Lyon: Part II

Up until this point of our trip, our days were crammed packed with activity.  By our second full day in Lyon, we were pretty tired and did not feel like running (or rather, walking) around at full speed.  Enter public transportation.

Not only did our Lyon City Card give us free access into the museums, but it also gave us free rides on the public transportation.  Did you know that part of the public transportation in Lyon includes a funicular?  And, side note, did you know that I only knew that word in Russian for the longest time?  Not like it is super different in English, but that was a fun moment when I showed up in Pittsburgh, pointed at the one they have, and only knew how to say it in Russian.  I got lots of quizzical looks from everyone in the car for that one.  The joys of spring breaking in Kiev :)

We took one branch of the funicular up to the hill so that we could see La Basilique Notre Dame de Fourvière.  The basilica sits above the city, and it is absolutely beautiful.  Since it is such a distinct part of the Lyon skyline, we figured we should go see it.

When we arrived, they were holding a small Good Friday mass in front of the church.  We stopped to watch it for a couple of minutes, and then proceeded to go inside.  And, as per usual with the great churches in Europe, the interior did not disappoint.

After we finished gawking, we stepped out behind the church and were greeted with an amazing view.  After looking down at the city awhile, we were happy that we decided to take the lazy easy way up to the top of the hill.

There were a few sites and a museum or two that were up near the basilica, but quite frankly, I had my fill of museums and wanted to explore something else in Lyon.  The Traboules.

The Traboules were built in the 4th century so that people had a more direct route to access water from the Saône river since the winding streets made it a time consuming task.  They were then used by the silk merchants to transport their products so that they did not get ruined when it rained.  And in World War II, they were used by La Resistance.  Because only the true Lyonnais knew of their whereabouts at the time, they were used to hide from the Gestapo. Today, people's apartments can be accessed through them, as well as courtyards and winding staircases.  There is so much history in the tunnels, and I like hidden things, so it was the perfect site to explore.

After that mini-adventure, we decided to wander aimlessly around town.  We stopped and got a beer, bought some books at FNAC, and thought about food (because it's us and we're always hungry).

According to my Lonely Planet guide, Lyon is the culinary capital of France. After this trip, I totally get that.  On our first night in Lyon, we found a street lined with amazing restaurants that we kept returning to for dinner.  Our first night, we had pretty decent French food, then we went back for Ramen the second night (super French, I know), and on our third night, we went back to a Bouchon Lyonnais.

An official bouchon sign.

A Bouchon is a restaurant that you only find in Lyon as it serves Lyonnais food, which basically means a lot of meat.  We went to Aux Trois Couchons and it was one of the best meals that we had in France.  But not all Bouchons are authentic...you have to look for the sign like the one above to know that it is a real one (which means registered with the Bouchon authorities...whoever they are).

My gratin d'andouillette with chitterlings.  Google that.  I dare you.

Inside, the restaurant was jammed packed with people and knick knacks.  And the food was delicious.  You can't beat a good meal in a great atmosphere.  It was a great way to end our day.