Today was a fairly regular Grenoble day. French conversation in the morning. Then I picked up keys for some apartment-sitting over the next couple of weeks (light work - just two plants to keep alive). I boiled up our chicken carcass to make soup, then I stopped by the bank to get Mark's new bank card. Then it was off to play games with Naola to help her practice English and the day was done.
Although I don't remember for certain there must have been chocolate for desert - we now have a backlog of Valrhona, Bernachon and Bonnat chocolate. Which is a wonderful situation to be in.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
April 20, 2011: Voiron - Chocolates, Market, Lunch, Chocolates, Chartreuse
Today was a trip with the Sweet Home Grenoble group to Voiron. Even though, population-wise, it's a town, Voiron has many large institutions: a beautiful church, famous chocolate shop, one of the largest markets in the region on Wednesdays, and a famous distillery.
We stopped in at Bonnat Chocolatier, which was established in 1884. We planned to shop later in the day - for now we enjoyed a quick look around the shop, the amazing Easter displays, and sat down for a cup of chocolat chaud (so good!).
Then we walked through the market. A friendly vendor offered us free samples of the fried frog's legs (yes, they did taste like chicken) and we chatted with him for a while in English.
We had a leisurely lunch, sitting in a back-yard patio. And after we visited the Chartreuse distillery, where the traditional liqueur, an "elixir of life" made of a complex recipe of mountain herbs developed by monks, is made. We had a tour and then a tasting. It's strong stuff, with something of a medicinal smell (which makes sense for an elixir of life). I suppose it's an acquired taste. I only bought some of the liqueur-filled candies, since I didn't want to commit to a whole bottle.
And then we were back to Bonnat to make our purchases. I got a lovely little tin filled with squares of chocolate made from beans from various suppliers around the world.
And that was it - another beautiful sunny day in France, another historic village, another market, another chocolate shop. And it's still just as satisfying.
We stopped in at Bonnat Chocolatier, which was established in 1884. We planned to shop later in the day - for now we enjoyed a quick look around the shop, the amazing Easter displays, and sat down for a cup of chocolat chaud (so good!).
Then we walked through the market. A friendly vendor offered us free samples of the fried frog's legs (yes, they did taste like chicken) and we chatted with him for a while in English.
We had a leisurely lunch, sitting in a back-yard patio. And after we visited the Chartreuse distillery, where the traditional liqueur, an "elixir of life" made of a complex recipe of mountain herbs developed by monks, is made. We had a tour and then a tasting. It's strong stuff, with something of a medicinal smell (which makes sense for an elixir of life). I suppose it's an acquired taste. I only bought some of the liqueur-filled candies, since I didn't want to commit to a whole bottle.
And then we were back to Bonnat to make our purchases. I got a lovely little tin filled with squares of chocolate made from beans from various suppliers around the world.
And that was it - another beautiful sunny day in France, another historic village, another market, another chocolate shop. And it's still just as satisfying.
Church of St Bruno - an 1800s church, financed by donations from the Carthusian monks. They saved money with some of the exterior decoration by using the "gray gold" (concrete) from Grenoble.
I love the multicoloured roofing tiles and the pattern they make - like dressing your cathedral in argyle.
Guess what this bank logo is? (I'll put the answer at the bottom of this page)
All kinds of fancy chickens for sale at the market
Frog's legs!
Candied fruit (I think the mysterious green ones might be rhubarb - right size and shape although the colour is completely unnatural)
Huge chocolate egg at Bonnat
Chocolate hens lined up for sale
Aging barrels lined up at the Chartreuse Distillery - a truly enormous underground room (the longest liquor cellar in the world!) that was used to host a dinner for the nearby 1968 Grenoble Olympics
A recreation of a Chartreuse monk checking on the liquor
[The answer to the bank logo is: a squirrel!]
