Blogging During the Curfew: Dreaming of Great European Cities
During the last months as the curfew followed the lockdown and the lockdown followed the curfew and still the end to the Covid pandemic is nowhere in sight, conversations with friends have often morphed into debates about the merits of the great cities of Europe. Jules and I have been fortunate to visit a number of them but Lyon is our favorite.
Dublin is lots of fun. The chowder is fantastic and the tours of the Jameson and Guinness facilities are a great time. And the cabbies are the best. Vienna is beautiful and the desserts at Café Sasher Wien are themselves worth the trip. The strudel is the best in the world. Florence is unequaled in Renaissance historic sites and Santa Croce contains the tombs of the great thinkers of all time. The Sunday dragon boat races on the Arno are a blast. London is historically important especially to a fan of Shakespeare and Chaucer and the sites are within compact areas. Plus the pubs are friendly stops. Barcelona has the bizarre Sagrada Familia Cathedral, which after one hundred years and counting is still under construction. The Mardi Gras parade is a spectacle. Another wonderful city is Graz, Austria. It’s the only city in which I could live and not because Arnold Schwarzenegger was raised there. Additionally, I can attest that the airports in Amsterdam and Frankfort are first rate.
All the major French cities are all worthy of admiration. Paris is unequalled for museums and people watching is unbeatable. Marseille has the ancient waterfront and great seafood. Toulouse is home to Airbus and the Capitol Plaza is a lively place as is the area bordering the Garonne. Montpellier has the Place de le Comedie and Bordeaux is focused on the wine industry. The competition is intense and arguments can be made for them all. However, Lyon at the junction of the Rhone and Soane Rivers is by far the best place to visit.
The fame of Lyon has for decades centered on its many excellent restaurants. This superiority is supposed to have originated in the 16th century when Catherine de Medici imported cooks from Florence but the year 1935 is often cited as the beginning of the modern dominant culinary scene. Paul Bocuse, founder of nouvelle cuisine, is the most famous chef to have worked the kitchens of the city, but his mentor Eugenie Brazier left a mark as the teacher of many great chefs. She ruled restaurant kitchens before women were widely accepted in the inner circle of cooking. Bouchons are at the center of the Lyon restaurant scene. They feature traditional French cooking with heavy sauces and the atmosphere is lively. Bouchon de Lyonnaise sets the tone with its sign in the window, “Grumpy people not welcome.” My personal favorite is Chez Georges near the opera house but it’s hard to go wrong with any of the choices available. Google Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown for a wonderful trek through the famous kitchens of Lyon.
Want history? Head across the Soane and up the hill (take the tram to avoid heart failure-walk down not up) to the Roman ruins. The theater is one of the best preserved yet most used in all of France. From the stage area the seating spans across the panorama. As many as ten thousand watched the spectacles from the seats which today offer a view across the Soane River to the city and on clear days beyond to the Alps. The Odeon, a smaller theater tied to the huge main one, has as stage made of beautiful marble. It hosts festivals each September. Admission to the ruins is free, but the adjoining museum charges for admission.
While at the top of the formidable hill, visit the Basilica Notre Dame de Fourviere. Seen from the riverfront below it glows because of its white marble façade. The view from the top is magnificent. The city itself spreads out majestically between the two great rivers.
More history can be observed by walking down the steep passageways and visiting the traboules that are open to the public. Originally designed to expedite transportation of silk through the Vieux Ville (old city) during the 15th century, they still are home to families. Once inside, passages surrounded by ancient houses lead through a web of twists and turns. The resistance fighters of the Second World War sheltered here and coordinated their attacks on the German occupying forces. Because they are private homes, only about forty are accessible but they are well worth the visit as architectural gems of beauty and Renaissance engineering.
Need a break from the throb of the city, take bus twenty eight to the Parc de Tete d’Or. Originally a privately owned tract of land opened in the 16th century, it became a public park in the mid 1800’s. Tranquility rules the many facets included in one huge tract of land of almost two hundred acres. Wandering about reveals the multiple charms of the park which is centered around a large lake. Local youths fish from the shore and in the summer boats can be rented. A zoo features animals of the African plain wandering about, but no predators are present. Rose gardens provide a peaceful setting for passing the time. Sports venues are also present for boules and miniature golf. There is a café at the end of the miniature train line which runs through the park. Jules and I always work in an afternoon to spend there.
Public transportation is available and easy to master. A subway and tram system is supplemented by public buses to make any area of the city accessible. Near the Gare Part Dieu, Les Halles of Paul Becose is a sprawling shopper’s paradise that includes over fifty shops to tempt the culinary expert in all of us. For us whose experience in unique foods is very limited, seeing a cow’s head actually being sold or a monkfish in all its ugly tastiness can be somewhat revolting. However, it’s always interesting.
Yes, Paris is great and shouldn’t be missed, but the real French city is only two hours by TGV or three by the A6. Don’t miss it, and if you can arrange it, be there on a Saturday morning for the market along the banks of the Saone. The oyster vender is opposite a small bar and the two combine for a true French breakfast.