Exploring Lyon

We were definitely lazy today - we didn't get up until just before 9! It feels good to be a little lazy and Charlie was so glad to not have a day of driving - especially after yesterday!

We caught the bus just outside our hotel to go to downtown Lyon. They have an excellent transit system. Lyon is France's 3rd largest city. The interesting area is the Vieux Lyon - the old city. This area has lots of narrow rambling streets some of them covered passageways called Traboules. They are like hidden passageways and actually during WWII the Resistance fighters used them a lot to fool the Nazis.

We took the funicular up to the Basilique Notre-Dame de Fourviere which is a very ornate church which is a tribute to the Virgin Mary. It is covered with beautiful mosaics. The church has an overlook on the city which is great

Lyon is suppose to be a city where eating out is a passion and great chefs are more famous than professional soccer players. (I am quoting a famous travel writer again.) Here is the menu at most of the bouchons (small bistros, sidewalk cafes): black pudding, 3 types of tripe, pig's feet, head of veal, cafe's head, cake of liver, pigeon, foie gras.......needless, to say, we did not eat any of that. Charlie did have escargot again. The best meal was the ham and cheese baguettes that we got at a boulangerie.

Oh, I forgot to mention that we both got hair cuts this morning which was another language experience. Fortunately, there was a nice guy there who translated what we wanted to the hair dressers.

Another thing, the smoking situation is MUCH improved. In 2008 a law was passed that all cafes and restaurant interiors must be smoke-free!!!! We actually saw a waitress send a person outside that lit up a cigarette. Now sitting outside is a different experience - they can still smoke in the outside cafes.