Buşteni, a small town nestled in the virtual center of Romania, sits below the Bucegi Range on the edge of the Carpathian Mountains and therefore enjoys the cool fresh air of the north, unlike the towns and cities south of it.
Buşteni – Bucegi Range Of The Carpathian Mountains – 17th of September, 2021
On the day we arrived in preparation for our daughter’s wedding, it was a bit cloudy and sprinkled a bit. We totally ignored this in the hope that the weather would improve and she would have a nice wedding day, a hope that would turn out to be very prescient.
The above photograph was taken on the 17th of September, the day of our arrival to the castle.
Buşteni – Bucegi Range Of The Carpathian Mountains – 19th of September, 2021
Buşteni is located in Prahova county, Romania; named after the local industry in which tree logs are harvested for the timber industry. Until recently, this was the only industry in this particular town, until several ski resorts were built and some of the local castles were restored. It is now a very active tourist destination, having many points of interests to warrant travel all year round.
Buşteni – Bucegi Range Of The Carpathian Mountains – 20th of September, 2021
The mountain range is on the southern most tip of the Carpathian Range and the tallest peak, Mount Caraiman, is in excess of seven thousand feet.
The Bucegi Range – Carpathian Mountains – Buşteni – Panorama
Buşteni – The Town
There is actually not much to the town itself, aside from a strip of N60 which runs north to south directly through it. This is the same road which takes you south to Bucharest and Otopeni Airport.
Buşteni – Main Street N60 – Looking South – 19th of September, 2021
The Prahova River runs alongside the town as well as a line of the Romanian Railroad. Since any traffic is restricted to the N60 running north to south, traffic can be problematic at times, especially during rush hour. This can be exacerbated by construction and the occasional train coming through town.
Castle Cantacuzino
The castle is a fully renovated and a privately run venue that hosts weddings and other large occasions. It is able to provide these functions with a villa, a small lodge (known as the Hunter’s Lodge) and a very good restaurant and bistro.
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The villa is integrated into the castle proper and has immediate access to the grounds, castle and restaurant. Ericka and Gabi chose this as their apartment during the wedding, which made all the arrangements and coordination much easier; more on their wedding in the next edition of this blog.
Restaurants
Casa Magica
A Romanian restaurant hidden on the back streets of Buşteni which has good food is Casa Magica. It is frequented by locals and Romanian tourist who obviously seek it out. Gabi and his brother–in–law were able to pick this establishment out while investigating places to eat in this area. It has a good variety of food at very reasonable prices.
This is actually a missing post from our travels in Germany while we were visiting our daughter and her fiancée in August. As we were driving back from our visit in Kronberg im Taunus, we stopped here to visit the wonderful park and spa.
Schloß Bad Homburg
Bad Homburg vor der Höhe, or Bad Homburg before the Taunus, was originally settled in 1180. Until recently in the late 1800s it became widely known as Kaiser Wilhelm II’s summer residence. Wilhelm later erected the spa and built the Erlöserkirche, or Church of the Redeemer for which the place is now recognized.
Erlöserkirche Schloßpark – Bad Homburg – 25th of August 2021
We divided our time between the Schloßpark and the Kurpark, which features numerous fountains where people collect and drink the local water.
Schloßpark And The White Tower
The Schloßpark, or Castle Gardens, contains many fine flower beds and examples of exotic flora. There is also a large lake that can be enjoyed while taking a leisurely walk around the grounds. The main attraction here is the castle with its white tower and overlook of the grounds and lake. At the time of our visit the tower was closed and we were not able to ascend to see any views of the surrounding town.
Schloß Gardens – Bad Homburg – 25th of August 2021
The White Tower – Bad Homburg – 25th of August 2021
The Kurpark
The water here is documented to contain a myriad of basic elements, minerals and other health regenerative ingredients that are ostensibly good for your health. I tasted a few, with my fingers crossed that I wouldn’t get sick (which I didn’t), and can say that the overwhelming tastes are of sulfur dioxide and metallic, most likely from manganese. Though drinking it often could cause issues, depending upon the mineral exposures, an occasional drink now and then probably has no negative impact to the body and may even help in some cases.
Kaiserbrunnen, Kurpark – Bad Homburg – 25th of August, 2021
The Kurpark, or Spa Park or Garden, has many cafes and paths that one may stroll and enjoy during fine weather. There is a Swan Pond and a stream that runs through the park along which one may find numerous benches were one can stop, sit and just enjoy nature.
A small town in the Taunus Mountains north of Frankfurt mixes old and new in a quaint little package. Its main attraction, the Kronberg Castle, selfishly occupies the only hill in town. This town offers enough for a great day trip or even an afternoon getaway.
