Lyon

Bascilica at Lyon
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Sunday 4^th May

No real ill effects from yesterday’s effort thank goodness.

Up not to early about 7am for the unhurried pack up, hitch up and on the road, doesn’t take us long and it is not hard the 4 of us can move the vans with out the cars really easily. Most of the travel to Lyon today was on “N” roads which are normal two lane roads like we have at home but that frequently widen out to 4 lanes. Beautiful country side with lots of canola fields in bright yellow blooms and the green, green grass. I have said that before but you have to believe me when I tell you how special it is. Lovely quaint villages and a good road. Stopped at a rest area and had a picnic lunch of the usual pate, cheese, bread and the Aquarian salad. Got to Lyon with the minimum of fuss about 2pm. The gates where locked for siesta but they let us in. Picked our own camp site which is unusual. They have toilet seats and paper yippee. Communal toilets thought. Sue and I walked in to find it full of men so we just automatically continued on. Put us right off. Kind of used to it now except for the smell. Had spag bol for tea with bread of course. Mothers Day so the boys did the dishes. Sue was trying to remember the name of a movie, so she and I headed off to the office to use the internet to try and find it (good excuse to get out of the dishes). We found it in case you are wondering.

Bascilica
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Monday 5^th May Lyon

Up and breakfast and a few chores then up to the gate to get the bus into Lyon. Talked to a nice pommie couple who where doing the same thing. After thinking we were at the wrong bus stop we made the bus. Cost 6.70Euro for the 4 of us and turned out the bargain on the trip. Went for 20 minutes in the bus, got on the Lyon metro which is a fast train that runs about every 2 minutes and has no driver. Fully automated which is scary when you sit up front. Got of the metro and on the funicular railway. All included in the 6.70Euro for 4 tickets. We had no real idea what was up there so we started in the basement of the thing and thought it was nice, only to go up stairs to the most magnificent cathedral I have ever seen. Trust me I have seen hundreds in my travels. This was started in the 1100 and finished in the 19^th century.

Basicila
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All beautifully painted walls with mosaics that were done insitu of Joan of Arc and other scenes. Lots of gold leaf just beautiful. When are able we will put some photos up.

In one corner was something I have never seen in a church before……a lift, to get people to and from the two levels.

Then the view from the square, all over Lyon and on a clear day you can see Mont Blanc. Wasn’t clear but lovely anyway.

Walked around and found the roman amphitheatre which was really spectacular the largest in France. Then down the funicular and onto a open double decker bus for a tour of Lyon. Really a lovely city with the river running through it. I enjoyed the tour. Walked down a typically French city street, had coffee, got bread and headed for the metro and the bus. Got back about 5 and actually relaxed for an hour before getting dinner. Early night as we were all tired.

Bascilica
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Tuesday 6^th May

Late start today, Sue had been doing her usual study up last night and came up with two suggestions for today. One was a car tour to the surrounding area, the other was a day to do the big jobs we had put off. Wash the cars and vans, vacuum everything in site, wash all the clothes, bedding, dog & cat. We all took the cleaning option. Sue and I did 5 loads of laundry, the guys washed vans and cars, cleaned the inside of the cars as they were really dirty from the mud and rain we had been through. Girls did the vans inside. The boys went off to get porta gas as we have been having trouble getting it along with filling up the cars and they found a big sports store and a large, large supermarket which was like a combined Kmart and Coles supermarket. No they didn’t take flybuys. So about 1pm we headed off to the sports store as Rob and Richard both needed shoes. We all ended up with new boots except Rob who got boots and sneakers. My boots are really excellent and only cost E15 about $25. Richard got waterproof ones for E29. Then to a place call FLUNCH for lunch, like a cafeteria. Nice salads etc. Then one giant shop as we know the next stop will be very expensive so we wanted to stock up well and truly before we go off on Thursday. Took about 2 hours to shop.

Bascilica
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Sue and I spotted a hairdresser and as it has been 7 weeks since a cut, we got French haircuts for E32 about $53, mind you we got it washed and blow dried for that. We look even more special than we did before. It was fun explaining to the non English speaking hairdresser how we wanted our hair. We both like our cuts as well as each other. Richard and Rob are non committal.

Then we put the vans back together, put all the shopping away and BBQ the last of our salmon we had in the freezer from Paris. Yummy. We are all tired and have a big day planned for tomorrow so after several games on rummikub, Richard actually won one, I won the rest and we have retired to read, write the blog or whatever.

Lyon
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Wednesday 7^th May

Scribe Dick here.

Well after a day of toil we are ready to go. First it was to Museum of the Resistance.

We bought a transport pass that allowed us to travel on anything for the day, something Morris cannot arrange. It was great we used for the bus, light rail and tram. We did not find an excuse to use the trolley bus but the ticket was good for that as well.

Lyon
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The Resistance museum was very moving and graphic. We all learned a lot. I had forgotten that Lyon was where Klaus Barbie was. The museum is in the building that was the Gestapo headquarters and this is enough to bring it all into perspective.

There were lots of film and many written accounts of the resistance throughout France and the men and women involved. Most notable facts were that the first concentration camp was built in 1933 after Adolf became chancellor and the Vichy French government transported Jews till D Day.

Bascilica and Roman Theatre
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Lunch was bread rolls at a sidewalk café’. That’s French for sandwich shop.

In the afternoon we went to the museum of Luminare. The Luminare brothers invented the cinema in 1895 and it looked like most of their equipment was still there in the house they lived in. There was an impressive display of their films from pre 1910 with enlightening scenes of French life and Egypt and northern Africa. On display was a projector that produced a 360 deg. Image inside a very large circular screen.

Roman Theatre
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We had spent most of the day looking at black and white films. They were thought provoking, inspiring and enlightening.

Back home meant using the light rail and bus. The rail had a problem but as we just missed the last train were at the head of the que. The rail staff interestingly stopped people coming down the stairs to the platform when there was enough for the next train. Great safety precaution as the rails are live!

Tea was a crock. Really good chicken and pasta cooked during the day in the crock pot. How easy. The girls must have still been exhausted from yesterday as they bought nothing even though they could not resist jumping off the bus half way home to explore another shopping centre.

Roman Theatre
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The day closed with a game of Rummikub with really nothing out of the ordinary to report. What did you expect after yesterday? We are supposed to be on holidays. The weather seems to think so with mid 20s for the last few days and no rain.

Those of you who are actually reading this will wonder about the pate, cheese and red wine normally consumed to keep our energy levels up and us in good health. Well it didn’t happen today, except for a little red wine and a couple of beers. Yes we are all fine and I really have no explanation.

Roman Theatre
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We are moving tomorrow, a very leisurely 250km. The destination changed on Monday so stay tuned to see where that distance will get us??? I am a bit worried about the pate, cheese and red wine, will we be able to get it at the next stop???

PS

Peter and Carol generously gave each couple a USB memory stick before we left and they have been invaluable. Peter and Carol are really responsible for ensuring the blog gets done as it is not always easy getting access to the net and a suitable computer. Try using Internet Explorer that is in French with a French keyboard. Letter keys are in the wrong place and some have 3 options, @ it is an ‘alternate upper case’ and a real pain.

Many thanks Peter and Carol from us all.

Any complaints about the blog should therefore be forwarded to Peter and Carol.