Old Churches

Bon Jour Mes Amies,

Lyon has plenty of churches--most of them old--some of them Very Old.  I visited a few today. The weather report was uncertain, so I needed something I could do even if it rained.  I covered a lot of ground and saw more than I could actually visit as it happens.  Some I thought would be open weren't.  In one a funeral was going on and fortunately I saw a notice outside before I went barging in.  All the churches in Lyon are living churches meaning that they are community centers where people worship regularly even in officially secular France.
First I crossed both the Rhone and Saone to Old Lyon.  Shall we start out with Lyon Cathedral also known as Eglise St. Jean since it is dedicated to John the Baptist.  But how many churches do you know that have their Roman foundations visible?  Christianity had certainly come to Lugdunum by the end of the Second Century, and church buildings were being built by the Fourth Century.  The original church on the site was dedicated to St. Stephen in the Fourth Century, and some of the fabric is still incorporated in the current building.  Not all went smoothly for the Christians or the Church.  During the persecutions, martyrs died in the arena, one of them was the Bishop known as St. Nizier.  He has a nice church dedicated to him near the Cathedral but it was closed.  Another was Blandina whom the lions did not find appetizing.  The Roman authorities had to find a another way to off her.  She has a church, too, but it's way down near the Confluence.
St. Jean is a Gothic Church and very beautiful although it has been heavily restored.  The place was pulled about a lot during the Wars of Religion in the late 1500s, a fate suffered by many of the older churches in Lyon. St. Jean has some original Medieval stained glass, and it is glorious!  It is not a very large church compared to some other Gothic structures I've been in, but I liked it a lot.
Then up the funicular.  I was not on my way to Fourviere this time.  When I visited the Gallo-Roman Museum I also entered Notre Dame de Fourviere.  I also learned yesterday that that thing on Fourviere that looks like the Eiffel Tower with a candle stuck in it is actually a smaller copy of said tower. You cannot possibly miss these as they dominate the skyline from its hill, as far as the church goes--meh.  I don't like the Nineteenth Century fake Byzantine.  Inside it's all over mosaics, but they are modern.  I also turned my nose up at Sacre Cour in Paris--just not to my taste.
I was going to a much much older church.  St. Irene has both Merovingian and Carolingian parts, and these are so rare.  They aren't spectacular, and in fact the church is quite small, but I love that they are so old.  The church was easy to find, too.  I'd pictured myself wandering the plateau like I did looking for the Musee des Canuts, but the church was sign posted.
I'd saved the best for last, but I did not realize it until I arrived at the Benedictine abbey church of St. Martin d'Ainay.  This one is on the Presque' Ile about a ten minute walk from Place Bellecour and if you can only do one make this one it.  Unless you hate Romanesque.
The non cruciform basilica dates from the early Twelfth Century, but there has been a Benedictine Abbey here since the Ninth Century, and there might have been an earlier larger church during the Merovingian Period.  The pretty chapel dedicated to Blandina the Martyr (and she may have been buried here) may be a survival of that or Carolingian. The current church is just wonderful--pure Romanesque, but not large or heavy.  The decorations inside (heavily restored as I guess) are lovely and period appropriate.  Apparently the only thing that saved the building from the fury of the French Revolutionaries is that it was a handy place to store grain.
I am taking a vacation from saturated fat today, so it's pasta for dinner. I'll try to do better tomorrow.

