La Renaissance du Vieux Lyon

Mom and I had an incredible time in Paris, Normandy, and the Loire Valley, but it was awfully nice to be back in Lyon!

Arriving late Friday night after a very long train ride from Tours, we walked the short distance from the train station to an apartment we had booked for the end of our trip. In fact, it was the same one that Marty and Jinny had rented through Airbnb when they visited a few weeks earlier. I liked it so much that I called the owner to see if it was available during my mother's visit, and she ended up giving us a discount for the weekend since she had already met me!

After a much-needed, restorative sleep and a lazy Saturday morning, it was time for Mom's tour of home-sweet-Lyon. We started with a walk down Rue Victor Hugo, a wide, shop-lined street in the second arrondissement in central Lyon. I used to cross that street everyday on my way to class, walking from my apartment on the Rhône side of the Presqu'ile ("the Almost Island") to the university, on the Saône side.
 

Rue Victor Hugo on a gray morning

Rue Victor Hugo opens onto Place Bellecour

Victor Hugo leads straight to Place Bellecour, the expansive—if not especially pretty—square at the heart of Lyon. It would be so much nicer with pretty landscaping, but my guess is that the city has opted instead to keep the sandy, red, ground cover because the plaza is used for so many events throughout the year. For example, when I first arrived, Place Bellecour was hosting a big running race. In December, it held thousands of people in town for la Fête des Lumières. After the Charlie Hebdo shooting, peaceful protesters convened in the square for vigils and shows of solidarity. And in the spring, numerous countries' embassies held an event on the square showcasing their cultures and traditions.

A huge ferris wheel was set up in Place Bellecour for several months over the winter!

It so happened that the weekend Mom was there, Place Bellecour was the kick-off point for Lyon's Renaissance Fair! It was funny, actually. As we strolled across the square, we gradually noticed a crowd gathering in one corner of Bellecour. Starting to pay attention, we realized that they were dressed in traditional, medieval garb. When we saw the "king" mounted on a white horse and wearing a jewel-colored cape and crown, we decided to stick around for a while! We saw the opening parade, complete with drummers, flag twirlers, and ceremonial welcomes. The event was held in celebration of the 500th anniversary of Francis I's royal entry to Lyon in 1515. Fresh off a few days visiting Francis I's castles in the Loire Valley, it was fun to continue the theme back in Lyon!

It's the king!

The Palio signs transported me to Siena. I hope to go back there someday to see their famous Palio!

The ladies made an acrostic poem spelling out Francois. ("N" is for Noblesse, "C" is for Charity, "O" is for Obedience, etc.)

Continuing on with our mini tour, we stopped at the Quai Saint Antoine market, one of the largest Saturday markets in Lyon, to buy some fresh produce for dinner that night, and crossed the Saône into Vieux Lyon, the cute Renaissance Quarter of town. I think this might have been Mom's favorite part of the whole trip! We spent a couple of hours browsing the little shops for souvenirs and exploring the traboules before stopping for a crêpe and hot drinks at an adorable tea salon.

Fresh spring produce at the Quai Saint Antoine market!

Funny, I had never noticed this sign before the Renaissance Fair that day!

The praline tarts and brioche (the pink desserts) are Lyon specialties!

Discovering the traboules!

 

Crêpes and tea break in Vieux Lyon

We spotted a poster for the day's events!

We were going to walk around a bit more back on the other side of the river afterwards, but the threatening sky finally opened up and chased us indoors for the afternoon. Our poor umbrellas didn't stand a chance against Lyon's frequent downpours! It was getting late in the afternoon, so we climbed the stairs up to my apartment for a few hours. Besides giving Mom a chance to see where I'd been living, we were able to prep for dinner in a familiar, well-stocked kitchen! As had become my tradition when I had visitors, we worked together to make a delicious quiche with the vegetables we'd picked up at the market. Instead of eating it at home, though, we decided to carry it back the few short blocks to the apartment that we'd rented. It was so nice there—we wanted to make sure we enjoyed it!

Just when it seemed like Mom's last night in France would be washed out, Mother Nature gave us a reprieve and the rain stopped. Ready for something sweet after our tasty home-cooked meal, we headed back to Vieux Lyon in search of dessert. That's not all we found, though. As we crossed the bridge, we saw a huge, gorgeous rainbow unfold across the sky! And it got better. While looking at one of my photos of the rainbow on my phone, trying to decide if I should snap a few more, I noticed a second colorful ribbon in the frame. I glanced up and saw that a double rainbow was stretching over the entire city of Lyon! How perfect is that for an end to our week together?

Continuing into Vieux Lyon, we spotted Amorino, an artisanal gelato shop with locations all across Europe (except for mainland Italy!) and even a handful in the United States. I had passed it dozens of times without ever going in, but that night it proved irresistible. Helped by the happiest gelato scooper I'd ever met, we selected our flavors and plopped down at a small table to enjoy.

It started drizzling again after the rainbow, but I was prepared with my hot pink rain boots! It rained so much in Lyon that I ended up buying my first-ever pair of rain boots during the winter "soldes", or sales. Only 10 euros, and one of my favorite souvenirs!

Delicious gelato at Amorino!

On our way back to get some sleep before Mom's flight the next morning, Lyon had one last surprise for us. The unsettled weather created some colorful, striking skies. So pretty! We stayed for a while, taking pictures, until the sun finally set. (Photo credits all go to Mom for these shots!)

It's not every day that you get to explore France with your mother, and I'm beyond grateful for our time together there. Mom, thank you so much for coming to visit. It was an incredible trip! I have you and Dad to thank for instilling in me a love of language and a love of travel, and my life is so much richer for it. <3