After dealing with getting my phone stolen, I really wasn’t in the mood to go to Lyon for the weekend. But the ticket was paid for, and I was able to find a cheap-but-nice place on Airbnb, so I went.
My stomach thanks me.
First, though, I did arrive in the city in a good mood. Not only was I going to see my cousin and his wife … I saw ponies while on the train. A whole field of them.
You tell me you’re still gonna be miserable after seeing a field of ponies.
But yes, nice Airbnb. This is what I saw while waiting for the elevator:
Doesn’t get much more European than this.
Now, Lyon isn’t just known for food. It’s got some impressive ancient Roman ruins there. But two things you should know before checking them out. First, they’re on top of the hill, and there isn’t much food around there, so eat before or afterward. Second, take the funiculaire, because otherwise, your phone records this:
I found out about the funiculaire afterward. My legs screamed at me later.
But even with all the walking, this was the view that greeted me at the top:
There’s a whole Roman museum about the city’s settlement. And because it was the first Sunday of the month, I went in for free. (Many French museums have free admissions on Sundays, and that’s when the lines are at their worst. Here, however, I waltzed right in. Okay, I walked in. I can’t dance.)
One of the more stunning exhibits was tapestry from a large local home.
The museum had a temporary display on toys and games in ancient Rome. Interesting stuff — dice, for instance, were huge back then too. But perhaps the most striking were the baby toys. Allegedly, they were rattlers.
I dunno. I’m just telling you what I saw.
A few minutes away was a church visible throughout much of the city, given its location on a hill:
And next to it is a tower. Perhaps you’ve seen it before:
It is about as small as it looks, but because of its position on the hill, its top is higher than that of its counterpart in Paris.
That is the kind of petty I aspire to be.
There was also a place where many relationships have no doubt ended:
And this is all fine and good, but you’re waiting for the good stuff. Or, at least I was. The food. Lyon is known for two main things: Sauchissons, and salads. The salade lyonnaise is something you must try once in your life.
To say this was perfection understates how good it was. It had egg, potato, some sort of sauce. It was warm.
And it melted in my mouth in a way I didn’t think salad could. 12/10 would recommend.
My belly thanked me for a good three days. I thank my cousin Andy and his wife Anne-Laure for a wonderful lunch (I did not photograph the food then, but the bottle of wine we had was phenomenal). But this trip wasn’t done with the surprises. Upon arriving back in Paris, this greeted us:
Canuckistan Takes Paris! 