Tag: france

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Eguisheim, France – Medieval Zwiebelstadt

A stone’s throw from Colmar is the small Zwiebelstadt of Eguisheim[1]In German it is spelled Egisheim, France. Here you will enjoy what a small medieval Alsatian town feels like.

Equisheim

The germans use the term Zwiebelstadt to denote any small medieval town that is formed like an onion. Though typically they have eight sides with concentric alleys bisected by a Grand Rue, or main street, they may be circular or oval as well. In the center of it all you will usually find a church or main plaza.

In the above the following are noteworthy, according to town officials, starting at (D) with the Pigeon Loft.

      1. Rue de Ramport – The colors of Eguisheim
      2. Rue de Ramport – Round and round the town
      3. The gates of the town
      4. The town’s inscriptions
      5. Stone engravings
      6. The chateau
      7. The host of the chapel
      8. The virgins of Eguisheim (the church)
      9. The tithe courtyards

The area around the town is noted for its excellent alsatian wines. Upon entering the town visitors can see a record of the vineyards proudly displayed along with restaurants and a map of the town.

Getting There

From Colmar a quick drive down the Rue de Tiefenbach or the Route de Rouffach puts you on the D83 for a short time before you reach one of the many small roads that will take you into town, though typically it would be the Rue de la 1er Armée.

Grand Rue

Cutting through the center of town is the Grand Rue, or main street. Here is where you will find most all of the shops and many of the wineries.

The tourism office is close by the Eguisheim Fountain, so once you locate that, it’s just a stone’s throw away.

Rue de Rempart

We spent most of our time walking this alley, which circumnavigates the town. Since the town is laid out like an onion, you will eventually come back to where you started.

The Rue de Rempart creates two rows of buildings that acted like fortifications for the town. Since the town was not initially meant to be a fortress, but was more economical in nature, the outside wall turned into another row of houses some time in the sixteenth century.

Many buildings in the town are also adorned with coats-of-arms. Many of the pediments and lintels are decorated with them and other engravings, usually left by the stone masons themselves. In most cases the coat-of-arms indicated who lived in the house according to their profession, a butcher’s block for a butcher for example. However, a sword crossing a shield would indicate a master craftsman in that profession.

Chapelle Saint-Léon IX

Along with the chateau that is close by, the Chapel of Saint Leon IX is a central sight. The fountain of Saint Leon is directly below the stairs to the chapel.

Église Saints-Pierre-et-Paul

Off on another street is the Church of Saints Peter and Paul. Though larger than the chapel, the outside and inside are more austere.

Other Sights

If you walk enough you will find an old American Willeys Jeep left over from the war. There are also several other wineries of the main streets as well.

Though we only spent a few hours here, we thoroughly enjoyed it, especially since the weather was very nice. It might make more sense though, to stay a bit longer and enjoy a wine tour throught he vineyards and one or two wine tastings. In any event, it is a great place to stop and is highly recommended.

Restaurants

Unfortunately, we cannot commend a place to eat or drink, since we did neither in Eguisheim. A wine tasting might be commended though, since it is at the center of Alsatian wine country!

References

References
↑1 In German it is spelled Egisheim
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Colmar, France – Timber And Sandstone

Anyone walking through the idealic and picturesque city of Colmar, France will notice the abundance of timber and sandstone used in it’s buildings. From simple timber framed houses, to large churches built almost entirely of sandstone.

Colmar

The city of Colmar has benefited from both French and German influences, especially with it’s architecture. This is what makes it such an interesting place to visit. Not only have many of the structures survived the many wars between the two countries, the population has seemed to have taken care of them down through the centuries.

Getting There

From Frankfurt you can the A5, which I believe is only designated a 5 now. We took it and then cut over to France at Strasbourg and took the A35 down. If you take that route you get to enjoy the Statue of Liberty.

Timber Houses

The city is repleat with Fachwerkhäuser, or timber houses. Many dating back many centuries and showing their age.