Kronberg Im Taunus – A Panorama – August 2021
Though there is not much to see from the high perch of the Kronberg Castle, the town below actually has several points of interest. There are of course several places to eat in the historic part of town, most serving the typical German food for this area, though Chinese and other cuisine can be found. Aside from its overlook of the countryside, here is a real overlook of what you will find inside the town.
The Town
The historic town is strangely laid out, but practical, given that there is a castle and a wall surrounding it. Many of the streets are typical for a hillside town and are paved in the Sampietrini or larger cobble stone. Many of the houses are built in the Fachwerk style and are hundreds of years old. Below are some of the sights to see ambling the streets.
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There is a modern part of the city as well and it actually represent the modern face of Germany. The houses, apartments and stores have a neat modern appeal to them and ample parking. Anyone wishing to visit these areas only walk as near the closest wall opening, where they may descend into another time in the same place.
The town is at the foot of the Taunus Mountains, which occupy this part of Germany. The mountains are just north of Frankfurt and lie in the state of Hesse.
The Hellhof
The Hellhof was a noble seat built by the Kronberg Knights in the fifteenth century. It now stands as part of a gallery, which was at the time of our visit, closed.
The Hellhof – Kronberg im Taunus
Griststone – The Hellhof – Kronberg im Taunus
The knights were part of the Teutonic Order and belonged to a rather poor family associated with Walter von Cronberg, a Grand Master and resident of the castle and held the title from 1525, until his death in 1543. Since the building is intimately intertwined with the events and family of the castle, it makes sense that it can be found sitting just beneath a rather steep incline to it. There is a substantial Roman style paved road that one can imagine connected the two at one time.
The Castle
Tickets For Two – Kronberg Castle
Built around 1220, the castle sits atop the rocky hill of historic Kronberg im Taunus. It has a large main building, a tower and several chambers scattered around on the ground floor that must have served several purposes.
Kronberg Castle
The castle has a commanding view of the town and the countryside. It can also be seen quite clearly by its higher castle neighbors in the Taunus Mountains and also from the Main Valley below.
Die Aufrechten – Matthias Schmidt – 2018
In the ground floor of the Fünfeckturn, or five cornered tower, stand five wooden steles carved from a storm fallen 150 year old Beech tree called The Uprights. They were carved by Matthais Schmidt in 2018 to symbolize the knights and kings from the history of this old castle. For more on the history of this castle, visit https://www.burgkronberg.de/die-burg/geschichte.
I am ending this blog post with some additional, non-captioned photographs of the castle.
On a bend of the Rhine River above Mainz sits the small town of Bacharach. Nestled among the varied and many castles of the west bank, its row of buildings and high walls demonstrate historically how important this part of the Rhine was in the Middle Ages.
Bacharach – Above Burg Stahleck – August 2021
The walls of the Rhine River valley provide an ample perch for the many castles and fortresses that were built to protect the towns along its banks. The Stahleck Castle sits above this small town and extends it length of walls, turrets and towers around the small community like a net from above. The curtain of walls is formidable in both height and width, being its strongest at river level, where perhaps most of the attacks (if any) would probably originate.
The Town
There is no real center of town, since it is more of a stretch of houses and building along the Rhine. Points of interest include the main street called Mainzerstraße, where all of the shops are located, Blücherstraße which starts at Saint Peter’s church and continues up through the Steeger Tor, a smaller street called the Langestraße which parallels the main street and the beautiful park along the banks of the Rhine.
Altes Haus – Bacharach
Altes Haus History – Bacharach
A main attraction here is the beautifully preserved Altes Haus. It is here where Robert Stolz wrote his operetta Wenn die kleinen Veilchen blühen, or “When the little violets bloom”, which was eventually performed in the Haag in 1932. Aside from that, it is an excellent example of Half-Timber, or Fachwerk framing.
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The hillsides in this area are dominated by vineyards, the area being a major wine producer for Germany. There are many Vintners here and many, if not all, sell directly to the public. Unfortunately after taking so long to eat, we were not predisposed to try and visit any of them.
Restaurants
There are several restaurants in town to choose from, all of which appear to serve a mixture of traditional German fare and some Mediterranean. It is probably preferable to find something on one of the side streets, since traffic is still allowed through the main thoroughfare.
Restaurant Burg Stahleck
We choose this restaurant based on its menu and amount of outside seating. Plus we were just lucky to get the last table with its advantage at being in a very strategic corner, in order to view the goings on in town.
Gulaschsuppe And Bread
Cream Cheese Torte With Strawberries And Espresso
Bacharach is indeed a great place to spend a day or afternoon. The combination of the town, the banks of the Rhine and Castle above it provide more than enough to do for anyone in the area looking for a day trip.
