7 June 2017
Our stay in Madeira came to an end as we boarded a morning connection flight to Lisbon and onward to Lyon. It was our first opportunity to visit the Bourgogne (Burgundy) area of east-central France, where Miss P did her Master's Degree and had her first experience of living in Europe. We had also bought tickets to see Coldplay live the following day at the Olympique Lyonnaise Stadium.
Lyon is a charming town whose city centre is on a strip of land between two major rivers; the Rhone and the Saone. The photo below shows the River Rhone in the foreground, while the Saone is further back and only the rows of trees on its banks can be seen above the buildings.
As is typical of most French towns, Lyon is immaculately tidy and orderly, its streets and boulevards made centuries ago with pedestrians in mind. It is a people-friendly town. Cafés and restaurants spill onto the pavements, the outdoor tables the first to be taken by the people-watching French. I was looking forward to getting stuck into the wine and fine cuisine associated with this area of France. To top it all the weather was a fabulous 26 degrees.
 |
| Lyon |
 |
Our first meal in Lyon did not disappoint. The lamb was superb
and the wine..well...it took more than one bottle, just to be sure! |
 |
| Palais de Justice |
 |
| Lyon town centre |
 |
| The new side of Lyon where the River Saone ends by joyning the mightier Rhone |
 |
| Coldplay were on top form and not at all sombre,as they are often accused of being. |
 |
| The town of Chalon Sur Saone. The river was teeming with fish swimming around the lilies. |
 |
| ...for lunch |
On June 10th we left Lyon just after breakfast and drove eastwards towards Dijon for a three night stay. On the way we stopped at Chalon Sur Saone, a small river-side market town, for a well deserved lunch and...refreshments. After a hearty meal we strolled to the town centre where we found some youngsters playing guitars and singing in an esplanade. I joined them, made new friends and went on to have a great session of music, broken English and beer. Nothing breaks the ice better than a singsong, wherever you may be!
 |
| My new music pals |
 |
| Dijon, the home of mustard and Burgundy wines |
 |
Dijon Old Town full of pretty patterns
|
 |
| This town is both old and modern. Just like me! |
 |
From the 14th century, the Dukes of different European kingdoms would meet
in this square to iron out their differences and avoid inter-familial wars. It is the
Palais Des Ducs Et Des Etats De Bourgogne |
After an enjoyable and satisfying 12 days in France we returned to Lisbon to rest and spend another week in the familiar surroundings.
Ciao for now
No comments:
Post a Comment