It's Sunday and the sun is shinning. A perfect day for sightseeing. We started crossing the rivers and heading to Fouviere look out.
Fruit markets along the Rhone River.
The photographer and her model.
FROM WIKIPEDIA:
Cathédrale Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Lyon --- Begun in 1180 on the ruins of a 6th-century church, it was completed in 1476. The building is 80 meters long (internally), 20 meters wide at the choir, and 32.5 meters high in the nave. The apse and choir are of Romanesque design; the nave and façade are Gothic.
In 1245, the cathedral hosted the First Council of Lyon.
Noteworthy are the two crosses to right and left of the altar, preserved since the Second Council of Lyon of 1274 as a symbol of the union of the churches, and the Bourbon chapel, built by the Cardinal de Bourbon and his brother Pierre de Bourbon, son-in-law of Louis XI, a masterpiece of 15th century sculpture.
The cathedral also has the Lyon Astronomical Clock from the 14th century.
Racing up the stairs of the Lyon Cathedral's ruins.
Quick stop for a playground break.
These long stairs takes us to the Parc des Hauteurs, the Basilique de Fourviere and the Jardins du Rosaire.
My little Fifi appreciating spring.
Basilique de Fourviere.
Here is our reward for climbing up all this stairs.
An incredible aerial view of Lyon.
FROM WIKIPEDIA:
Lyon is the third-largest city and second-largest urban area of France. It is located in the country's east-central part at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, about 470 km (292 mi) south from Paris, 320 km (199 mi) north from Marseille and 56 km (35 mi) northeast from Saint-Étienne. Inhabitants of the city are called Lyonnais.
Lyon had a population of 513,275 in 2015. It is the capital of the Metropolis of Lyon and the region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. The Lyon metropolitan area had a population of 2,265,375 in 2014, the second-largest urban area in France. The city is known for its cuisine and gastronomy, and historical and architectural landmarks; part of it is a registered as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Lyon was historically an important area for the production and weaving of silk. Lyon played a significant role in the history of cinema: it is where Auguste and Louis Lumièreinvented the cinematograph. It is also known for its light festival, the Fête des Lumières, which begins every 8 December and lasts for four days, earning Lyon the title of Capital of Lights.
Economically, Lyon is a major centre for banking, as well as for the chemical, pharmaceutical, and biotech industries. The city contains a significant software industry with a particular focus on video games, and in recent years has fostered a growing local start-up sector. Lyon hosts the international headquarters of Interpol, the International Agency for Research on Cancer and Euronews. It was ranked 19th globally and second in France for innovation in 2014. It ranked second in France and 39th globally in Mercer's 2015 liveability rankings.
The Ancient Theatre of Fourviere.
FROM WIKIPEDIA:
The Ancient Theatre of Fourvière is a Roman theatre in Lyon, France. It was built on the hill of Fourvière, which is located in the center of the Roman city.
The theatre was built in two steps: around 15 BC, a theatre with a 90 m diameter was built next to the hill. At the beginning of the 2nd century, the final construction added a last place for the audience. The diameter is 108 m, and there were seats for 10,000 people.
Today the theatre is primarily a tourist site, but it is still used as a cultural venue. Each year, the Nuits de Fourvière festival takes place in the theatre.
A rare family photo.
A new try for me: escargot.
FROM WIKIPEDIA:
In French cuisine, the snails are typically purged, killed, removed from their shells, and cooked (usually with garlic butter, chicken stock or wine), and then placed back into the shells with the butter and sauce for serving. Additional ingredients may be added, such as garlic, thyme, parsley and pine nuts. Special tongs for holding the shell and forks for extracting the meat are also normally provided, and they are served on indented metal trays with places for six or 12 snails.
This statue really caught my eyes on the way back home.
"The weight of One Self" by Michael Elmgreen & Ingar Dragset
A visual and philosophical experience, the idea of an order shaken up by a subtle gesture, which is in keeping with the heritage and urban nature of the site.
A man standing upright carrying another lifeless man in his arms. Has he just dragged him from the waves thus saving him from drowning? In details that are unsettling, the faces of the two protagonists turn out to be identical. The man is carrying his double, and in so doing becoming his own saviour but also his own millstone. These philosophical concerns echo the questions of civil and individual responsibilities which are debated every day in the Palais de Justice. Designed by the artists Elmgreen&Dragset, the work follows on from the long tradition of sculpture: the heroic nude and the marble even if here it’s a case of a new technique (solidified marble powder). A formal study in the blink of an eye of the architecture of the venue. Because of its scale being large than life-size, this 2.7m tall sculpture is also a landmark on the landscape.
“The work is very typical of our contemporary culture. It’s not celebrating a hero, nor anyone pursuing a goal, or trying to achieve something. It’s to be the story of someone trying to save himself”.
(SOURCE: http://wikimapia.org/32095243/Statue-The-weight-of-One-Self)
The day ended with a lovely dinner at our friend's Tommy's and April's house. I have no picture to show here but we feel honoured to have been invited to visit a "almost Lyonnais family."
There is nothing better than meeting locals or people living in the city when you are travelling.
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