I considered a title in English, however none appeared fitting to me, or at least to my ear. The above essentially translates to Timbered Houses All or all of them. Most, if not all (I didn’t take a census) are built in this style, at least within confines of the ring wall.
Half-Timbered House – Dreieichenhain, Germany
The exemplary example shows all the features of a timbered or half-timbered house in this region of Germany. In fact, Dreieichenhain lays on a three thousand kilometer (appr. 1800 miles) long Deutschen Fachwerkstraße of timbered framed houses in Germany. This virtual road runs through Niedersachsen, Sachsen-Anhalt, Hessen, Thüringen, Bayern and Baden-Württemburg. This town lays on the portion from the Rhine to the Main and Odenwald.
As you walk along the Fahrgasse, the main street in Dreieichenhain, there are several signs explaining the history and method of this type of construction. In typical German fashion, each timber has its own name and in many cases they may have multiple names, depending on their actual purpose.
These include the Rähm or Rähmbalken for the top beams and Schwelle or Grundschwelle for the beams located on the bottom. Echpfosten, Eckstiel and Eckständer may all be used as names for the column posts used for the corners of the buildings.
Half-Timber Building – Dreieichenhain
Half-Timber Buildings – Obertur With Clocks In Distance – Fahrgasse – Dreieichenhain
Here are some additional examples of this construction practice, which many tourist find to represent the idyllic German town. All of them have very restrictive auto and driving rules, many of which require you to park outside the town and walk in. Though we parked outside the town and walked in, the walk was rather short, even though there were two small traffic circles that we had to walk through. While doing so we discovered the town also has its own parking area a few hundred meters from one of the town gates.
The Untertor Gate – Dreieichenhain
Aside from the interesting houses the town is surrounded by the typical Roman wall. This wall has only three gates, through which anyone approaching or leaving the town must pass. The rest of the wall is sparsely populated by lookout towers. The wall is also supplemented and takes advantages of some the buildings in the town to supply part of its construction. For example the church and several stone buildings that were incorporated and included in the wall in order to remain part of the town proper.
The Ruins
Near the Untertur entrance are the ruins of the Burg, or castle, which was rather small, but probably adequate for a town of this size.
The Castle Ruins – Church In The Background – Dreieichenhain
The castle has had a lot of work on it to stabilize its structure and to make it safe for tourists to enter. There is not much to see, but you can enter the ruins and discover the old main hall chimney and other construction items of interest.
Ericka And Patti – Dreieichenhain Castle – Dreieichenhain, Germany – August 2021
Below is another view from outside the ruins and one of the main hall with chimney.
Dreieichenhain Castle – Dreieichenhain, Germany
Gabi And Ericka – Dreieichenhain Castle Chimney – Dreieichenhain, Germany
Restaurants
La Table
Though actually a restaurant, it appears as a rather quaint little boutique coffee shop that sells amazing cakes and desserts. We stopped at La Table for some refreshment, after we had completely discovered what this little town had to offer, and what the local weather kind of forced us into sitting under some kind of cover. Our attempt to sit outside under the coffee shop’s awning was dashed, when what started out as a shower turned into a full blown thunderstorm. We persisted in our belief, along with another cute little old lady from town, that we would be able to sit it out under the awning. But soon enough it rained harder and harder and then the wind picked up and drove us all inside.
Gabi And Ericka – La Table – Dreieichenhain, Germany – August 2021
Luckily, most of the other guest had been driven home by the inclement weather so there was plenty of seating for the rest of us inside, including the little old lady who turned out to be quite the chatterbox. So we ordered up some glasses of Martini Rosso, Prosecco, and hot chocolates along with some cake and had a nice little Kaffeepauseout of the rain and eventually hail.
The Burgweiher – Dreieichenhain, Germany
Above a parting shot of the castle’s water source from the nice little town of Dreieichenhain on the Deutschen Fachwerkstraße.
The city that boasts the most museums in Switzerland must also operate and maintain the most streetcars or trams. At least that is my thesis. On closer inspection one will notice they are almost everywhere and if you spend any time in the historic area’s main Marktplatz, where our hotel Märthof was located, they even appear to outnumber the cars.
There are also many interesting doors in Basel. Each appear to be uniquely named and dated, some having historical significance, others more whimsical, all very Basel. All make for an increased desire in discriminating each while you walk around the city.
As one can imagine there are fountains all over Basel, all strategically located. Some obviously served as sources of water for the citizenry during older times, others are more decorative. All betray Basel as the water city that it was and in many aspects, still is today.
Our Hotel
The Basler Märthof hotel sits at the nexus of the grand portion of the historic city. Bordered by the Rhine, the Marktplatz and the hills around it, it sits central to life in this city. Surrounded by shopping and many different types of restaurants, one can find almost anything they want in this cosmopolitan city, where English is spoken as frequently as many other languages, the exception being German.
