Tour guide Christian, with Peter to the left
Peter, intently learning even more about wine
After the wine tasting, we cross over a wonderful suspension bridge (perhaps if I had had less wine, I might have remembered to take a picture), and go to sister city Tournon. I say sister city; in fact, there was apparently great rivalry between the two (and separate government departments, of course) now thankfully resolved. There is a feudal castle, and the town boasts the oldest secondary school in France, located not too far from where the ship is docked.
We have to be back at the ship by 2:30 P.M., as we are steaming upriver to Lyon. Now, I guess, is as good a time as any to throw in a bunch of river shots, in no particular order as to when they were taken. I will say, though, that at some point the river is high enough and the bridges are low enough that we are asked to leave the upper deck, for fear of decapitation a la Marie Antoinette...
(I thought I had taken a few pictures of that suspension bridge....)
And, since we again have a few leisure hours, I will show you some pictures of life on board ship.....
 |
| relaxing on deck.... |
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| The ship's dining room |
Our master chef, carving at lunch....
One of our waiters, Jakob...
A corner of the ship's lounge.....
....and the ship's entertainer....
(perhaps another word about the ship's crew. I don't remember whether I have mentioned that they all seem to be from Bulgaria, Romania, or Russia. They all seem to like each other and it shows....)
And so we cruise into the night, to arrive at Lyon for Friday's adventure.
Lyon is the second (or third, depending if you are speaking to someone from Marseille) largest industrial and commercial city in France. It's located at the confluence of the Rhone, and its main tributary, The Saone (about which more tomorrow). Favoritw sones include Rabelais, Ampere (inventor of the first electronic telegraph), Thimonnier (the inventor of the ), the Montgolfier brothers (who thought up the first hot air balloon), the Lumiere brothers (cinematography, of course), and, probably the most famous sone of all, Antoine de Saint Exupery, writer, aviator, and father of "The Little Prince). Lyon is also the center of the French textile industry, most notably its silk industry.
We have choices, but Peter and I opt to take the bus up Fourviere Hill (passing two Roman built but still in use theaters on the way) to Notre Dame de Fourviere basilica.
And admire the view..
Then we take the funicular down the hill,
....and tour the old town, the Quartier St. Jean, by foot. Once again, lots of medieval and renaissance architecture, and an interesting addition, les traboules, the city's old hidden passageways, and a visit to a silk workshop.
Lyon's baby Eiffel Tower, which, because it is on a hill, is taller than the big one.
We didn't take the Metro, but I was impressed by the scope. Vancouver, eat your heart out...
The Lyon Cathedral....
(Parenthetical lesson which I am sure is not needed by you, although it was by me. The difference between a church and a cathedral is that the cathedral is consecrated for use by the Bishop)
We admire the clock, although cannot wait long enough to see it in movement....
...and take the time to admire the local flora and fauna....
...and some of the architecture....
And now, for all you foodies out there, Peter and I opt for lunch off the ship, having been told that Paul Bocuse (yes, that Paul Bocuse) has a restaurant on the way back to the ship. Here is is....
Peter opts for the hot goat cheese salad, and I opt for the rabbit, and a happy meal it is too.
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