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
April 19, 2011: Grenoble - Laundry, Painting en Plein Air
The first half of today was laundry - not much to report there, except that I shouldn't have skimped on the dryers - if I'd used both instead of just one I might have saved myself an hour of waiting, and the pants wouldn't have come out dry yet wrinkled.
In the afternoon Dominique and I went painting in the Jardin du Ville. What an odd experience - there were lots of people in the park, and as we sat and worked we attracted quite a bit of attention. One fellow in particular became enamoured of Dominique - he presented her with a packet of drawings and messages, which would have been creepy but I think he was a bit mentally challenged, so it was really just a sweet gesture. One other fellow seemed to be working his way up from complimenting my painting to hitting on me, but since everything he was saying was in French it was a bit lost on me, and my "mercis" seemed to shut him down. Next time a slightly more isolated spot would be an improvement. Also, it would help if I remember to wear my wedding ring!
In the afternoon Dominique and I went painting in the Jardin du Ville. What an odd experience - there were lots of people in the park, and as we sat and worked we attracted quite a bit of attention. One fellow in particular became enamoured of Dominique - he presented her with a packet of drawings and messages, which would have been creepy but I think he was a bit mentally challenged, so it was really just a sweet gesture. One other fellow seemed to be working his way up from complimenting my painting to hitting on me, but since everything he was saying was in French it was a bit lost on me, and my "mercis" seemed to shut him down. Next time a slightly more isolated spot would be an improvement. Also, it would help if I remember to wear my wedding ring!
Monday, April 18, 2011
April 18, 2011: Grenoble - French/English, Eating Out, Lecture, Botanical, Eating Out Again
This morning it was French/English coffee chat. I ordered a citronnade (lemonade) because it feels like summer - even more so knowing that it snowed yesterday in Toronto!
I went out for lunch, which again felt like summer - sitting in the sun with short sleeves. Delicious savoury buckwheat crêpe with salad. I'm going to miss the crêpes when we go home - the texture that they're able to achieve here is remarkable - delicate and flexible while still crunchy and bubbly.
In the afternoon it was out to the university with Mark, who was giving a lecture to the biology students. Just after meeting our host Mark mentioned that I've done a number of botanical illustrations. He exclaimed that he had something, popped out to his office, and returned with a lovely portfolio of botanical illustrations that have been done by resident artists at the university's alpine research station. He noted that we might be able to go up there for a visit later in the season, which would be beautiful.
After the lecture we toured around some of the research facilities and then went for dinner at Les Trois Dauphins. I had a very large salad with melted St Marcellin cheese on toasted bread. Then I failed to put much of a dent in the veal liver with potatoes. I did, however, manage to finish my crème brûlée - it was the best I've had yet since arriving in France.
I went out for lunch, which again felt like summer - sitting in the sun with short sleeves. Delicious savoury buckwheat crêpe with salad. I'm going to miss the crêpes when we go home - the texture that they're able to achieve here is remarkable - delicate and flexible while still crunchy and bubbly.
In the afternoon it was out to the university with Mark, who was giving a lecture to the biology students. Just after meeting our host Mark mentioned that I've done a number of botanical illustrations. He exclaimed that he had something, popped out to his office, and returned with a lovely portfolio of botanical illustrations that have been done by resident artists at the university's alpine research station. He noted that we might be able to go up there for a visit later in the season, which would be beautiful.
After the lecture we toured around some of the research facilities and then went for dinner at Les Trois Dauphins. I had a very large salad with melted St Marcellin cheese on toasted bread. Then I failed to put much of a dent in the veal liver with potatoes. I did, however, manage to finish my crème brûlée - it was the best I've had yet since arriving in France.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
April 17, 2011: Grenoble - Marché, Lunch, Chocolates, Dinner
We're happy to be relaxing at home in Grenoble rather than dashing about Lyon, trying to fit in all of the tourism activities.
