Ahh, Lyon.
‘Il faut retourner à Lyon’ (we must return to Lyon).
A lovely city. Our hotel, the ‘Hotel Vaubecour’, is a small, family-run operation perfectly located in the 2nd Arrondissement between the Rhone and Saone rivers and in walking distance to Lyon’s massive historical district. The young couple who own and manage the hotel have been just fantastic.
The ruins of the ancient roman city of Lugdunum sit high above the city. Really high. Second only to Rome in its glory, Lugdunum had two large theaters which overlooked the valley below, baths, and temples. The city museum dedicated to the Roman presence is quite well done.
Just above the Roman ruins is the basilica ‘Notre Dame de Fourviere’ – just incredible. Fourviere has been a site of pilgrimage for hundreds of years.
We finish the evening with dinner at the Café Comtour Abel which is known for its classic Lyonnaise cuisine. We both agreed it was not something we could eat every day due to the richness of the dishes, but a fun way to include dining in our exploration of Lyon: Foie gras ‘entrees’, Chicken with morel for Marie, & Quenelle (a culinary specialty of Lyon – essentially a pike dumpling) for Richard. All quite interesting.
D&M