History of Lyon in Thirty Rooms

Bon Jour Mes Amies,

After complaining the other day about not being able to find Cervelle des Canuts, I finally came across some at Marche St. Antoine on the banks of the Saone this afternoon.
Oh yeah?  How does it taste?
Good! It's like a superior version of something we can get at home--soft cheese with herbs only this is softer and a bit yummier.  Just be careful what you are asking for.  Apparently there's something with a similar name that involves tripe.  The key words are Fromagier and not Charcuterier.
I know my way back home well enough that I can pay more attention to my surroundings.  Thus I was bemused by the vending machine selling condoms on Cours LaFayette.  In French condoms are called preservatifs, which has the potential to cause hilarious misunderstandings between French vendors and American organics.
I was also able to render actual assistance to a fellow traveler this morning.  I was walking down Cours LaFayette when a woman at the bus stop spoke to me in English. I asked if I could help.  She needed a bus.  Well, duh.  I know nothing of busses in Lyon, but I looked at the posted schedule and explained to her that her desired bus did not run on Sundays.  Oh was she impressed with my knowledge of French or what?  Anyway, I invited her to walk along with me, so I could show her to the metro.  She was from Taiwan and was thrilled to pieces that I knew her country.  We discussed tea and how the British mangle Taiwanese tea with (urg) milk and sugar.  I am happy to render help to my fellow travelers if I can because I have so often been helped.  It's the Travelers Code. We look out for each other.
An interesting thing I have observed in Lyon is the prevalence of scooters. A few seem mechanized, but by far the majority are human powered.  They are used by the old--sometimes by the very old to the young--and sometimes by the very young.  Is this unique to Lyon?  I don't remember anything of the sort in Paris, but perhaps the Parisians would consider scooters to be inelegant?  But it seems to work well as a good, clean way to get around.
And now on to the history in short the Musee de l'Histoire de Lyon.  The museum does not open until 11:00 so I had plenty of time to help fellow travelers and snoot around shops in the tourist district. The admission price to the museum includes a good and and helpful audio guide, and the museum itself is housed in a Renaissance mansion created by the Italians invited by King Francis I to develop the silk industry in Lyon. The building has been messed about a good deal, but one can see Renaissance echoes here and there.  The exhibits are good on Romans and Middle Ages and show some nice furniture and ceramics from the Renaissance.  I appreciated some interesting French Revolutionary and Napoleon Era stuff. One thing I always like to see is artifacts from everyday life, and these are in abundance.  Along with those are a lot of documents and engravings and mediocre paintings, but one gets a good sense of how the city developed and why it developed the way it did.   Also one can get a chuckle over the abrupt renaming of Rue Imperiale to Rue de la Republique after the fall of Napoleon III. There are a few very nice period rooms.
Dinner is left overs, but these are French left overs.  The foie gras won't keep forever, so I'm having it on Pain Polaine with a little sparking wine and then I'll have the goat cheese.  The foie gras is so good, I'll probably have to spring for another slice, but I think I might move on to cows milk cheese.
A demain!

Wallowing in History and Food

Bonjour Mes Amies,
I found it amusingly ironic that my first birthday in retirement falls on a Saturday.  Usually I was so caught up in the the start of school--trying to get my courses organized, frantically trying to learn my students' names, learning new software and policies--that I barely thought of it on the day.  We celebrated the weekend after.  Now I am at leisure, and of course I can celebrate my actual birthday, which I share with the Emperor Aurelian, Cardinal Richelieu, William Bligh of the Bounty and the State of California.   Hmm.  Not sure there's an astrological pattern there.
It's raining, which I regard as a lovely birthday treat and can only wish I could send some home to my sweltering and desiccated friends.  Since rain was in the forecast, I could plan this time, so I had a nice activity lined up. As I have mentioned Lyon is famed for its silk industry and weavers.  I went to the Museum of Textiles and since it was right there also the Museum of Decorative Arts.
One great thing about settling in a place is that one gets to know one's way around and one--meaning I--stop getting lost every time I set foot out the door.  I had a nice walk in the cool morning and gently falling rain.  I came across a market and of course I had to visit it--just checking, you know.
I found my target museums easily, bought my ticket, and started in.  The textile museum is amazing.  It's all high-end fabric art both weaving and embroidery.  The cloths look like paintings as they are so detailed and complex. I had to put on my glasses and get close to the works to see the teensy tiny threads.  I have so little fine motor control these days, I can barely sign my own name.  The skill and the time it took to create these fantastic pieces of cloth leave me in awe.
Then on to the Museum of Decorative Arts where I found one right after another a lot of period rooms.  I love these, and whoever designed them did an excellent job. The rooms had harmonious color schemes with an interesting variety of shapes and textures.  Just the right amount of furniture and decoration was in each.  I saw several pieces that would do nicely in my condo. I really enjoyed this, and I also like looking at fine old china and picked out some tea sets. But the French are like everyone else in Europe--really narrow minded about me making off with their national treasures.
Happy Birthday, Pil.  I bet you planned something Really Special for a birthday dinner. Eh?
Well, yes. I wanted to try something I've never had before, so I thought I'd get and cook quenelles and try the fish kind.  I can do that next week.  I came across something I liked better.
What could that be?
Well.  Do you remember how obsessed I was with macarons when I was in Paris last time?
You mean the new French President?
That's so cute.  Macarons are a kind of cookie.  They are Still A Thing.  One can find them everywhere, but I am done with them--except---I came across--savory macarons.  Instead of being made with sugar and filled with ganache they have other stuff.
Are you ready for a savory macaron?
I guess.
This one is filled with cepes--that's mushroom to you.  And it wasn't what I was expecting. The shells are still the same and sweet but the filling had almost a chocolate quality.  It was really good and not exactly like the macrons I'd had before.  I am liking this so far.
Are you having wine with dinner, Pil?
As usual when I'm in France. And before you ask, I bring wine stoppers with me, so I can keep a bottle two or three days.  Today I'm drinking cremant which is a non Champagne sparkling wine.  I like champagne, too, and drink it when I can, but I am not interested in paying for it and other sparkling wines please me as much.  On to the next macaron.  I have one with a goat cheese filling and the shell is encrusted with sesame seeds.
Oh Yum!  This one is good, too.  The combo of sweet shell and salty creamy filling is fantastic.
Ok.  I'm not sure what this next one is.  The filling smells spicy like gingerbread.  Let's have a bite.  It tastes like gingerbread, too.  It's good.  Not my favorite because it's too sweet and not savory enough. We proceed to the last one filled with pate de foie gras de canard.
I am predicting you'll like it.
That's a pretty safe bet, but let's test it out.  It's ok.  I can taste the pate, but I really like the mushroom and cheese ones better.  This one is a bit bland in comparison.  But hey!  Since I had Birthday Week and there's plenty of September left, why not continue with Birthday Month?
A demain.

