As we headed north for the French countryside we had heard great things about Lyon and decided to make a night of it. The drive from the Cote d'Azur to Lyon was beautiful and it really surprised us how desert-like the southern part of France seemed (think SW USA). About half of our drive was chasing a massive sunset, we saw the sunset behind about 10 different hills/ mountains. The second half of the drive was in darkness and we were not looking forward to it. Turns out the drive at night was beautiful, as many of the chateaus and churches in small towns were all lit up. If our conversation topics were running dry these sites kept us both entertained.
We hit Lyon too late at night to capitalize on the restaurants we'd heard so much about, but the next day we definitely got a taste of Lyon. Every day near the rivers (Rhone & Saone) locals flood the farmers markets, where we saw some of the freshest food thus far in Europe. The only part that might have outdone these farmers were their baking counterparts in old town. It seems that the boulangeries and patisseries take every other storefront in Lyon.
Just when we thought we could be "churched out" from touring so many religious houses, Lyon presented a true gem - Notre Dame de Fourviere. The level of detail inside this church may have out done most of the churches we've seen. About 15 college students were there to sketch different parts of the inside decor, which was a cool way to see others admiring the architecture. Note: This church should be on everyones to do list in Lyon, it is worth all the stair climbing we promise.
For more shots from the day in Lyon, click here...
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