Lyon

Spent the morning shopping to replace panniers and Pats shoes. Then headed into town - Place Bellecour- to tourist info. If you come to Lyon & need assistance ask for Lorreen. By the time we left we had a full itinerary and everything we needed. Lyon is a very big city - next after Paris and the gastronomic capital of France. Unbelievable the array of cafes, restaurants, boulangeries, chocolatiers, patisseries, bistrots, bars and, most Lyonnaise of all, the Bouchon - a traditional French affair, with a relaxed atmosphere and extremely, hearty servings.

We found the best coffee in France at Slake coffee shop on the Rue Ancienne in Centre Ville - the brownies and carrot cake weren't too shabby either ( This sort of research required repeat visits- morning & afternoon tea).
In between times we managed to take a Bateaux boat ride on La Saône and the Petit Train, which toured around The Croix Rousse area of Lyon - the old Silk weaving district. From the late 18th, early 19th century, the city's silk weaving industry made the Lyonnaise wealthy, while keeping the weavers in shocking conditions. Strikes and battles followed with hundreds of deaths, but conditions gradually improved.

This tour is highly recommended, as is the Lyon city card. The city has a very good, but complex, public transport system that uses buses, trams, trains, vaporettos and funiculars. We used all of them to get around. Buying tickets would have been a nightmare without the city card. All are free with the city card, as are all museums, the boat tour and the Petit train.
Took the vaporetto home to change for dinner!
The highlight of the day was dinner at Le Comptoir Abel, a highly recommended and authentic establishment. We both had traditional Lyonnaise dishes. Entree was a shared crayfish salad. Tracey's main was Quenelle de brochet en gratin maison ( like a souffle with creamy fish (Pike) sauce) and Pats was Gratin d’écrevisses ( crayfish gratin). Shared desert was marron gateau. Delicious food and wine!Read more