Lyon, France

Mike and I flew from Venice by way of Paris to visit our nephew and his wife. Lyon is the third largest city in France and a beautiful medieval city with Roman ruins! We arrived in Lyon on Saturday evening and walked to the Rhone River bank, one of the two rivers that divide Lyon. The other is the Saone. As it was Saturday night the area was filled with young people! The next day this same area was the location of the local farmers' market. 

Sunday we took a walk through the city and visited the oldest part , walked through the large central square, and headed to the hill overlooking the city. 

My favorite structure on the hill was the Metallic Tower of Fourvière. At 1/3 the height of the Eiffel Tower, it was built three years later in 1894. The tower once contained a restaurant at the top. It is no longer open to the public and is now primarily a radio and television tower, as it stands at the highest point in Lyon. A funicular takes people to the top of this hill to visit the nearby Catholic Basilica and see the tower. 

The view from this hill above Lyon is remarkable! 

We took a walk through the city's Central Park. The roses are gorgeous! 

Lyon is known for its cuisine, and we certainly have experienced that. We had lemon-basil gelato while walking through the old city (great flavor)! 

My favorite restaurant so far is Les Apothecaires, where we ate last evening and had the best meal on this trip! I know, food porn, but it was an incredible meal! 

Earlier yesterday we took a wine tour of the Cotes du Rhone. The vineyards hug the south facing mountainsides above the river. We stopped in Malleval, a town from the eleventh century and had some wine while viewing the town from above. Lovely! Then we traveled on to the winery of Domaine de Corps de Loup. Great stop! 

Today we headed to Annecy! This beautiful town is grounded by a turquoise colored lake and surrounded by mountains. The canals leading into the lake are bordered by shops and restaurants and are inhabited by ducks and swans. We saw a swan family as it swam by. 

Tomorrow we head home to Maryland. We are so glad we stopped in Lyon! Thank you Derek and Sonia for the lovely visit!