The Märthof Hotel
At the time of our visit, a newly renovated hotel with the most modern of amenities and very spacious rooms. This included access the terrace on the roof for our sitting pleasure or some very nice photographs.
Marktplatz And Rathaus – In The Evening – August 2021
The Trams
Trams are everywhere and give this city’s residence a freedom of movement that is seldom seen elsewhere. From the city’s historic center the network branches out like an octopus, occupying every denizen’s neighborhood within five kilometers.
Tram On Kohlenberg – Basel – August 2021
They can be somewhat of annoyance, making an inordinate amount of low frequency grinding noises, as well as stacking up when you are trying to cross the street. The latter forces you to wait the required time for them to leave, hopefully before more arrive and interfere with your travels across the street. But for the most part, they are a welcome addition to the city’s smorgasbord selection of commutation.
Tram On Mittlere Brücke Over Rhine – Basel – August 2021
The Doors
Entryways in the city of Basel have their own descriptive appeal, as seen below.
Zur Scheuren – 1300 – Basel
Zum Engelberg – 1291 – Basel
Just wandering through the streets an observer will see many examples of craftsmanship, old wrought iron hinges, locks, doorbells and doorknobs. Some of the doorbells are especially amusing, where the owner has carefully preserved the original design and function. Some are pulled, some are twisted and some pressed but all made from old iron that has been braving the environment for hundreds of years in some cases.
Old Wrought Iron Doorknob
The above example old world iron work was found on Martinsgässlein, on our walk down from the Gothic Cathedral Münster. It appeared to be fine example of blacksmith work on an obviously restored door. Here are a few more…
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The Fountains
A city historically close to and a heavy user of water, there is no doubt that there would be a plethora of fountains throughout. The most useful and convenient ones are in most cases built into the sides of buildings, whether apartment or governmental. Obviously strategically located in the past for the residents before indoor plumbing was available.
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The Rhine Boats
As an adjunct to all of the trams, buses, taxis, ferries and other forms of conveyance, Basel has a system of Rhine boats along the Rhine. When there isn’t a bridge around when you need one, look around, there may be a Rhine boat!
Rhine Boats – Münsterfähre – St. Johanns Ferry – Basel
Each boat has its own name, owner and distinguishing paint job. They are not motorized! By using a cable strung across the Rhine at strategic points, they use the power of the Rhine’s strong current and their rudder to propel them from one bank of the river to the other. The cabling system is not complicated and only requires the pilot to move a pipe on the boat the moors the cable and then direct the boat appropriately using the rudder.
For the modest fare of €1.90 per person you can climb aboard and be on the other side in a matter of a few minutes. We took the Sankt Albans Fähre or Ferry from Basel, Altstadt Kleinbasel on the east bank to the Altstadt Großbasel on the west bank, that was after we walked along the Rhine on the one side and wanted to cross to visit the Paper Mill on the other.
Sankt Albans Fähre – Pilot And Cabin With More Seating – Basel
Sankt Albans Fähre – Cable Lever And Seating – Basel
The Basler Papiermühl
One of the high points of our trip was a visit the Paper Mill Museum. One would think it would have not much to offer, but in this case they would be wrong.
Basler Papiermühle – Saint Albans Tal – Basel – August 2021
The city of Basel had done an excellent job of creating a museum from an old paper mill using a mixture traditional museum look and feel along with a hands-on approach for younger, as well as older audiences. The individuals performing the demonstrations are very informative, eager to demonstrate and skilled at explaining during the demonstrations any steps left out. In all cases this is shorten the format of each demonstration so that participants can actually take home what they have made.
Basler Papiermühle – Mill Cog and Camshaft
Basler Papiermühle – Rag Pounder
I later talked to the man who ran the paper making demonstration and he related to me all of the inconsistencies in his demonstration, explaining that the process took days to complete, from actually pounding the materials to the dried end production. He was most informative.
As was alluded to before, participants actually get to create their own examples of paper using the old techniques. In my case, two sheets of rag based paper with the watermark of the mill, dried using a modern appliance, instead of the old method where they were hung on lines for a few days (as shown above).
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Restaurants
While in Basel we did not have to venture far from the hotel, since plenty are in an around the area of the old historic part of the city.
Rosario’s La Sputino
This tiny little Osteria is quaintly tucked into the side of a hillside street coming down from Saint Peters.
Rosario’s La Sputino
A traditional Osteria menu with local favorites, both the type you order and the ones that apparently visit (they seem to get their fair share of the local business crowd). We had the carrot soup and then I had the Gnocchi in sauce and Patti had the Scialatielli Fresoli, which actually are pasta in the shape of green beans.
