Notre Grande Aventure, Partie II

As I mentioned in last week’s post, we’re off on another European adventure. After a few days in Paris we traveled to Lyon where we enjoyed the amazing bouchons, a food tour, and wandering through a street market. We have never taken a food tour before and are reluctant tour participants in general, however, since Lyon is the gastronomic capital of France, we figured it would be a good place to give one a try. We chose Secret Food Tours which offers food tours in major cities all over the planet.

It was a chilly, rainy Monday when we met up with our guide, Charlotte, and four other foodies on the steps of Temple du Change. We were instructed to look for the orange umbrella, which was a bright beacon on this dull, drizzly, grey day.

Charlotte, originally from the UK, is amazingly knowledgeable about Lyon and its history. She provided us with more information than we could possibly absorb in our 3.5 hour tour, particularly after the huge lunch with wine, but it was all very interesting and we learned some entertaining details. Our tour started with a stop for a light “snack” Lyonnaise style. The snack included local cheeses, meats, and cornichons; I was glad to see a little salad on the board.

As we wandered down the cobbled streets, we saw large doors that lead into buildings, like one sees in most European cities. One very curious guest in our group asked if we could see what was behind these doors. Sure enough, Charlotte lead us down an impasse to a courtyard in the middle of the building.

She explained that these secret passageways called traboules, are unique to Lyon. Dating back to the 4th century, they allowed quick access to the old town, transfer of textiles and other supplies, all while providing shelter from the elements. Most notably for me was their use as secret meeting spots for members of the resistance during WWII. There are over 400 traboules in Lyon, many are still in use today.

As we continued walking down the cobbled streets, she stopped to explain that one stone is called a pavé, a slab of rock in a rectangular shape. Since arriving in France two years ago, I have seen this term frequently used on menus. Now I know that it refers to a rectangular slab of meat or fish; pavé de salmon par exemple. Not very appetizing in theory, but in context it’s helpful to know.

She also told us about the history of the silk workers in Lyon. Beginning in the 14th century, demand for silk increased greatly then, mostly by the aristocracy. Due to Lyon’s location at the confluence of two rivers, it seemed an ideal location for production of silk. The traboules were used by workers to load and unload supplies and send newly created silk items to locations far and wide. The history of the silk industry in Lyon is quite extensive; click here to read more.

So all in all, the food tour was quite interesting, however, I was hoping it was going to focus more on the gastronomic history of Lyon. Would I recommend it? Hmm.. if you’re into food anthropology, no; general history, yes. However, our 3.5 hour tour with snacks, lunch, wine, and treats along the way was only 89€ per person; a bargain.

Lyon is a lovely city to explore and will provide many photo opportunities. It has a mini Eiffel Tower, perched high on the hill next to Notre dame de Fourviere. This privately owned tower is closed to the public but serves as a radio tower.

You’ll find many monuments in Lyon as well. I found The Weight of Oneself (first photo below) to be particularity poignant.

Et, bien sûr, just wandering the streets is always a treat.

On our last day in Lyon, we enjoyed lunch at L’Arbre Sec, (the dry tree), a restaurant that focuses on meat and wine. Luckily for me they have some vegetarian options. We shared a salad Lyonnaise, which was one of the best salads we have ever had. For our mains theTravelsketcher had chicken cordon bleu, and I had mushroom risotto, everything was fabulous.

After four days in Lyon, we took the train to Geneva. It was our first visit to this iconic Swiss city, and we thoroughly enjoyed our short stay here before heading to Milan.

As a side note, last week was my five year anniversary with WordPress. I thoroughly love blogging and sharing my adventures with others. In addition, I also enjoy reading about your travel experiences, tips, and musings. Thanks to you all for your support and encouragement.

At the moment, we are in Umbria, and thoroughly enjoying every minute and bite of Italian culture and delicacies. I have so much more to share about our spring get away – more coming in the weeks ahead.

As always, I appreciate your continued support and comments.

Wishing you grand adventures,

Tricia