Travel Highlights of Lyon

On August 18th, we left Barcelona early in the morning and headed to Lyon, France via train. When we arrived at our AirBnB, we were immediately captivated by the view from our patio which sat directly in front of the Rhone river.  We got settled in and went for a walk along the river where we discovered a number of cafes and restaurants as well as several large boats offering food and drinks at all hours of the day.  These party boats don’t actually go on “booze cruises,” you just enjoy the ambiance and view from the deck of the boats or from their patio seating on land.  This is definitely unique to Lyon and we recommend at least going for a drink in the afternoon or evening.

On our first full day in Lyon, we wanted to get the lay of the land; so, we decided to check out the well-renowned Musee Des Beaux Arts (€7 per ticket) located near place des Terreaux in a former convent. Not only is it a marvelous building, but it has quite an impressive collection of art from all over the world including ancient Egyptian artifacts, European coin collections, Asian pottery and of course, the works of contemporary French painters.  After perusing the art for 1.5 hours, we found the terrace café inside the museum and had an espresso amongst the trees. It’s a great place to get a break from the crowds and heat of the day!  The average cost for an espresso at the Terrace Cafe is €3-4.  

After the museum, we knew we needed to head over to Old Town or ‘Vieux Lyon’ as the locals call it because that’s where all the main tourist attractions are.  So, we crossed (on foot) over the Rhone and Saone bridges and headed up the hill (Parc des Hauteurs) to La Basilique Notre Dame de Fourviere which proved to be a pretty steep hike to the top.  Once we reached the top, we caught some beautiful panoramic views of the city. There aren’t any good cafes or restaurants at the top of the hill; so, we recommend brining a bottle of wine and some snacks with you to enjoy while gazing at the view of Lyon. The best time of day for this is obviously sunset!

Whilst on the hill, you can explore the inside of the Cathedral if you choose and afterward, don’t forget to walk over to the Roman ruins and amphitheater (Theatre gallo-ramain) which are fun to see and provide another perspective on the city.  The ruins seem to still be used today for performance theater, capturing the history of the area and preserving it in time. 

Once we descended from the hill top, we found ourselves in Vieux Lyon which is impossible to mistake for any other quaint French town because of its distinct Lyonnaise culture. There are traditional Lyonnaise Bouchons (restaurants serving French cuisine) at every turn, emanating smells of cheese, escargot, and rich delicacies only the French offer. The shops and boutiques are quite picturesque selling local wines, rum cakes, pastries, chocolate, and candy galore.  It’s a tourist’s dream and don’t be surprised if your wallet is lighter when you return home from all your indulgent purchases.

Being a self-proclaimed Foodie, I was intent on eating as much Lyonnaise food at local Bouchons as our budget would allow for, namely because Lyon is acclaimed as the “world capital of gastronomy”.  We looked at menus for every single Bouchon in Vieux Lyon and found a lovely Bouchon called Le Panier du Chef which offered a number of pre-fixe menu options at different price points and excellent service too.  

Note: When in Lyon, it’s very common for Bouchons to offer pre-fixe menu selections (Appetizer, Main Course, Dessert) for €25 - €45 per person.   Here are some suggestions for MUST HAVE Lyonnaise food while visiting Lyon:

• Salade Lyonnaise – A filling salad with bacon, poached egg, lettuce & vinaigrette

• Andouillette (sausage) – Large, course sausage with a distinct taste.  Worth a try!

• Coq au Vin – Braised Chicken with Burgundy wine, lardons, mushrooms, and garlic

• Lyonnaise Potatoes – Pan fried and thinly sliced potatoes served with butter and parsley

• Fish Soufflé – Like nothing I’ve tried better. It’s like an egg casserole with fish, butter and sauce.

• Escargot – MUST TRY as an appetizer. Snails typically served in their shell with garlic, pesto and butter. 

• Duck Confit – If you are going to try duck, try it in FRANCE!

• Local Beaujolais or Bourgogne Wines – Try the local wines. They are affordable & plentiful.

• Cheese Cheese Cheese (the stinkier the better!) – Try Saint Marcellin, a strong, white goat cheese!

• Olives of all types – You’ll find them marinated 100 different ways. 

After dinner in Vieux Lyon, Mike and I liked to stroll around and look for views of the city during twilight. Lucky for us, Lyon has so many bridges, hills and waterways that it’s beautiful at every turn.  Though it can be easy to get a little lost if your main point of reference is a bridge; well, mainly because there are so many of them!  