As per our usual weekend routine we went to the market after breakfast and picked up food for the rest of the day: a lunch of fresh tomato/basil pasta with fresh goat's cheese, arugula and tomato, a dinner of roast potatoes, carrots and chicken on a bed of sauteed spinach and spring onions, and desert of desert strawberries, fresh goat's cheese and salted caramel biscuit crumbs.
And we also broke open our Bernachon chocolates in the afternoon in between watching movies and napping - delicious.
As per our usual weekend routine we went to the market after breakfast and picked up food for the rest of the day: a lunch of fresh tomato/basil pasta with fresh goat's cheese, arugula and tomato, a dinner of roast potatoes, carrots and chicken on a bed of sauteed spinach and spring onions, and desert of desert strawberries, fresh goat's cheese and salted caramel biscuit crumbs.
And we also broke open our Bernachon chocolates in the afternoon in between watching movies and napping - delicious.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
April 16, 2011: Lyon - Soie, Beaux Arts, Clockwork, Amphitheatre, Ren Fair, Bâteau
In one day, with the power of our Lyon City Card (an excellent program available from the tourism office), we saw more than I'd seen in the previous three days put together.
In the morning we went on an hour and a half guided tour of the historic silk district in Croix-Rousse. Croix-Rousse is interesting in itself, as it's built up a very steep hillside, and can be seen from many vantage points along the rivers. Our guide took us through the history of the area, which was outside the old city walls and thus formed the villas and manors of German and Italian families for many hundreds of years. When Lyon became a silk industry powerhouse the area was rebuilt with hundreds of buildings to house the thousands of Jacquard looms - each weaver owned their own loom and lived in the same apartment where they worked - because the looms required 4 vertical metres of space special apartments with high ceilings were required to house them. And because they were built on such a steep grade, staircases that connected from the interior of one building to the next below it became a substitute for city streets - these "traboules" gave easy access down to the river level where the richer silk owners and distributors did business.
Our tour ended with a demonstration of hand silk painting and printing. Because it had been my birthday the day before, Mark suggested I pick out a silk scarf as a gift (and because it's France, it doesn't feel too fancy to wear it). Our cashier was very friendly and happy to chat with us in English about her travels in Toronto - she loves it and looks forward to visiting again. It seems so bizarre for Toronto to be a travel destination for the French, but I suppose the grass is always greener on the other side...
After our tour we were in need of "les toilettes", but didn't feel like springing for lunch at a cafe just to use the facilities - we had baguette sandwiches waiting for us in my bag. But, with our Lyon City Card we had free admission the Musée des Beaux Arts, which was just across the plaza, so we popped in for a quick visit and made a beeline to the washrooms. We used the ones on the third floor (which were roped off, so we had a dodgy moment where security seemed to be tailing us after we snuck in). It was some sort of day of dance and music performances at the museum, so as we breezed through we enjoyed some avant garde jazz, some amazing acoustics, and some graceful acrobatics.
After the museum we sat outside in the sun in front of the amazing 1889 Bartholdi fountain of France, seated on a chariot pulled by the four horses (i.e. rivers) of the country. It's one of the most exciting fountains I've seen - very dynamic in its sculpture and placement. Apparently it was originally made for Bordeaux, but they couldn't afford it so they sold it to Lyon. Score for Lyon!
During Mark's conference they had half a day of touring Lyon with a guide, so there were sights in Vieux Lyon that he now knew more about than I did! One of them was the clock at the Cathedral of St John the Baptist. After he told me about this clock from the 1300s, which tells the time, day, year, and has all sorts of figures that change according to the season, etc, I had to see it. I'd visited the archaeological remains beside the cathedral, but because the building itself was covered with construction hoarding I hadn't bothered to go inside. I'm so glad Mark told me about the clock because it was amazing (and the cathedral interior was pretty great too!). Imagine a very large, very elaborate cuckoo clock which has been running for hundreds of years. We decided to return later in the afternoon on the hour so that we could see the clock chime.