Vienne

Bon Jour Mes Amies.
The charming city of Vienne on the banks of the Rhone has been a popular spot for habitation since the bronze age, and it makes an easy and delightful day trip from Lyon.  Fortunately I had a day of spectacular weather for it.
I was puzzled when I researched my time table and ticket. The trip out was fast, but the trip back look significantly longer.  Stops I guessed.  Yes, but that was only part of it.  We trained out but bussed back.  I don't know why, but it did'n't bother me because I got to see more of the region.  What did bother me was the string of large and busy McDonalds that lined our route back and the sad (to me) spectacle of French cars lined up for drive through.  People worry about cooking being a lost art.  I hope not.
Vienne was easy to get around.  I quickly found the fancy and welcoming tourist information center and was provided with a clear map to all the historic goodies to be found.  Vienne was at first an important center of the Gallic Allobroges tribe who used the river system in the area to build up a trading empire.  Then, of course, the Romans showed up.  Interestingly the Roman name for Vienne in France and the better known Vienna in Austria are the same.
There are some impressive Roman sites here.  Probably the best known is the nearly intact Temple of Augustus and Livia.  Art History students would recognize the conventions of a Roman temple.  It sits on a podium,  is pseudotypteral,  and has a pro style Corinthian colonnade.  It's rather like the Maison Caree in Nimes just not as in good condition, and one cannot enter.
Among other sights was a Roman theatre that rivaled Lyons.  These spaces are not wasted.  Performances are regularly held in the this theatre and also in the Garden of Cybele, which also boasts some impressive ruins.  I even got to walk on a stretch of a Roman road!
All of this did not take as long as I anticipated because the center of Vienne is compact and easy to get around although some of it is steep, so I decided to get an earlier train back even though it meant a different station of arrival.  Well the train turned out to be a bus, but we arrived just fine, and I got the tram home and then visited Les Halles de Paul Bocuse to obtain croissant and butter.  Pascal Bellevaire seems to hire only cute cheese mongers.  This is nice.  I also wanted to look over the offerings so I could contemplate what special thing to have tomorrow.
I have sipped my aperitif as I wrote the post, and I am cooking some ravioli that I will douse with the lush but piquant olive oil.  And I discovered that that cheap wine I pulled off the bottom shelf in Monoprix was a lot fancier than I realized.  It's not just AOC.  It's AOP--in other words not just recognized in France as the genuine product but throughout the European Union.
A demain.