If you have more time to explore, we had fun finding the Traboules of Lyon. In the Saint Jean District, there are hundreds of passageways that weave through Vieux Lyon, linking the streets by secret alleys which were at one time used to transport silk from place to place. The longest passageway runs between 54 Rue Saint Jean and 27 Rue du Boeuf.  There isn’t anything glorious to see; but we enjoyed discovering more about the rich history of the city and learning about the silk trade from years past.

The following day, we continued exploring the city, heading to Parc de la Tete d’Or, the city’s most famous park in the center of it all. On our way there, we were pleasantly surprised to stumble upon La Fresque Des Lyonnais which is a massive mural painted on the side of a building, designed to resemble an actual apartment complex.  At first glance, it’s hard to tell whether it’s real life or a work of art!  You have to admire the creativity of the French!

Parc de la Tete d’Or is exactly as the name intends except it’s so much more.  Yes, it’s a massive park with fountains, gardens and beautifully winding walkways. However, it’s also a Zoo which is free to all.  We were surprised to see giraffes, monkeys, alligators, deer, ostriches, etc., all in the park!  No wonder families and kids turn out in droves for a weekend stroll in the park. It’s definitely worth a visit if you have the time and some comfortable walking shoes.

Based on everything we saw over the course of 4 days in Lyon, here are our top recommendations:

1) Visit Vieux Lyon – the old town is a must. It’s where we spent the most time!

2) Dine in at least 1 Lyonnaise Bouchon – You must do this…you can thank me later.

3) Walk up to La Bisilique Notre Dame de Fourviere for the panoramic city views.

4) Take in the art at Musee des Beaux Arts & an espresso on the Terrace

5) Enjoy a walk or picnic at Parc de la Tete d’Or

6) Stroll the bridges and streets between the 2 rivers: Le Rhone and Le Saone – the  views are beautiful

7) Take a Lyonnaise Cooking Class – If you are in to French cuisine, this is the place to take it all in!

Our day trip to Cassis was our favorite day in France.  It had everything we love: a beautiful drive along the French Riviera, a gorgeous, charming and ancient fishing village, amazing beaches and views, delicious food and excellent beach clubs for day bed and umbrella rentals.  It’s extremely picturesque at all times of the day, the locals are very friendly and it was fun to get lost in the small winding streets.  We would’ve enjoyed staying overnight in the town instead of only 10 hours, so we would recommend that if you have the time.

 For $4.50 per person return trip, you can take the M8 bus (Carnoux – Cassis – Marseille) for the 45 minute drive to Cassis. It’s a very nice drive. I recommend sitting on the right side of the bus to catch the amazing views of the Calanques as you approach.  It’s quite spectacular. When we arrived in Cassis, it was easy to find the heart of the town and we immediately started wandering down the colorful, sloped streets.  There are countless cafes, restaurants, boulangeries and all types of shops with artist fares.  Walk the harbor front for beautiful views  of the ocean and large calanques.  

We were in the mood for a beach day so we wandered down to the Plage De La Grande Mer which is in the town center. Because of its central location, this beach gets very busy so we decided to walk about 15 minutes further down and stumbled across a MUCH more beautiful beach called Plage De Bestouan.  We immediately discovered Same Same Beach, a restaurant with a sunning patio that was renting day beds and umbrellas. It’s a terrific location with a funky, laid back vibe and an unforgettable view.  For 2 day beds and an umbrella for a full day, the charge was €50, a little steep but well worth it to have such a comfortable, relaxing and enjoyable experience. Around 6pm, we packed up and walked back to the bus station for our ride back into the city. 

The whole day was easy, fun and well worth it. We recommend putting Cassis on your list of small towns to visit on the French Riviera.

If you’re a seafood lover, then you’re in the right place! Restaurant menus in this town are dominated by shellfish dishes Here are a few iconic items/dishes you must try while in Marseille:

• Bouillabaisse – A large bowl of fish stew (with varying types of fish) 

• Aioli – garlic, lemon juice, eggs and olive oil served with boiled fish, eggs and vegetables.

• Pastis – a strong alcoholic beverage made with anisee and spices that is served with water. A great summertime aperitif. 

• Navette – Boat-shaped biscuits often orange flavored