Patti In Front Of Menu
Gnocchi
Dessert, ummmm
Fiorentina
Continuing with our Italian cuisine indulgences in Switzerland we visited Fiorentina. An upscale restaurant with terrace seating with grand views of the Rhine. However, if you want the outside seating, reservations are necessary.
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We visited this restaurant just after we arrived in Basel and since we were both hungry, so we took a walk, found it, walked in and got seated. I ordered the traditional lasagna and had the panna cotta for dessert.
Ramazzotti
Our Pizza
Finally we found the Italian restaurant Ramazzotti which specializes in pizza. Since we were dying for a pizza, not having one for more than month, we ate here and ordered the Pizza Margherita. In fact the food and service was so good here, we ended up eating here a second time.
Dijon’s claim to fame is the invention of its namesake mustard. Created in 1856 by one of its residence when he substituted the acidic juice of unripe grapes to his mustard mixture, instead of the customary vinegar. It has spawned many varieties and has a world renowned reputation for one of the best mustard types.
Maille Mustard – One Of Many Famous Dijon Mustard Types
Dijon was actually a second thought, a chance detour in our travel itinerary. We had thought that aside from mustard, there was actually nothing of interest or note in this city. I have to say, for the record, we were both pleasantly surprised and would recommend this small city of about 160,000 over some of their more populated cousins we have already seen.
A note, perhaps a generalization, about the French people. They were extremely polite, genial and very attentive to us at all times. We never received any negative feedback when trying to get into restaurant or other venues, in fact they all seemed extremely helpful. However, we did find some of their hotel appliances to be most annoying and counter-intuitive. But as for the French themselves, they appear to be first rate, accommodating and very friendly.
Our Hotel
We stayed at the Grand Hotel Le Cloche, located on Avenue de la 1ère Armée Français, which is eminently close to the train station and the entrance to the old historic part of town.
Grand Hotel Le Cloche
This hotel has plenty of room and large bathrooms, which are uncommon generally in Europe. Our room had a nice view of the courtyard and small park inside the confines of the hotel.
The Historic Center Of Dijon
From our hotel the center of the old historic part of town was directly through the Arch or Porte Guillaume. The Park Darcy, directly across the avenue from our hotel is the starting point for a city sponsored Owl Trail. For three euros you can purchase a booklet that details and explains more than two dozen points of interest throughout the city.
Some points of interest are rather hidden from the casual observer and required either a keen eye or a brochure, like the one aforementioned, we found it a handy guide.
One such site was the House of Maillard, which contains a most unusual collection of stone figures carved into the wall. It also has a very old wooden staircase and a helical one in a very confined space. This place is reached by a very inconspicuous door which leads to a long, dimly lit hallway made of old wooden timber and stone. Definitely worth a visit.
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The owl trail takes you past several noteworthy sights, including many buildings built in what Americans would recognize as Tudor-style or Fachwerk, is typically known as Timber-Framing. The following examples are easily found throughout the city and in some cases demonstrate the age of the buildings and the city itself.
An Old Timber Frame House
An Old Timber Frame House At Place Francois Rude
And yet one of the strangest houses seen in Dijon appears below, owing to the flared roofing around several of its dormers.
Odd Building Between Rue Du Temple And Rue Du Chateau
Another characteristic of housing in this area is the roofing. Most of the materials here are reminiscent of the typical ones you would find in France, Germany and Italy. However, some are distinct for this area of Burgundy and are clad in a specific design and pattern specific to this region of France.
Burgundy Roof On The Church Saint Benigne De Dijon
Most of these roofs have a distinctive yellow, green, brown – almost terracotta color and black. The patterns vary a bit, but seem to stick to a central weaved look from below.
Churches
There are again numerous churches in Dijon, all of which have their own interesting history. Obviously one has to have the name of Our Lady, or Notre-Dame, and it is situated on the Place Notre Dame of the main street Rue des Forges.
Notre-Dame de Dijon
Built in the thirteenth century is an excellent example of Burgundian architecture. The facade sports a collection of gargoyles, all of which have a difference appearance and most likely meaning. They must have given the worshipers pause as they entered its archway, especially one can imagine when it was raining and some were spouting water from their mouths.
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The front entrance shows enormous amount of wear and can only be attributed to poor quality stone that must have been used in some of its construction, or a deliberate act of destruction or vandalism.
Museum Of Sacred Art
Remaining Part Of Saint Anne’s Church
Not actually a church anymore, the Church of Saint Anne of Dijon now houses a museum of sacred art that includes vestments, chalices and other historical religious artifacts.
Restaurants
We ate at a few very good restaurants in Dijon, one of which was an amazing learning experience, the other noted for its exceptional taste based on years of expectations (that is, french cooking and their meat).
