Day two had us checking out a bit more of the 2nd including my work and an old abbey before heading over to Vieux Lyon and up to Fourviere, the Musée Gallo-romain and the Roman amphitheatres. In the old town we were able to check out a couple traboules, one of which was very long and nicely lit. La Tour Rose was the next stop and mom got a classic shot of James, Dad and I. Next we popped into a boulangerie and bought some paninis for lunch which we washed down with a little can of beer before taking one of the many sets of stairs up to see the basilica, and while eating we had the perfect view of it from we were sitting! The hike up the hill was a nice little workout but the view always pays off. Conveniently on Thursdays the museum nearby is free so we were able to look at some Roman artifacts that were found in and around the Lyon area including enormous, complete mosaic tiled floors and giant stones that were once part of buildings. Then we of course checked out the theatres outside next to the museum before heading back down to our respective apartments. James was off to a football match for Lyon that night so my parents and I went out for food and dined on moules frites - mussels with an endless supply of fries! We had a nightcap on the Saone river with a spectacular view of Fourviere and the Palais de Justice all lit up.
The following day we had a day trip to Nimes but I'll post about that separately, so to continue with Lyon on Saturday James and I took my parents down to the southern part of the presqu'ile called Confluence which as you may have guessed is where the two rivers meet. There is a newly built and modern-looking shopping centre down there which is partly outdoors along with many other modern architectural buildings and even a newly built museum. We caught a navette fluviale, a shuttle by boat along the Saone which was a first for James and me since we've walked it so many times. It was great to see everything from a slightly different view! Between the mall and the water is a decent sized pond and we kept hearing this sound coming from the water and upon inspection it was dozens of frogs ribbiting! My dad got a great video of them. We walked all the way to the tip of the presqu'ile before heading back to catch a tram to the 8th where James and I first lived when we arrived in Lyon.
Once in the Monplaisir neighbourhood we were able to show my parents a group of French men playing pétanque or les boules which is the French version of bocce ball and frequently seen in parks and squares. Our hunger was pretty strong so the four of us had a delicious and filling meal - James and I finally ate tartiflette which we'd been dying to do for ages! One of the classic melted cheese, meat and potatoes dishes, it was everything we hoped it would be. Reblochon cheese is so tasty... My mom got a savoury Savoyard crepe and my dad got the andouillette sausage. Très français. We ate at a cafe next to the Lumiere museum (which I previously wrote about in another blog entry) and while we didn't actually visit the museum we did check out the entrance foyer and the garden behind the mansion. There we met a wonderfully friendly gentleman who was originally from Algeria but who had lived in France for several decades and we discussed living abroad and having family spread out around the world. It's so fascinating to have those kinds of conversations with kind strangers.
Saturday night we had planned to go out for a fancy dinner but foolishly I didn't make a reservation at L'Est, another one of the Paul Bocuse restaurants, and so when we showed up it was packed. Disappointing of course but we decided that we'd reserve for dinner Monday instead since we were determined to show my parents a true French brasserie experience! We tried another restaurant and it too was full but then we came across a Greek place which sated our appetites with Mediterranean delights.
Sunday we took my parents to the big markets - an absolute must when visiting any city or town in France. While James took pictures of just about every vendor's display for posterity my parents and I picked up some items for lunch and dinner. We had a fantastic riverside lunch in the sun with fresh bread, goat's cheese and blue cheese, strawberries, raspberries and cherry tomatoes. Feeling satisfied we made a move over to Vieux Lyon to see the Musée Gadagne which is the Lyon historical museum housed in a home originally built in the fifteenth century. The museum has been there for nearly a hundred years and has so much information it's a lot to take in but it was cool for James and I especially since we knew the city so well at that point and learning about its history was more relevant. There is a lovely outdoor cafe at the top of the museum but since we'd already eaten we just popped up to check it out before heading to meet our good friends Paul and Hélène on the Rhone for a drink.
Since we'd bought fresh groceries at the market Mom prepared a top notch dinner at our apartment of pork baked with apples, roasted asparagus and cherry tomatoes and potatoes (I can't be sure if it was potatoes, the meal was two and a half months ago, but I know it was delicious). Man I missed my mom's cooking!
For their last full day in Lyon I took my parents up to Croix Rousse while James was at work and gave them the final great view (and climb) in the city. We really had such fantastic weather while they were visiting and we most certainly made the most of it being out and about. What we were all looking forward to was the dinner reservation at L'Est, and at 8pm we arrived with eagerness and anticipation of that on which we were about to dine...
We were planning to meet James there after he finished work but as fate would have it we met him in the subway at the interchange so it was perfectly timed. The restaurant is in an old railway station and the interior is based on that theme. There are little facts about the length of long-haul trips and even a model train that choo-choos around the walls inside!
There were no holds barred for our menu selections that night. And so there was a healthy dose of foie gras... James got the standard appetizer, my mom had it on salad, and I chose foie gras poêlé with asparagus and polenta and it was the first time I'd eaten it warm. Quite a different texture but still very tasty. Meanwhile my dad went for the old classic escargots served in their individual little pots covered in butter and parsley with their cute little croutons on top. It was a good start.
We followed that up with meat - excellently prepared meat. Both James and my dad ordered the filet de boeuf, my mom went for the côtelettes d'agneau, but I just had to go for the foie de veau, veal liver. And sweet goodness it was divine. The thing we kept saying was that in looking at the ingredients it always seems so simple but the food is done in such a manner that makes it taste so exquisite. Superbe ! Afterwards my dad and James opted for a cognac digestif looking ever the part of classy gentlemen.
So there you have it. My parents had such a great time in Lyon, and what a gastronomical way to go out on their visit to our adopted home city! It was lots of fun to show them the best parts of Lyon and enjoy some family time. Stay tuned for Nimes and Paris!