It is essential to visit the Grand Rue, which is the main shopping street of the city. Here you can shop and dine and explore the many facets of Colmar.

The Rue Vauban is also an important thoroughfare to visit and is itself decorated with many of the timber houses that adorn other parts of the city.

Another must-see street is the Rue de Tetes. Here you can find the Maison des Tetes which was built in 1609 by Anton Burger, who later became the mayor of the city. The building owes its name to the many masks and grimacing faces that adorn its exterior. The figure on the top of the three-story oriel is of the twentieth century barrel-maker Auguste Bartholdi, at which time the building was used as a wine exchange.

La Petite Venise

They call it the small Venice, but not really, it’s just one canal and it only goes about one block. It is a very pretty area and is worth a stop if you are in the area.

There is a gondala ride you can take, if you cannot enjoy the real thing.

Collégiale Saint-Martin

The Collégiale Saint-Martin is a church that is run by a secular group of clergy, that are responsible for the church’s administration as well as several aspects of the attached college. There were at least two churches on the same site, dating back to the eleventh century. The current church grew out of a set of buildings that started the early thirteenth century.

The interior is spacious and maintains a typical cathedral design, with an apse, altar and transept. Over the entrance is located a very large organ, which is accessed by a spiral staircase located in one of the corners.

Restaurants

Colmar has numerous restaurants and cafes catering to most tastes. However, we would recommend trying the alsatian food, an interesting mixture of french and german cuisine.

Le Fer Rouge

Le Fer Rouge is a true alsatian restaurant and serves good food. This was our first food stop in Colmar and we thoroughly enjoyed it.

I ordered the Schweinhaxen, or roasted pig shank, and it was delicious. It was marinated in a semi-sweet french sauce that was just outstanding. The Schwarzwälderkirchetorte, or Black Forest Cake, however was not that good. The creme was a bit stiff and the cherries lacked a rich taste, one expects from this dessert; a true dissappointment.

Brasserie Chez Hansi

The Brasserie Chez Hansi is another alsatian restaurant with a simple atmosphere.

The menu is easy to intepret and there appears to be something for everyone’s taste. I would commend however the Sauerkraut and Würste platter, it was excellent.

Le Bistrot des Copains

Last, and definitely least, is the Le Bistrot des Copains. It has a very average rating and you will find it is well deserved. The food is okay, nothing to write home about for sure. The service is adequate and they do try to help you with any requests. This restaurant would fall into the tourist trap category, if such a thing exists. It is well attended, but it perplexes me why.

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Strasbourg, France – A Quick Visit

It’s been some time since our last visit to Strasbourg, France. So when the opportunity arose to stop there, just for lunch, we jumped at the idea, since it is one of our favorite cities in France.

Strasbourg

The town has not changed much since we were last here, though that was during the summer. The weather however was great, a bit cool but sunny and pleasant. We stopped on our way to Colmar and enjoyed some of the city sights while we walked to our restaurant destination.

Restaurants

Le Gruber

Previously known as Zum Alten Strassburg, Le Gruber offers typical Alsatian cuisine, which is a mixture of french and german. The interior is comfortable and very nice.

The food was very good and reasonably priced. I found the potato casserole especially enjoyable and very tasty, though with the Muenster cheese on it, a bit filling.

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Yvoire, France – Our Ivory Luncheon Escape

Expecting very nice weather for the next day, Patti and I purchased cruise tickets from CGN Cruise line at Geneva’s Mont-Blanc port for a day trip to Yvoire, France. Our primary intention was to have lunch away and escape the city’s hustle and bustle. We were not disappointed and had a very enjoyable day on the water and in the town.

Getting There

One of several cruise lines that operate Lake Léman, also known as Lake Geneva, CGN Cruise to Yvoire departs port Mont Blanc in Cornavin twice daily in May for a two hour cruise, stopping at other ports along the way. The ship is a rather large, double paddle-wheel, three deck ship that has dining and full bar for a most enjoyable trip.

