April 17: Artistic Lyon

We are at the end of another gorgeous day in Lyon, the kind of heat that might be called “breathless”: still and long, with light flashing off the river. We are in our hotel this evening, picnicking: a fresh cheese (“capri frais”), olives with herbs, rosé. Carey is rather cutting across the vibe with his chicken curry wrap, but it’s all very tasty. We have enjoyed Lyon’s food scene, breakfasting on thick coffee and flakey pastries; lunching from the artisan food offerings at Les Halles; sneaking a cold beer on a quiet square in the heat of the afternoon.

However, we both find the evening scene a little too challenging: hundreds of people (many speaking English) crowding in and around the warren of bars and restaurants that fill the old town; swarming the outside tables. The sheer volume of dozens of alcohol-fueled holiday/after work conversations, all of which have to be heard over the music and also accompanied with cigarettes or vaping. The waiters all look harassed and even getting a beer ordered within a 2-block radius of our hotel (which is elegantly located just off the most bougy – and noisy - quai). Well, honestly, neither of us see much to enjoy about it. Throw in our painfully “Anglosphere” appearance (performance wear, no products, no jewelry), as opposed to the extremely French polish of the majority of the beautiful people sipping burgundy by the river, and, it is not hard to understand why we are not seen out much after sunset – even if it is, more-or-less, dark!

We spent time today in the Fine Art Museum, which locals call “La Petite Louvre”. It is a lovely space, with a large collection, from Egyptian artifacts to late 20th Century collages. Set in a former Abbey, it is formal and stately, but, full of local school kids and, from the looks of it, staffed largely by volunteers, it was accessible and comfortable. We contrasted it with time in the Croix-Rouge area: a trendy neighbourhood covered in street art, boho cafés, shops selling handmade, artisan, organic everything and lots and lots of stairs. The top of the hill is a square, with a statue to JM Jacquard, inventor of the Jacquard technique of weaving for which Lyon silk was famous in the 17th and 18th Centuries. Beyond that is the Mur des Canuts, an enormous, hyper-realistic mural, supposedly the largest in Europe. Further down the hill is another Gallo-Roman theatre, which is clearly being readied for a theatrical season, with props and sets piled up under covers.

I feel 2 ½ days has been enough to do justice to Lyon. There is much more you could do: boat trips; Rhône Valley wine-tasting tours; the opera; shopping so as to promenade with the sophisticated cocktail crowds, and, no doubt, several dozen small, local treats that don’t make it into any guidebook. There are so many beautiful shops and salons; so many fine-looking restaurants and bars... One could definitely enjoy spending a fortune here.