Lovely Morning in Lyon

After a short, but restful night of sleep at the LeLuyers, Diane and I awoke early at around 6 a.m.  I wanted to make sure that I had time to spend with Tanguy while he ate breakfast, and before he headed off to school around 7.  Such an extremely polite guy, who would make any momma (or former teacher) proud. Yann was up as well, and he made me a coffee. We made small talk as we ate Brioche bread and jam, sipping a coffee (me), and a hot cocoa (Tanguy).  Soon he had to go get ready for school.  I stayed a bit longer and Diane joined us also. Soon Cecile and Mathilde were there, as well.   Tanguy was the first to leave to school, followed by Yann off to work.  Diane and I were all ready for our day and we were able to walk, under cloudy skies, with Cecile to take Mathilde to the bus stop for school.  Then straight to an open air market where the veggies and flowers were fresh and appealing.  We walked through and purchased some unique looking tomatoes which Cecile assured us tasted like heaven.  :)   Slowly meandered around the rest of the block and arrived back at the apartment place.  Took up our wares, and then I was able to spend about 30-45 minutes working on my blog. 

 Our next jaunt came when I was done blogging and writing a postcard to Miller.  Cecile was our gracious guide for the day, and we took 2 Metro trains to arrive at our stop.  We walked out of the subway and were awestruck by the magnitude and beauty of the chuch in front of us.  A man playing a accordian serenaded us as we walked across the street towards the Our Lady of Fourviere Basilica.  The structure was awe inspiring.  The picture below is absolutely stunning!  But when you learn this next fact, you will be amazed!  

The entire artwork is approximately 4 meters by 10 meters, and is made up of ENTIRELY MOSAIC PIECES that were approx. 1 cm. by 1 cm.  Literally THOUSANDS of these pieces were painstakingly glued in to the shape of the picture, and these types of artwork covered almost every wall in this sacred place.  The floor was also mosaic designs, in varying colors and patterns along the aisles and center of the church.  This church is comparatively new to most every other we have seen, having only been built in the 19th century. 

 As we finished walking through the church, Cecile led us to a lookout and as we were standing there, the sun broke through the clouds and shone down upon us and we all started grinning. and then down a cool and shady path which slowly wound down the hillside.  We passed benches, water fountains, a red squirrel, and birds flitting about and singing their songs.  The stones and greenery had become one in many places.   Diane as in her element, snapping photo after inspired photo.  She was overwhelmed with the beauty around her and tried her best to capture even part of its true essence.
 Her eye has become keen to what  will look the best on my blog.

We walked down an endless staircase and were in the heart of "Old Lyon".  The beautiful architecture here never ceased to amaze us.  We saw many different ornate metalwork, on the doors, windows, and buildings.  We stopped into a couple of different, unique shops, and were taken, again,  by the strange and wonderful items the French had to offer.  A plethora of new sights and smells accosted our senses, sending us into a place of happiness.

 There were many, many restaurants along out walk, and with the sun coming out, we were in search for a place where we could have a drink and a yummy snack.  All of the quaint cafes we came across were not open for business yet, and would not be until lunch.  A far slower timetable lives here in France than in the hectic, fast paced United States.  We definitely need to take a lesson from them and slow down and smell the cappuccino!  lol.

 Cecile took us to the courtyard of a museum where it looked like a big concrete building on the outside, but viola!!  Walk inside and you are surrounded by paths outlined with green grass, flowers, and a water fountain that quietly bubbled, adding to the serenity and tranquility that was present from the moment we walked in.

Diane and I spotted a wonderful water fountain that was just begging for us to make a wish there.  So, we grabbed a couple of pennies and tossed them in as our wish floated with it.


As we completed our walking tour around the lovely city of Lyon, Cecile made sure we found a patisserie where we could get some fresh macaroons.  It took us 2 stores to find them. Fluffy, light, and filled with deliciousness, we ordered 2 each.   Then, we crossed over the sunny plaza and found a table where we would be served some hot (or cold) drinks.  We sat for around 30 minutes, reminiscing about our morning stroll, and all we had discovered about this incredible place.  We went back to the apartment, had lunch, and Cecile walked us to the train station.  She stayed with us the entire time until our train pulled away.  We will never forget the kindness and generosity that your loving family showed us Cecile.  Until we meet again... xoxo