Vieux Lyon

Allow me to put in a plug for the Hilton Hotels chain. We stay in them whenever we can and use their credit cards for stay points. Because of this we are often eligible for upgrades or free nights. In Lyon we got an upgrade to an executive suite. Along with that upgrade comes a full breakfast (in the executive lounge), canapes & drinks after 6, tea & snacks all day, & free Internet. In addition the hotel has a gym, sauna, jacuzzi, Turkish bath & two restaurants. All of this for almost 1/2 the cost of other places we’ve stayed which had none of the aforementioned amenities. We have a beautiful, soothing view of the Rhone and a park, Tete d’Or.

The public transportation here is superb and easy enough for us to stumble through. Today we took the #58 bus to Place Bellecour, the largest clear square in Europe. It is situated on a peninsula formed by the convergence of the Rhone and Soane Rivers. We walked from Bellecour over the Soane to Vieux Lyon, a large Renaissance district which dates back to the Middle Ages. Here are where the silk workers, Canuts, lived and worked. This industry has disappeared because of sick French silk worms and the Suez Canal. But the concierge assures me I can still find Lyon silk at the attelier.
Rising abruptly from Vieux Lyon is the Fourviere district where the Basilica Notre-Dame of Fourviere looms over all of Lyon. We took the funicular up to see the Basilica and enjoy a panoramic view of all Lyon. The Basilica draws from both Romanesque and Byzantine architecture, but is relatively new, 1872-1896. It is very ornate with 6 huge gold mosaics covering both sides of the nave.
We ate in a traditional restaurant called a bouchon, the origin of the word is unclear (it literally means cork). We had typical local dishes of salad lyonnaise & quenelle, a dumpling made of flour and egg with pike fish and a crayfish sauce.
Tonight we took the C1 tram to the Part Dieu train station to get tickets for Dijon. We are going tomorrow for a day trip. Bon nuit.

Soane River from Pont Bonaparte

2 Comments

1. kathrynlima | February 22, 2011 at 3:37 pm | Reply

   So what made those French silk worms sick? Too much brie and wine?

2. Christy | February 22, 2011 at 8:39 pm | Reply

   I don’t know. I’m just very sorry the aren’t healty and working there little tails off all over Lyon. The host in the lounge tonight said we could find some weavers working in the traditional manner in the old silk district.

Bordeaux

Today we got to test our umbrellas. But despite the rain it was 57 and not too terribly uncomfortable. After coffee at a cafe where the owner was playing 60’s English rock and dancing his way around the tables, we sauntered to the Musee des Beaux Arts. This is a small museum. But there are significant pieces and artists. It is nice sometimes to be in a small collection and concentrate more on each piece. Julia and Carolyn, thought of you 2 when I saw Matisse’s from 1898, small little landscapes & still lifes. Two Delacroix, Greece On the Ruins of Missolonghi and The Lion Hunt.

Walking around today reminded me of the Gustave Caillebotte Street in Paris in the Rain. A pictoral round up of Bordeaux. 

2 Comments

1. carolynberlin | February 20, 2011 at 9:20 am | Reply

   Ooh, ooh, ooh, little Matisses!

2. Christy | February 20, 2011 at 9:56 pm | Reply

   Yes. So small they could easily slip in a bag and go home with one. But, alas! The were under glass.

Danke Schoen, Wien

Today we took the tram to Belvedere Palace, home to Prince Eugene, conquerer of the Ottomans. He got really rich with his military deeds and built this lavish crib. Because he had no heirs, the state got the property and established Austria’s first great public art gallery. It is located high in the city and offers sweeping views of the formal gardens and the Vienna skyline. The collection holds a healthy sampling of Austrian Secession works, prime among them are the works of Gustav Klimt. Promenently displayed a la The Mona Lisa is The Kiss. It is much larger and squarer than I envisioned it. But it is a hypnotic piece that fluctuates between flat, patterned shapes and modulated, interlocking forms, between flat, frontal space and deep, expressive space. Also in the room was Judith I. There were a few unfinished pieces that were fun to analyze and guess at Klimt’s approach to composition and application. Others works of note for me were: Makart, 5 Senses and Oscar Kokoshka, Muller, Egon Schiele, Oppenheimer

We went to lunch in another coffee house. These places are fabulous. I decided to have a sausage before leaving Vienna. And then chose a desert from a showcase of deserts. Yummy. Did I mention that all the waiters are men and wear white shirts with bow ties.
Our 5 days here were not adequate to do the city justice. We never saw the Lippenzer Stallions. Performances are only on Saturdays. All that was available was exercise times. Also, I would be interested in seeing the contribution Vienna made to Art Deco. There were at least 2 major museums we didn’t have time for, The Leopold and The Albertina.
If any of you come to Vienna, i would highly recommend our hotel, The Rathaus Wein and Design. They have been so very accomodating including doing our laundry today for 10 euro. Tonight we are staying in and watching The Third Man In closing, pictures