L’Aspérule
A fine dining establishment run by a renowned chef Keigo Kimura and only opened in 2019, this restaurants has all anyone would want to eat. I would consider it a French-Asian Fusion restaurant, where the owner takes Asian liberties with known French classics, the results of which are astounding. We are not food critics, but all we could say when we left this restaurant was, WOW!
L’Aspérule – Chicken Appetizer with a Gevrey-Chambertin 2015
As expected with most fine establishments, seating was limited and inside, so it is necessary to get a reservation. We found ourselves lucky, in that they had one seating left the evening when we visited, so we jumped at the chance.
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The menu promised either a flight off six or seven courses, starting with an appetizer and working our way up to two different ways to cook Guinea Fowl. The highlight of our meal was both the 2015 Gevry-Chambertin Red Wine and the Ground Guinea Fowl with Whipped Potatoes in Foie Gras Butter served in a cup. It gives me Guinea Fowl bumps just thinking about it again.
Chez Léon
Chez Léon offered a more relaxed atmosphere outside, during a rather warm evening. We were lucky to enjoy a breeze now and again and luckily the lack of any smokers nearby.
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The food at this restaurant was traditional Burgundian which we had both wanted to sample before we left the area. Our chef did not disappoint, the menu was full of the expected entrees and some with which we were not yet familiar. I ordered a half-liter of the Givry Red Wine when we placed our orders for the Beef Bourgogne that was one the menu. I upped the ante a bit but ordering an appetizer that used the same sauce as our main entree, but also contained two soft boiled eggs, a specialty they call Oeufs de Poul Bio en Meurette, Recette Traditionnelle.
In Conclusion
Visiting Dijon was a real treat, one we had not expected. Given its many appealing qualities, especially its food, we would recommend it to anyone.
If one were to think of two words that exemplify Lyon, besides being known for its culinary heritage, it would be as the city of silk and murals. There are other sights to see of course, but these two are the ones that you will not forget if you visit this city in the heart of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.
Lyon – Panorama of the city of Lyon, taken from the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière
During the week of the tenth through the twelfth of August, 2021 we were fortunate to travel through Lyon. Our expectations were mixed, having known or read little of the city in the past. In fact, until we visited we had no idea of the impact that Lyon had had on the silk or weaving business in the world.
Lyon – Cour Des Loges
The Historic City Center
The historic part of the old city is backed up against the hill on the other side of the Saône below the basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière. Here you will find the old narrow streets paved in cobblestones and buildings fitting their age. The Place of the small college, right next to our hotel The Cour Des Loges, is an example of this as seen below. Though I must admit I am not a fan of walking on cobblestones and prefer the larger stoned walkways of Turin. Walking in one thunderstorm or shower will testify to their slipperiness.
Lyon – Place Du Petit College
Many of the old building date back to the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries and were deeply involved in the silk trade and fabric making. This included our hotel which has several stairwells within it similar to the one above. Though they are inside the hotel, they were customarily on the outside and almost always in the form of a helix.
Rue Du Boeuf An Old Staircase
Bordering the Historic City Center to the east is the river Saône. There are many bridges that span the waterway and will bring you to other old parts of Lyon in the district in and around Bellecour.
The Saône
The Saône
The Rhone
The Place Du Bellecour sports the traditional statue of Louis XIV on a horse. Aside from a well architected space around it that serves as a park, the space seems to otherwise be devoid of purpose, it is not even paved well.
Fountain Of The Jacobins
However, the area in and around the Fountain of the Jacobins seems more impressive and well designed. It is situated closer to the buildings, including a ring of trees with a beautiful fountain at the center. The only thing it appears to be missing are cafe tables and people.
Roman Ruins
There are several roman ruins spread across the city. Most are comprised of amphitheater that we used by the local population for amusement. Lyon has at least one example of twin amphitheater, which frankly I have never seen before, even in Italy. The two are adjacent to one another on the hillside overlooking Lyon and just below and to the south of the basilica atop the hill. Both still appear to be used for special events and have wooden stages carefully erected over them.
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We actually arrived at the amphitheaters quite by accident, trying to find our way up to the basilica. We both knew they were there, we were just both surprised that we happened upon them in that location.
Basilica Of Notre-Dame De Fourvière
Continuing our walk up the hillside from the roman ruins you can easily see the basilica, so groping for directions on your phone is not such a big deal. The basilica is impressive, both inside and out. However, it appears to have been place on real estate where they allowed residential houses to encroach upon it. This takes away from one’s ability to get an actual appreciation of the scale of the structure from outside.
Basilica Notre-Dame de Fourvière
Inside is a totally different matter. There are actually two churches within the basilica, one above (the actual basilica) and one below in the crypt. Though the directions indicate crypt, in fact there numerous persons buried below, it appears to also function as a full church with pews and all.