So we took the funicular railroad up to the Fourvière (because I thought it was fun enough that Mark shouldn't miss it) and walked around a bit. Then we wandered over to the amphitheatre and had a rest in the shade while watching the people moving about on the steps (probably the very same thing that was being done almost 2000 years ago in the same spot). We got back down at 4:00 just as the clock was about to chim - a huge crowd of people had gathered to watch (I'm glad we'd visited earlier when we could get close to appreciate the intricacy of the clock).
When we'd passed through Vieux Lyon earlier we saw a few people in historic costumes, and wondered what was going on. By this point in the day there was no denying it - we'd stumbled into the middle of a Ren Fair! How bizarre. People everywhere were dressed up, and there were stalls set up outside the cathedral where traditional weaponry and crafts were being demonstrated. We sat on the wall and watched for a while - I'd say the crossbows were the biggest draw.
We finished the day off with a boat tour on the Rhône. It was a peaceful way to end off, watching the sights go by. Peaceful except for the moment when several swimming boys mooned the boat!
After returning to our hotel we made an impulsive decision to return home early. We'd already cancelled our evening's dinner reservations, since we were still sated from dinner the night before. So if we weren't eating out there wasn't much else to keep us there (apart from the market the next morning), and we were longing for home (isn't it nice that Grenoble feels like home by now?). So we packed up, took the Metro over to the train station, and used our flexible train tickets to head home a day early (loving the trains here!).
In the morning we went on an hour and a half guided tour of the historic silk district in Croix-Rousse. Croix-Rousse is interesting in itself, as it's built up a very steep hillside, and can be seen from many vantage points along the rivers. Our guide took us through the history of the area, which was outside the old city walls and thus formed the villas and manors of German and Italian families for many hundreds of years. When Lyon became a silk industry powerhouse the area was rebuilt with hundreds of buildings to house the thousands of Jacquard looms - each weaver owned their own loom and lived in the same apartment where they worked - because the looms required 4 vertical metres of space special apartments with high ceilings were required to house them. And because they were built on such a steep grade, staircases that connected from the interior of one building to the next below it became a substitute for city streets - these "traboules" gave easy access down to the river level where the richer silk owners and distributors did business.
Our tour ended with a demonstration of hand silk painting and printing. Because it had been my birthday the day before, Mark suggested I pick out a silk scarf as a gift (and because it's France, it doesn't feel too fancy to wear it). Our cashier was very friendly and happy to chat with us in English about her travels in Toronto - she loves it and looks forward to visiting again. It seems so bizarre for Toronto to be a travel destination for the French, but I suppose the grass is always greener on the other side...
After our tour we were in need of "les toilettes", but didn't feel like springing for lunch at a cafe just to use the facilities - we had baguette sandwiches waiting for us in my bag. But, with our Lyon City Card we had free admission the Musée des Beaux Arts, which was just across the plaza, so we popped in for a quick visit and made a beeline to the washrooms. We used the ones on the third floor (which were roped off, so we had a dodgy moment where security seemed to be tailing us after we snuck in). It was some sort of day of dance and music performances at the museum, so as we breezed through we enjoyed some avant garde jazz, some amazing acoustics, and some graceful acrobatics.
After the museum we sat outside in the sun in front of the amazing 1889 Bartholdi fountain of France, seated on a chariot pulled by the four horses (i.e. rivers) of the country. It's one of the most exciting fountains I've seen - very dynamic in its sculpture and placement. Apparently it was originally made for Bordeaux, but they couldn't afford it so they sold it to Lyon. Score for Lyon!
During Mark's conference they had half a day of touring Lyon with a guide, so there were sights in Vieux Lyon that he now knew more about than I did! One of them was the clock at the Cathedral of St John the Baptist. After he told me about this clock from the 1300s, which tells the time, day, year, and has all sorts of figures that change according to the season, etc, I had to see it. I'd visited the archaeological remains beside the cathedral, but because the building itself was covered with construction hoarding I hadn't bothered to go inside. I'm so glad Mark told me about the clock because it was amazing (and the cathedral interior was pretty great too!). Imagine a very large, very elaborate cuckoo clock which has been running for hundreds of years. We decided to return later in the afternoon on the hour so that we could see the clock chime.