The Silk Weavers of Lyon

Bon Jour Mes Amies!
Oof I got a work out today going up and down a trillion stairs--and I may be underestimating the number. The weather is still uncertain, so I decided to stay in town and investigate some Lyonnaise History.  The sky is darkening, but I am glad the rain held off until I got home because those stairs were way steep and narrow, and I fear slipping.  A sip of Kir Royale  will recruit my forces.
Lyon was once the center of France's silk industry.  The workers were called Canuts, and while their work could often be skilled, they were poorly paid and labored in appalling conditions.  They revolted frequently and futilely.  The Canuts worked on the looms with the pattern cards invented by the Jacquard Brothers.  A lot of the heartiness of Lyonnaise cuisine is attributed to the appetites of the Canuts.  There's even a cheese--cervelle de Canut, which translates to "silk weavers brains."  I've been looking for it in markets and grocery stores as it sounds good. It's soft and has herbs mixed in.  Maybe it's seasonal or people just make it at home because I can't find it.
The traditional restaurants called Bouchon were originally silk weavers' canteens.  I am under the impression that most of them are now gentrified and touristy.
I began the day with a trip to the big grocery store in the basement of the Monoprix in the Giant Shopping Center.  I needed more bread, wine, and water for one thing, but I like looking around grocery stores as much as I like looking around museums.
Then it was off across the Rhone to the Croix Rousses district of Lyon.  I wanted to wander a picturesque part of town and visit the silk weavers museum.  My side of the Rhone is flat.  This part of the Presqu'ile is not.  It's an older part of the city and was once the district of the Canuts.  Getting there was easy enough.  Finding my way around once there--not so much.  There's a steep hill and a lot of winding roads and stairs. Lots of stairs.  None of the streets I encountered seemed to have anything to do with my map or the google directions.  I had no idea where I was, and the sky turned dark and threatening.  I almost gave up.
Then I saw a sign: "Maison des Canuts."  Somehow I'd found what I was looking for.  The museum is small and not set up for tourists, but there are cards in English to explain the exhibits.  I liked seeing the looms and the Jacquard Cards, and many exquisite examples of the product were displayed.  Wow!  Of course then the Industrial Revolution came along and spinning and weaving were mechanized.
I looked for more stairs that would take me down to the riverside from whence I could make my way home.  A young man asked me for directions.  I explained I was a tourist, but since he was cute, I asked if I could help.  He wanted a grocery store--so no.  And there were a lot of stairs down.  A lot.  So by the time I got home I was weary and footsore, but it had been a good day.
I am having some very nice red wine with my cheese this evening.  I pulled something cheap off the shelves which is my practice, but it's surprisingly smooth and divine with the goat cheese.  They enrich each other.  It's equally divine with the cheddar I'd brought from London.  A sigh of satisfaction.
A demain.

Rained Out

Bon Jour Mes Amies!
Ok.  Why is my skin so dry all of a sudden?  It's not a low fat diet--that's for sure.
I walked out of the door this morning to find hard rain that was not forecast.  I had plans for a day trip to the town of Vienne famed for Roman ruins. I'd written down train times and the direction to the Tourist Information Office and packed a snack for the train coming back.  I bring a bag of nuts with me on my trip, and I have a little plastic container that holds a single serving that I can put in my purse.  But if the day was rainy then my plans would not work well.  I instantly scraped and changed them.  I don't need to be in a hurry so this is not a big deal.  I'll go to Vienne later.
A gigantic and maze-like shopping mall is within about ten minutes walk and is across the street from the train station. I just enjoy poking around stores in foreign countries, so I first I took myself off to the train station hoping that the sky would clear. I hoped in vain, but I got to check out future destinations for day trips when the weather is suitable.  Then I crossed the street to the shopping center.
I needed to get some hours of walking in, and this was a good place to do it.  I had a lot of windows to lick. I squirted myself with some fancy perfume in Galeries  Lafayette.  Gucci, I thought, can't possibly be bad.  I was mistaken.  Gurgh!  The name of the stuff was "Guilty." Duh. Should have clued me in.
Someone I know has a birthday coming up very shortly.  Pre blogging I was in Sarlat one year buying something, and Madame asked me if  my purchase was a gift.  "Oui!" I replied, "por moi meme."  In other words a present for myself. and Madame said those were the best kind. So I figured today would be a good opportunity to shop, but although I saw many things I liked, I did not see anything I liked and could carry home.
If you have a yen for a burger in Lyon there's a Burger King in the basement next to the metro station.  You can also find a McDonalds in the mall.  The French apparently love fast food, but since actual French fast food is widely available, why would a tourist try anything else?
On my way home I found a post office for a wonder open, but French post offices double as banks, and a lot of other stuff goes on there so I was confused.  Fortunately a very kind woman offered me assistance, and I was able to buy my stamps for the post cards.  I spoke French--just not very well.
I ended up at Les Halles de Paul Bocuse.  I have the suspicion that the spectacle of me--an obvious American trying to shop en francais--is highly entertaining to the French I interact with, but they are always so gracious and patient that it remains only a suspicion.
Ok, Pil.  So you bought something to eat.  Spill.
Part of the rationale of this blog is to entertain the readers, and I happen to know that a lot of said readers are entertained by food.  I sacrifice myself for my public.  Or at least I sacrifice my arteries. My taste buds do just fine.
First of all I want to warn those who are offended by foie gras.  I understand the offense.  I just don't share it.  Skip the next paragraph.
I prefer foie gras de canard--in other words duck liver.  It's considered less delicate and prestigious than goose liver, but when have I ever cared for that?  We have it served on pain Polaine de Siegle (rye bread.)  I did not get pate.  I sprang for the "entire," and I did not get much of it. Mine appears to have bits of truffle in it.  OOH. Yep.  The taste is impossible to describe.  It's not liverish or strong.  It's just very rich and satisfying.
Next up is some Rocamador, a delicate goat cheese that melts at room temperature.  It comes in small discs and I have one of them spread on pain Polaine.  It's divine!  Very tasty and fresh tasting, but not goaty at all--just very cheesy.
I got another goat cheese, too.  This one is a little more mature, and I had a nice conversation with the charming and attractive cheesemonger about what was and was not available in the United States.  He's visited and claims that lait cru Camenbert is available in big cities--probably only in my dreams.
Do we need to pronounce the world Cougar, Pil?
Not at all.  Just a couple of cheese lovers having a conversation.  Sheesh. Poor chap was probably bored out of his mind with no one to sell cheese to until I came along.  Anyway back to the goat cheese.  It's creamy and mild and not too different from the Rocamador although this one had a more pronounced rind I had to trim off.
Now I'm going to wash my hair.
A demain and let's hope for some sun.