Inside Notre-Dame de Fourvière
Croix Rousse
Across the river Saône from the historic district lies the district on the hill called Croix Rousse. This area is known for its historical ties to the Canuts and those who established and made the silk trade famous in Lyon.
The Museum Of The Canuts
Anyone interested the history of weaving or silk, or anyone interested in old machines should probably put this somewhere on their list of places to visit. They have a small but authentic collection of old and rare machines dating back to the time the Canuts flourished in this area.
A canut was a master weaver of gold, silver and silk thread. The word has probable origins in the word canette, which in french means spool, for which they were responsible in changing out in order for the weave to be successfully finished. The start of the industry can be traced back to its start in and around the year 1536.
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The Fresco Buildings
There are several buildings in this area that have been frescoes painted on them. Some of them have been done numerous times over, in order to keep the appeal up and to changed the theme slightly.
Mur Des Canuts – Croix Rousse
Fresco of the Lyonnaise
Other Weird Points Of Interest
The are at least a few unusual points of interest, where artists apparently had a hand. Owing to a profound lack of graffiti in the city my wife and I thought them interesting. Here are a few.
Needs No Translation
A Chimp And Bear
Restaurants
Many of the restaurants here serve local food, or as close to traditional home cooking in these parts of France as you can get and are called Bouchon, it is sometimes spelled Buchon. They are similar to Italy’s Osteria or Trattoria and being in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes are very meat based establishments. Most menus include sausages from the region, both sliced as an appetizer and fully cooked served with a sauce or gravy. It is obviously interesting to try, but over the course of a few days can become tiresome.
Buchon Fiston
The second restaurant we tried with such fare was Bouchon Fiston, the first being of no particular note and right across the same street. Trying to mix it up a bit I went for a soup and salad. The onion soup came with a delicious filo dough top and the salad came with melted regional cheese on toasted bread. Patti ordered a lentil salad, which came as a combo of a lentil compote and green salad on the side.
Bouchon Fiston – Lyon, France
Erick’s Salad Lyonnaise
Patti’s Lentil Salad
Erick’s Onion Soup
Bistrot Des Cours Des Loges
Belonging to our hotel is a small bistrot that serves many good specialties from the region. Our second evening in Lyon found us visiting it, because the main restaurant normally served by a famous chef was closed for the holiday season.
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The bistro offers outside seating under the amazing trees of the Place de Petit College. We had a most enjoyable evening sampling many fine dishes and enjoying the wine.
Le Cabaretier
Our last evening in Lyon found us dodging raindrops to make it to the Cabaretier for dinner. After a rather warm afternoon the thunderstorms would not be denied, but neither would we.
Le Carabetier – Lyon
The place was vacant for the most part, possibly owing to the rain, since most other places appeared equally bare. The owner and ostensibly the cook at this is a real character and listens to American music all the time. Once he learned we spoke English and were from the States, he was constantly buzzing around trying to help or playing songs he thought we would like to hear. If anything it made for an interesting evening.
Yes, That’s Sausage, But I Had To Try It – Andouilette Sauce Moutarde
The inside looks as though it belongs as a Antiquariat and not a restaurant. But the eclectic furnishings did not take anything away from his authentic Lyonnaise food.
We started our travels knowing well that we were headed into bad weather. The rain storm that had been predicted for a few days arrived with a wall of thunderstorms and a strong front of rain. No matter, we spent the major portion of our morning traveling from Turin to Chambry and then to Annecy by train.
Train Ride From Turin To Chambry – August 2021
Being delayed a bit in Modane, France by the French authorities, who by the way did a thorough check of everyone’s passports and vaccination status before we were allowed to move on (at least someone is paying attention), we missed our local train in Chambry to Annecy. But that was no big deal and forced us to sit at a cafe there for an hour and have a coffee and a small bite to eat.
We later arrived in Annecy around lunchtime and into our hotel between downpours, so we only experienced a few drops on our stroll across Verdun Square to the Carlton Best Western where we are staying. A newly renovated modern facility which appears adequate for a four star hotel, though it shows some signs of lack of maintenance here and there (just stupid things I would notice.)
Patti On The Quai Madame De Warens – Annecy – August 2021
The city of course was obviously built around the power of the water the pours out of Lake Annecy via the Thiou River. This river is divided by a network of sluices and other diversions for use by the prior residents in numerous ways. There are numerous artifacts along the Quias were used to stop and gather the water for redirection towards mills and perhaps other structures that no longer exist. At least one large canal still exists, the Canal du Vasse, which today is primarily used solely by the park and some boat rental concerns.
Historic Center
The historic center consists of less than a square kilometer of land and buildings, all concentrated around the mouth of the River Thiou and the Canal Le Vassé.