So we took the funicular railroad up to the Fourvière (because I thought it was fun enough that Mark shouldn't miss it) and walked around a bit. Then we wandered over to the amphitheatre and had a rest in the shade while watching the people moving about on the steps (probably the very same thing that was being done almost 2000 years ago in the same spot). We got back down at 4:00 just as the clock was about to chim - a huge crowd of people had gathered to watch (I'm glad we'd visited earlier when we could get close to appreciate the intricacy of the clock).
When we'd passed through Vieux Lyon earlier we saw a few people in historic costumes, and wondered what was going on. By this point in the day there was no denying it - we'd stumbled into the middle of a Ren Fair! How bizarre. People everywhere were dressed up, and there were stalls set up outside the cathedral where traditional weaponry and crafts were being demonstrated. We sat on the wall and watched for a while - I'd say the crossbows were the biggest draw.
We finished the day off with a boat tour on the Rhône. It was a peaceful way to end off, watching the sights go by. Peaceful except for the moment when several swimming boys mooned the boat!
After returning to our hotel we made an impulsive decision to return home early. We'd already cancelled our evening's dinner reservations, since we were still sated from dinner the night before. So if we weren't eating out there wasn't much else to keep us there (apart from the market the next morning), and we were longing for home (isn't it nice that Grenoble feels like home by now?). So we packed up, took the Metro over to the train station, and used our flexible train tickets to head home a day early (loving the trains here!).
Our tour started with the view from Croix-Rousse
The staircase in an 1800s silk industry building - weavers lived in the apartments where they worked. Note the door at each level - that's the one bathroom per floor. Reminds me of the tenement tour I took in the Lower East Side in New York City.
The interior staircases of the buildings continue down to the next building, connecting them like secret roads or passageways, all the way from the heights of Croix-Rousse down to the river - these are the famous traboules.
A good representation of the traboules is seen here in this piece of street art.
Courtyard view to the sky. The apartments of the silk-weaving district are all 4 metres high, to accommodate the Jacquard looms.
Our guide pointed out that the tradition in Lyon is for exterior Italian Venetian blinds, rather than shutters, as seen elsewhere in France.
Carved archway celebrating the silk industry in Lyon; note the lion (= Lyon) and the mulberry leaves and silkworms.
Demonstration of hand silk-screening of silk scarves.
Demonstration of hand silk-painting of velvet scarves.
Bartholdi's maquette for Liberty (remember that the statue was a gift from France to the USA?).
A painting by a favourite artist, Edouard Vuillard. The reflections and window views are done so loosely yet so convincingly.
Amazing fountain by Bartholdi. Has to be seen in person for the powerful impact - the horses are just flying out from the centre point.
Hall in the Museum of Fine Arts with a Last Supper at the end.
St. John's Cathedral - beautiful coloured lighting through the windows in the afternoon.
Amazing clock in the cathedral - created in the 1300s, and has been running ever since (at one point it broke down, but the detailed manual by the original creator provided instructions for fixing). Tells the time, day, lunar calendar, year, and every hour multiple figures pop out and do their dances. People in the Middle Ages were super smart...
The clock knows that it's April 16, 2011!
More coloured light on the pillars.
Wisteria, almost in bloom, overhead as we relax up on the Fourvière .
A Renaissance Fair, celebrating something (maybe the charter granting Lyon the right to four annual fairs, some several hundred years ago?)
View from our boat tour on the Rhône
A mural spotted during our boat tour
Another mural
Friday, April 15, 2011
April 15, 2011: Lyon - Bon Anniversaire, Gadagne, Zoo, Bernachon, Gourmet
Today was my birthday! And spending it in Lyon was probably one of the nicest ways I could imagine.
