Our day starts with a look at Fourvière, which was not open to the public this holiday morning.
December 28, 2007 - A Very Frenchy Christmas - Day 7
Our day starts with a look at Fourvière, which was not open to the public this holiday morning.
It's a very impressive church, though. It reminds you of Rosslyn Chapel in Scotland, as it includes carvings and statues from different religions. Though it looks perfectly symetrical and gothic from a distance, you can see the lower round windows on the sides have different leaded inlays. There are crosses on one side countered by Stars of David on the other, angel carvings balanced by pagan-like animals on the other. (If you can see it, just above and to the outside of the three arches has a winged angel on the left and an eagle on the right.) very odd.
The view of the city is gorgeous. Though it was cold (and the city that lovely hazy shade of winter - and the freaky sicamore trees in the foreground), we stared for quite a while at the city below.
Notice the river in the picture... We've been sailing on theh Rhône this whole time. This river is the Saône. They meet in Lyon.
We peeked in the rear entrance of Fourvière and found this atrium.
Not a normal church.
Trump L'Oeil - "fool the eye"
Lyon is full of murals like these. Nothing in these pictures is real - not even the people.
Not even the roofline. Only the white sky is real.
Fourvière, from across the Saône.
I forgot what this church was. It was important, though.
Typical French market, along the Saône.
These are the tall cellery-like things from the cheesy main dish from the dinner in Tournon.
Rabbits.
So wild, you can tell they were mallards.
Fromages.
Paul took us to one of his favorite eateries in the world - Restaurant Du Soleil.
Bill, Carey, Caroline, Mom, and Eulalia enjoy their stuff avacados and grenache.
Eulalia, Ben, Jill, me, Paul, and Bill.
Jill and I savor the Onion Gratinée (what they call French Onion Soup) and Escargot.
Caroline and Bill go wee.
It's a low ceiling up there...
I'm too full to pose.
St. George's Church.
St. George's Church, along the banks of the Saône.
Notice the tower to the right of the Fourvière (far right on the hill). That's their replica of the Eifel Tower. It starts on a hill, so it isn't technically as tall, but its tip is the same height as the original.
Oh gosh, by now I have no idea, but it looks cool.
Later that night, Eulalia, Ben, Jill, and I go out for a walk along the river on which we've spent the last week.
France can be magical (especially when there are few French around).
Some clubs are modern...
...but we headed to a little jazzy joint.
This isn't it. The one we went to was a bit larger, but more casual like this one.
This sums up the city pretty well - Fourvière, the ferris wheel, and the faux Eifel Tower...
Surprisingly cool city.
That's it...
This was our itinerary - Arles, Avignon, Viviers, Tournon, Vienne, Lyon.
So many famous French wine regions on this map too - Côte du Rhâne Villages, Châteauneuf-Du-Pape, Muscats, Crozes-Hermitage, Câte Râtie, St. Joseph, etc.
That's the end of opur 2008 Christmas trip!