Though the air was cool, it was very still for both our outward and inward bound journeys, so the lake was a smooth as glass.

The Town

It is a rather small town, but well suited for a day-trip. It has at least three large parking lots for visitors who prefer to drive. There are numerous restaurants throughout the town with varying prices ranges, which provide some relief from the high prices in Switzerland.

There is a small church closer to the water, simple but apparently still in use. The area by the water has a jetty that it used by locals to swim off of and to also dock boats that come in from the lake occasionally.

Restaurants

Restaurant Les Jardins du Léman

A short walk up the Rue du Port is Les Jardins du Léman restaurant, which has two terraces, a lower and an upper one, where you ostensibly have an unobstructed view of the town and the lake. Since we did not have reservations, we were on the lower terrace, which still was very nice.

The staff is attentive at first, then after you’ve ordered, only check on you periodically. So, be prepared to wait a bit, they do become very busy for lunch.

The wines here are first rate and I can commend the Chateauneuf du Pape – La Gardine, Domaine Brunel. A beautifully balanced wine with spice and fruity overtones that will go well with most non-fish dishes. It is only offered in half-bottles, which was plenty for lunch and we thoroughly enjoyed it.

I ordered the Beef, Charolais Breed, Fillet-Stuffed, in the Salt Pan Black Diamond Sauce with Melanosporum Truffle Emulsion of Ratte Potatoes with Vanilla Oil. It was perfectly cooked and some of the best French food I have had in a long time. Patti had the Turbot fish with seasonal vegetables over squash sauce and a side of cauliflower.

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Straßburg, France – Quaint Border Town

Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg

We arrived by plane from Catania, Sicily in France’s EuroAirport, also known as the Basel-Mulhouse-Friebourg airport. You arrive via the air and exit in any one of three countries, Switzerland, Germany or France.

A word of caution though, exiting in France, you may find it difficult to get a taxi. We waited for a half an hour and ended up sharing a ride with a Frenchmen that explained to us that exiting via the France exit has the least amount of taxis. Of course, the airport has no information booth and you can’t of course change your mind once you are out.

The taxi drive was about five minutes and we were standing at the Saint-Louis la Chaussée train stop, having already purchased our tickets via phone. From there we went to Mulhouse and then on to Strasbourg, again using France’s regional train service, which you can essentially purchase any ticket in the future and still be able to use it for earlier trains.

Argantorati

Just barely in France on the border with Germany is the small quaint city of Straßburg, or Strasbourg to the French, and it actually goes by other names to some of the ethnic minorities. The name has German origins and meaning as ‘the town at the crossing of roads‘. It is also the place where the river Ill dumps into the mighty Rhine river.

The original settlement here before the fifth century CE, was known as the fortified silver settlement, a compound of the Celtic arganto for silver and rati for fortification. It was later latinized into Argentium and Argentina, or city of silver, where it is known in numerous texts. What follows is a slideshow of some of the many amazing sites you will see as you walk the city.

Notre Dame

The town has a huge and wonderfully prominent cathedral called Notre Dame de Strasbourg, also known as the Straßburger Münster in German.

Its construction began in the late twelfth century and its impressive bell tower and spire were added more than 120 years after the start of construction, which I might add was never completed, since the addition of a second right tower and spire never came to fruition. The outside at night is spectacular, the interior and exterior lighting provide an excellent balance to show the real grandeur of this cathedral.

Of course, this is balanced well by the stained-glass windows illuminated by the sun in the early morning hours. The interior also houses an ecclesiastical astronomical clock which was built in the early 1570s.

Get here early, usually before ten o’clock, otherwise the tour groups from the Viking cruises start to assemble and you will have little chance, the line often snakes all the way out the courtyard and around the block!

Palace Rohan

Across the river Ill from our hotel was the Rohan Palace, which houses several museums. We toured the Museum of Decorative Arts, just to get a view of the palace from inside.