In the morning I went to the Musée de Gadagne, where I got a full picture of the city of Lyon, from its earliest Roman foundings as Lugdunum to its modern history (for example, in the first half of the 20th century they had the same mayor, Edouard Herriott, for fifty years - the Hazel McCallion of France!). I learned that the silk industry was a major influence on the social structure and architecture of the city, which piqued my interest in the guided tour of the traboules ("secret staircases" of the silk sector) - I signed us up for the Saturday English-language tour with the Lyon tourism office. The museum is housed in a beautiful Renaissance-era complex of buildings - the views from the windows over the hilly city streets, and from the courtyard of the bright blue sky, were fantastic.
After meeting Mark at the train station mid-afternoon we had a short rest at the hotel, and then were off on the Metro to Parc de la Tête d'Or. I gave him a quick tour of my favourites from the zoo before the gates closed, and then we walked the long way around the park down to Bernachon. I almost thought we'd arrived too late and that it was closed, but it turned out that it was just the cafe that closed early. We had just enough time to select a mid-sized box of assorted chocolates from the woman behind the counter (who was pleased to hear that we were Canadians and that it was our first time visiting).
We still had an hour of time to kill before dinner, so we walked over to the river, sat and watched a game of boules, then strolled back. Our reservations at Restaurant Le Gourmet de Sèze were for 8:00 pm, which is still on the early side for dinner in France. We were the first people at the restaurant, but before long others arrived, and by 9:00 the tables were all full.
Dinner was amazing - probably the best meal of my life. There were multiple small delicious courses (five different deserts!) with a total of six wine pairings. Everything was beautifully planned, balanced and presented as an entire whole (you simply chose one of two set menus, and that was it), and the wine pairings were perfect - I never realized wine could be so well matched to food. It was also very friendly. I managed to tell the watiter (in French) that it was the best meal of my life - he seemed genuinely surprised and pleased to hear it. And when he asked where we were from and I said that we were Canadian he exclaimed "sirop d'érable" (maple syrup) with delight.
Here's the menu as best I remember (the details may be a bit hazy, due either to the length of the meal or the drinks...):
Amuse-bouche: a tomato jelly with shrimp - with the house aperitif of sparkling white wine with orange infusion
Appetizers: tiny crisp breadsticks, a creamy cheese with herbs, a pâte on tiny crackers
First course: langoustines (which are a kind of smaller lobster, without large claws), morel mushrooms, asparagus (and pasta? and celeriac?) - with white wine (for me this one was the most perfect of the wine pairings - each made the other more delicious)
Second course: a mild white fish, potatoes, scallops (other vegetables in a mash?) - with a different white wine
Cheese plate: 2 chèvre cheeses, Roquefort cheese, a very creamy cow's cheese - with red wine
First set of deserts: a strawberry/rhubarb cup, lemon square and a sliced fruit dish - with a different red wine
Second serving of desert: chocolate fondant cake
Third serving of desert: chocolate mousse - with another red wine
The funniest moment in the evening was the crumb comb! I had been describing to Mark how my sister had the crumbs brushed from her table at the restaurant she and Anthony ate at the night of their wedding. And sure enough, before desert our tablecloth was "combed".
At the end of the night we shook hands with our waiter, and the chef, and left deeply contented.
In the morning I went to the Musée de Gadagne, where I got a full picture of the city of Lyon, from its earliest Roman foundings as Lugdunum to its modern history (for example, in the first half of the 20th century they had the same mayor, Edouard Herriott, for fifty years - the Hazel McCallion of France!). I learned that the silk industry was a major influence on the social structure and architecture of the city, which piqued my interest in the guided tour of the traboules ("secret staircases" of the silk sector) - I signed us up for the Saturday English-language tour with the Lyon tourism office. The museum is housed in a beautiful Renaissance-era complex of buildings - the views from the windows over the hilly city streets, and from the courtyard of the bright blue sky, were fantastic.