Confluence!

Bonjour Mes Amies!

If you are used to a lot of freely flowing water, my fascination with rivers may appear senseless, but I live in a semi desert where the "river" flows underground or dries up.  Today I visited the confluence where Rhone and Saone meet, and I gather the interpretation is that the Saone flows into the Rhone which continues to be the Rhone.  There's an intriguing museum there, too.
It's warm but overcast and a bit humid.  It's not uncomfortable.  I decided to walk down the the Confluence even though it was a long way.  I figured I could pick a route through Presqu-ile that would allow the licking of windows.  I have been licking windows all along in the land of lecher le vitrine, (It means window shopping, so don't be grossed out.) and I must say that Lyon provides many opportunities to slurp at some mighty fine goods.  I dropped into a perfume store for a squirt--not bad.  Well, I walked and walked and walked some more.  I mistook a train station for a shopping mall and almost got turned around.  After even more walking I came upon an actual shopping center, which was fairly upscale and which had a nice and free toilet.  I availed myself of these facilities.
Then I walked some more.  The museum didn't open today until 11:00 so I had time to stroll to the very end of the peninsula for a look at the meeting of these two rivers.
The Museum of the Confluence is fairly new and is housed in one of those flamboyant modern buildings all over shiny surfaces, jutting roofs, and angles.  The building is large, but because it's so open it seems airy and light.  The contents are part natural history and part anthropology.  I had a good time.
I saw a lot of fossils and stuffed animals.  One cool thing is that a few of the exhibits are touchable.  I petted a dinosaur skull complete with teeth and a skull with horns of a woolly rhinoceros.  But the coolest of all was getting to fondle a chunk of our moon, and run my fingers over a sliver of Mars and some "star dust."
I also saw a lot of nice artifacts and a handsome collection of Non Western Art.
I finished up with a trip through a temporary exhibits on poisons complete with glass containers with snakes, and venomous insects.
But after that and a lot of stairs up and down I was not in the mood for that long walk back home.  A tram stop stood just by the museum, and it was a line that would get me home.  I got a ticket from the machine and hopped aboard.  Now it turned out that I miscalculated my stop but not badly.  I just had to walk back down the street for a bit, and the walking did me good.  So now I will sip my highly refreshing Kir Royale.
What's for dinner, Pil?  On account of it's Birthday Week!
Well, I can't have saturated fat All the Time, so pasta is on the menu, but since I'm going to douse it with fancy olive oil, it's still pretty indulgent, and I'll wash it down with some AOC Rose I pulled off the shelf.  One can get some pretty fancy wines even in corner grocery stores--only I don't, and I have never had anything skunky since I stick to AOC.
My pasta is buckwheat pasta, which I have never had, filled with mushroom. Shall we have a bite?
Mmmm.  That is lush.  I'm not missing the saturated fat.
A demain!