We all found the decorative arts inside the museum a bit avant-guarde for our tastes, but typically French. The interior of the palace for the most part met expectations.

Pont du Faisan

Built in 1888 this is a working example of an old hydraulic swing bridge. Below is a short video showing it in operation. First the two ends are closed for traffic, then the operator swings the bridge to allow boats through the gate. We were able to see this as a pedestrian and on the Strasbourg sightseeing tour boat. It is a very interesting piece of engineering and on a small scale, perhaps better than raising a bridge.

Ponts Couverts de Strasbourg

This Ponts Couverts is a set of thirteen century covered bridges and towers on the southwest part of the island. Initially a battlement and constructed of wood, the roofs were later removed and eventually the bridges were rebuilt in stone.

At least one of them was made into a prison and it was later told, though falsely, that executions were also carried out there, though there is no evidence of this happening.

Hotel Cour Du Corbeau

A very good hotel that is strategically located close to the old city center in Krutenau is the Hotel Cour Du Corbeau. It is situated just across the river Ill and two blocks away from the cathedral. Parking for cars is only a block away and many restaurants and cafes are within ten minutes walking distance.

Since we were arriving by train, we took the D Tram from the Central Station and got off at the Hospital stop. From there we were only a ten minute walk away.

The hotel is a smartly renovated and modernized version of an old inn that was used by workmen that worked at the tanneries and other places throughout the city. It maintains many of the old beams and architectural elements of the old building. However, it includes air-conditioning and many other modern amenities.

Although you may initially find their 27€ price for breakfast a bit steep, it is well worth it since they provide both hot and cold buffet items, as well as a wide selection of coffees.

Restaurants

Being a very busy tourist spot, Strasbourg has a plethora of restaurants, anything from traditional Alsatian food, to Chinese and other cosmopolitan cuisines. So you shouldn’t go hungry, even without a reservation.

Maison Des Tanneurs

The House of the Tanners restaurant was the furthest of all the restaurants from our hotel and took a good fifteen minute walk to reach.

Located in the far southwest corner of the island and near the Ponts Couverts it commands a nice view of the river Ill. So, if you want window side seat, reserve your seat early, we arrived at our reservation time and the sign was already posted on the menu outside – totally booked this evening.

La Piazza

We ate here on a first night and it is a decent restaurant with pretty good Italian food. We sat inside near the wood burning over, so the pizza they made for us was using the traditional method. The service was fine and our drinks met all of our expectations. However, the toilet left much to be desired, I suggest you become prepared to avoid a visit.

Au Tire Bouchon

Another excellent Alsatian restaurant choice is the Au Tire Bouchon. Though it does not have the view the House of Tanners provides, the food is on par with that establishment.

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Paris, France – Quick Stop

Quick Stop Before Turin

To return to Turin this year, we chose to depart from the Raleigh-Durham area using Delta Airline’s RDU (Raleigh Durham International airport) to CDG (Paris Charles de Gaulle airport, located in Roissy-en-France) flight, as we had done occasionally before Covid-19 hit the world and Delta subsequently cancelled the service. Now that Covid-19 is more or less  forgotten, let’s just say travel is back in full swing and with it – other changes, delays and of course cancellations. So if you are planning any international travel this year to Europe or anywhere for that matter – grit your teeth, hold onto to your hats and try to be flexible.

The Disadvantages Of Flying From A Small International Hub

One of the major disadvantages of flying out of a minor or small international hub like RDU, is that, if there is any type of problem, any delay longer than  an hour or so, especially due to a mechanical issue, can and often do become cancellations. This happened to us early last week after we boarded our plane. About ten minutes after being on board, Delta discovered what they thought was a refrigerant condensation leak, which in the end turned out to be a fuel leak. Really?! The plane had landed hours before and was being turned around for its return trip and they discovered this issue only moments before we were planned to take off. My wife and I could not believe what we were hearing. In fact, the flight crew were also so surprised, the pilot came out to address us personally and answered any questions.

