but our trusty Garmin takes us through the small villages of the Rhone valley and some very picturesque scenery before eventually depositing us on one of the Auto routes.
Along the way, we stop to visit the Palais Ideal du Facteur Cheval. It is the most unusual place I have ever seen. Reminiscent of an ‘Antoni Gaudi’ creation, it’s interesting they both lived about the same time, although one in France and one in Barcelona. Thirty three years in the making, it was constructed one side at a time. The level of skill improvement is noticeable as you walk around and thru the structure. Curious mind that one.
We resume our drive and arrive in Aix about 4PM. Lana our hostess is expecting us and comes down to show us the parking spot for our use. The garage is underneath the building and is secured. There is an elevator to take us to the 4th floor apartment (that’s 5th floor for us Americans). We have a nice two bedroom with plenty of space to stretch out. Lana spends some time explaining the apartment and the surrounding area. We have a boulangerie next door and Lana buys us some pastry and bread to welcome us. Along with the bottle of Rose and chocolates she has left in the apartment. Lovely woman.
Sundays tend to be quiet in most French towns so we decide to sip wine on the terrace and share a spinach and cheese pastry for dinner.
M.
Parking in old Lyon is crazy expensive so we used a garage recommended by our hotel which had a 24-hour rate (30€ but still a bargain!). It took me 5 minutes to walk to the garage from the hotel and 35 minutes to get back by car. One-way, medieval streets; signage in French (what the heck!?); and ninja drivers – got the blood flowing early.
The drive from Lyon this morning to Aix-en-Provence is our longest of the trip, some 3-1/2 hours along the Rhone valley. It’s an easy drive. The roads are good but heavily tolled.
An early diversion through the countryside took us to ‘Palais Ideal du Facteur Cheval’, impossible to describe. Ferdinand Cheval, a rural postman, spend some 33 years building his ‘dream palace’ from stones collected along his route. His palace was classified a ‘Historical Monument’ in 1969 by André Malraux, then the French Minister for Cultural Affairs. Unique, to say the least.
Our apartment in Aix looks great with parking and a central location. Should be a good couple of weeks here!
D.
One thought on “Palais Cheval & on to Aix”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Sounds like you two are enjoying another super holiday. Keep on enjoying yourselves and sharing. Safe travels.