After meeting Mark at the train station mid-afternoon we had a short rest at the hotel, and then were off on the Metro to Parc de la Tête d'Or. I gave him a quick tour of my favourites from the zoo before the gates closed, and then we walked the long way around the park down to Bernachon. I almost thought we'd arrived too late and that it was closed, but it turned out that it was just the cafe that closed early. We had just enough time to select a mid-sized box of assorted chocolates from the woman behind the counter (who was pleased to hear that we were Canadians and that it was our first time visiting).
We still had an hour of time to kill before dinner, so we walked over to the river, sat and watched a game of boules, then strolled back. Our reservations at Restaurant Le Gourmet de Sèze were for 8:00 pm, which is still on the early side for dinner in France. We were the first people at the restaurant, but before long others arrived, and by 9:00 the tables were all full.
Dinner was amazing - probably the best meal of my life. There were multiple small delicious courses (five different deserts!) with a total of six wine pairings. Everything was beautifully planned, balanced and presented as an entire whole (you simply chose one of two set menus, and that was it), and the wine pairings were perfect - I never realized wine could be so well matched to food. It was also very friendly. I managed to tell the watiter (in French) that it was the best meal of my life - he seemed genuinely surprised and pleased to hear it. And when he asked where we were from and I said that we were Canadian he exclaimed "sirop d'érable" (maple syrup) with delight.
Here's the menu as best I remember (the details may be a bit hazy, due either to the length of the meal or the drinks...):
Amuse-bouche: a tomato jelly with shrimp - with the house aperitif of sparkling white wine with orange infusion
Appetizers: tiny crisp breadsticks, a creamy cheese with herbs, a pâte on tiny crackers
First course: langoustines (which are a kind of smaller lobster, without large claws), morel mushrooms, asparagus (and pasta? and celeriac?) - with white wine (for me this one was the most perfect of the wine pairings - each made the other more delicious)
Second course: a mild white fish, potatoes, scallops (other vegetables in a mash?) - with a different white wine
Cheese plate: 2 chèvre cheeses, Roquefort cheese, a very creamy cow's cheese - with red wine
First set of deserts: a strawberry/rhubarb cup, lemon square and a sliced fruit dish - with a different red wine
Second serving of desert: chocolate fondant cake
Third serving of desert: chocolate mousse - with another red wine
The funniest moment in the evening was the crumb comb! I had been describing to Mark how my sister had the crumbs brushed from her table at the restaurant she and Anthony ate at the night of their wedding. And sure enough, before desert our tablecloth was "combed".
At the end of the night we shook hands with our waiter, and the chef, and left deeply contented.
Another of Lyon's famous murals - this one is above the city's oldest ice cream shop
The Renaissance-era courtyard of the Musée Gadagne
A view of city rooftops from Musée Gadagne
A display of silk flower-making tools and materials, from Lyon's silk heyday - I especially love the leaf molds
One of the Jacquard looms that revolutionized the silk industry
Punch cards from the loom - an early form of computing!
A stone carving of the "danse macabre" during the Plague in the 1300s (see all the upside down skeletons?)
It seemed appropriate to take a photo of this carving of Aries on my birthday
Reflections on the curtain in front of the window highlights the uneven quality of the old glass panes even more
Church of Saint Nizier - note the brick steeple from the15th century and the stone steeple from the 19th century
A mural for a bookstore
Giraffe at the zoo
Chocolate display for Easter at Bernachon (note the bell, which will bring the Easter Eggs back from Rome, after it returns from being blessed by the Pop)
Enormous egg - does anyone really eat it? Can anyone even afford to buy it (I didn't see a price, but it must be in the hundreds of Euros)?
Peter Mayle writes that 40% of trees in Paris are plane trees, popular because they withstand rough conditions so well, and are beautiful and easily pruned. See how both the painted and scratched grafitti are wearing away as the bark peels and renews itself?
A skateboard park - there were many of these alongside the rivers
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