Well I guess it’s better they discovered the issue before we left, then while we were over the Atlantic. It just makes one wonder if we should be worrying more about the inspection schedules of these aircraft,  regardless of their safety records. In any event, our delay of one hour turned into three hours, then five and then they finally cancelled to flight within an hour of the first announcement. The primary reasons; no spare flight crews available locally and they could not fix the plane in Raleigh.

Luckily, we had already left the gate and decided to get our luggage pulled from the plane, which is a long story in and of itself (we ended up only getting one and had to come back  the next day for the other one). Even after getting the jump on everyone else, we still left the airport around midnight to return our son’s apartment and rescheduled our flight out a week (Delta was not pleased with us, but it was their fault and they still paid with extra points, etc.).

Six days later we arrived in Paris without incident and took a taxi into the city to our hotel. Since we are IHG members we booked and stayed at the Holiday Inn – Gare de Lyon. Rated a four star hotel, it is more likely a three star hotel posing as a four star. We have stayed at many privately run three star hotels that were better run and better appointed. However, it was clean, the rooms are fairly spacious and there is easy access to the metro and plenty of restaurants nearby. Moreover,  it is away from the most tourist visited areas of the city. Given all this, I still would NOT recommend it. There have to be better hotels and choices available, if one has the time to look. Plus it is missing some important amenities for an American hotel, if you look close enough to notice.

Though we took a taxi from and to the airport,  I would recommend the RER instead. Traffic in Paris is a nightmare. Though the taxi is not in itself expensive, the travel time will be at least an hour each way. Almost all the roads coming into Paris on many phone map apps will be red or worse yet, dark red, and for twenty or so minutes of our ride we were motionless.

Paris – The City of Light

Our original plans were to spend a week in Paris, but with our cancellation, those plans had to be altered and we only got to spend two days. However, with all of uproar over raising the retirement age here and the never ending threats of strikes, train and venue cancellations,  and all of the protesting; it was probably a good idea to cut this trip short and just plan it for another time. In any event, since I have already been to Paris a few times, I was able to show my wife a few of the most notable sightseeing locations, while occasionally enjoying the food.

Our Short Tour Of The City

The city is eminently walk-able and has an excellent metro. The metro can take you almost anywhere and everywhere you want to go, including back to the airport via the RER. However, in order not to miss anything, you will find walking the best option. We found walking out and taking the metro in between to be the best combination.

The Champs Elysees

This large boulevard is a common venue for the final day of the Tour de France. With its rectangular trimmed trees along each side and four lanes of traffic, it  connects two of the city’s main points of interest – the Arc de Triomphe and the Place de la Concorde.

The Eiffel Tower

Unfortunately we were unable to see the tower at night due to scheduling constraints, and even then, only at a distance. Even from across the Seine it is still impressive.

Notre Dame

Yet another reason to come back at a later time, the poor Notre Dame, victim of a senseless fire, being reconstructed. Being complacent about anything, will always get you in the end. Yet sometimes to get politicians to act on anything requires a tragedy.

Restaurants and Cafes

Due to our shortened stay, we were only able to visit one restaurant of note and it wasn’t even French. However, we were able to stop at several small cafes for breakfast and lunch. All were reasonable priced and the food was very good.

Ristorante Spiga

A very small Italian restaurant a block away from our hotel on the Rue Parrot. It has very little room inside or out, so get there early.

Ristorante Spiga – Paris

The food is very good and ostensibly traditional Sardinian. Italians may find it odd that they have pasta dishes with meatballs, instead of separately. Not a show stopper for me, their sauce was very good and the pasta was cooked to perfection.

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Dijon, France – City Of Mustard

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Grand Hotel Le Cloche At Night

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Lyon, France – Silk And Murals

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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Annecy, France – The City Of Canals

Annecy – From The Chateau – August 2021

Arrival In The Rain

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!