River Thiou – Quai Perriere – Annecy – August 2021
The chaotic nature of the city belies its origins in time, owing to the many narrow side streets and other small venues.
Typical Narrow Side Street – Annecy – August 2021
Strange Plant Arrangement – Annecy – August 2021
The town has a noteworthy palace and a chateau that has been converted to a museum at the top of the one hill off-center of town. The palace is peculiar, in that it exists on the one small island in the middle of the River Thiou.
Palais de L’Isle – River Thiou – Annecy – August 2021
Les Musées d’Annecy
The museums of Annecy are few and for the most part only in French. We purchased our Tickets for Two for the Chateau Museum, if only to see the views. But also with the hope that there would be something of interest inside that we might learn. There was but unfortunately it was only lightly covered by signs with minimal English. So if you visit one of these museums an Optical Character Recognition application must be used to auto-translate any placards or signs if you hope to learn anything at all, in the case you only know limited French.
Tickets For Two – Annecy – August 2021
We actually visited two museums of this group, the Musée-Chateau and the Musée du Film d’Animation. The first holds most of the original artifacts of the chateau, including old chests and some period paintings (including an amazing portrait of the 1858 Donati’s Comet). The second is a French specific museum of film animation of which I could not think of a single example or contribution to non-European film art, hence most of this art remains unknown to many outside this country.
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Restaurants
Le Lilas Rose
Le Lilas Rose – Annecy – August 2021
After a short rest, in order to miss the rain that had been following us and started falling, we went out for dinner. Not far from our hotel we found the cute little restaurant Le Lilas Rose which features simple fare from the region of the Haute-Savoie.
Erick’s Chacutierie Plate – Le Lilas Rose – August 2021
I chose the Chacutierie plate, which included an assortment of Parma ham and other dried meat along with potatoes, pickles, cheeses and salad. Paired with a very good Côtes du Rhone and local bread, it made for a very good dinner.
Les Caves Du Chateau
A small and indistinct destination on your culinary adventure here, may take you to The Caves, or Les Caves De Chateau. Though we had actually known about it and marked it down as one possible place to visit, we happened upon by pure accident. It is situated in such a way coming down the Rpe Du Chateau, that it can be easily missed. We decided to stop initially to try the wine, since their list of local and French wine is impressive, and ended up staying for lunch, or déjeuner as they refer to it here.
Les Caves Du Chateau – Annecy – August 2021
Patti tried a local Rosé and I sampled a Paulliac – Les Fleurs des Haute-Bages and a St. Estephe – Cos de Labory, all very excellent choices.
Patti Enjoying Her Wine – Les Caves – August 2021
The Daily Wine List – Les Caves – August 2021
For our meal we had the Charcuterie Board with a large selection of local cheeses, dried meat, pickles and other delights. A small but filling start to our afternoon walk.
Ô Savoyard
On our second evening we made reservations at the Ô Savoyard, a mix of local tradition and tourist hot spot. We arrived early and were able to acquire an excellent table outside away from most people, a necessary precaution when eating out during these times of Covid.
Ô Savoyard – Traditional Savoie Cuisine – August 2021
For my main dish I ordered the traditional Tartiflette special of the restaurant. This is a skillet dish with potatoes, diced bacon or pancetta, with melted wedges of local cheese covering it in a special sauce. For any potato lover it should be the go-to dish in Savoie.
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I ordered a nice red wine from the Savoie region made from the Mondeuse Noire grape. A dry, fruity and well rounded wine reminiscent of a young and immature Pinot Noir, I found it a real surprise and very enjoyable. The Chartreuse Verte was surprisingly very herbal and more a digestive than the typical liquer that one might expect. There is also a common local variety called Génépi, which the locals make from herbs and plants that they know, some of which is sold and can be sampled at restaurants.
Auberge du Lyonnais
The hotel on the banks of the River Thiou also sports an exceptional restaurant, at least for lunch. They have a limited menu which for some can be a very negative proposition, especially those with children or older adults. However, the daily specials are first rate and the cover the minimal range of something vegetable, something with meat and at least two selection of fish, both from the local streams, lake and the ocean.
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Patti and I found the restaurant a highlight of the day and if time permitted would visit it again.
Tomorrow it’s on to Lyon and the continuation of our vacation and trip winding through France on our way to Germany. Our trip to Annecy was great and we enjoyed what we saw and did, and we would recommend it as a two or three day stop for the adventurous. For those who are less adventurous, especially with their language skills and temperament, it’s probably a place to be avoided. There are few if any English speakers here and you have to remain flexible. If you know any French at all, it will come in very handy. If not, you will be using your phone to translate menus and perhaps requests you make of people. Above all else, be patient, the French here are very amenable and want to please you, once you get over any communication barrier. Enjoy!
