(Lyon, France)

After a restorative ramble among the Roman ruins, I wanted to finally see the much-vaunted old city of Lyon (Vieux-Lyon). But first I had to descend from the mighty heights of Fourvière.

It took quite a long time, via a combination of winding roads and steep narrow staircases (disguised as streets). But I eventually made it, and found myself in an ancient, well-kept, warren of restaurants and souvenir shops. I don’t think I’ve ever seen as many shades of gold as I did in this part of Lyon.

As noted during my trip to Lyon last year, Lyon is really the cradle of what we call “French cuisine.” So, it is no wonder that Vieux-Lyon is full of restaurants serving that kind of food. Many of them are called bouchons, which typically feature hyper-local Lyonnaise cuisine using local ingredients. The idea of a bouchon is very appealing to me, and I had hoped to try one for an authentic local experience.

There was only one problem: Lyonnaise cuisine just wasn’t calling me today. Generally, I have enjoyed the local food in other French regions. I really enjoyed the food in Normandy and Brittany, with its emphasis on apples and cheese. And I like the Savoyard cuisine of the French Alps, which is not much different from the Alpine cuisine I enjoy so much in Switzerland. Earlier on this trip, I tried some interesting food in the Ardèche region.

But I really couldn’t find a bouchon menu that appealed to me. Maybe I can attribute this to a certain level of personal pickiness when it comes to meat. Meat is definitely front-and-centre in Lyonnaise cuisine.

Another factor was that I had eaten a substantial breakfast at my hotel and hoped to have a special dinner later for my last evening in Europe. A light meal was all I needed. I decided to grab my lunch from a street vendor or a bakery (boulangerie). Still French, just not a bouchon.

It didn’t take long. Just across the river from Vieux-Lyon, I found a very humble looking bakery. I suspected that its customers were local. I ordered a freshly-made mushroom quiche and, with a bottle of local sparkling water, had a very simple but satisfying meal on the sidewalk outside the bakery. I must have done a very good job of fitting in: within two minutes, somebody asked me for directions.

My trip was almost done. My flight home would leave Paris in 24 hours. But there’s still more to come from France!

(Lyon, France)

I knew it was around here somewhere. I wandered in the approximate direction of one of the Fourvière district highlights. And even though I was sure I would find it eventually, it was still a surprise when I did. Roman ruins always surprise me.

I hadn’t done a ton of research on what the site contained. But I saw a lot of people in what seemed to be the well-preserved remains of a Roman theatre. I followed the crowd, and discovered that most of the site seemed to be open to the public.

I started with the Odeon Theatre. It could hold about 3000 people for performances (most of which were musical). It was well preserved because it was covered by a landslide for many centuries. It was only rediscovered in the 1700s. I took some time to enjoy the view – of both the theatre and of modern Lyon below.

The Odeon is the only Roman theatre of its type in France that is open to the public. But there was much more to be seen. Moving to the north, I saw the remains of many buildings and what appeared to be another (and larger) theatre below.

Not wanting to rush, I spent some time climbing on and around the various ruined buildings. Some of the walls were still very high compared to other Roman ruins I have seen in Europe – it was quite the labyrinth. And there wasn’t much in the way of protective fencing, so I did have to be careful when I reached the top.

Finally, I turned my attention to the larger theatre, appropriately known as the Grand Theatre. It could seat 10,000 to 15,000 people, and seemed to focus more on comedies and tragedies. It had also been buried for centuries by a landslide. Access to the theatre itself was restricted. In any case, it was being prepared for a series of upcoming concerts. It reminded me of the even larger Roman Arena in Verona, Italy, which was also being prepared for an upcoming concert.

I never tire of visiting Roman sites. Of course, Rome itself wasn’t in the cards for this trip. But other locations, such as Ostia Antica, are just as impressive in their own way. And some, like Volubilis in Morocco, might even surpass the real thing because of their unique location.

The Odeon Theatre and Grand Theatre in Roman Lyon (known as Lugdunum to the Romans) are well worth a part of your day to reflect on empires past. They also provide a nice break from busy modern Lyon.

The common theme of all these Roman sites is the inexorable passage of time. Speaking of time, if I had more of it, I might have visited the on-site museum. Among other things, it had some remarkably well-preserved mosaics.

But wait! There’s more! I had a very busy final day in Lyon – stay tuned!

(Lyon, France)

After the idyll of Largentière, it was a bit of a culture shock to step off the train in Lyon. It’s the second-largest city in France, and the Part-Dieu station was just as noisy and crowded as you might expect. The unspoiled fresh air of Largentière was…not quite as evident here either.

But there are some benefits of being in a cosmopolitan urban centre. I had a dizzying array of dinner choices, and was pleased to see a cluster of interesting restaurants within 5 minutes of my hotel. I decided to try Messob, an Ethiopian restaurant that appeared to combine good food with pleasant surroundings. I’ve written a lot about Ethiopian cuisine, and love to try out new restaurants serving this tasty food.

My first impression: most of the patrons were Ethiopian and wearing traditional clothing. It turned out that a fundraising dinner was being held for the local Ethiopian church: the food was served buffet-style and you could take whatever you liked. I decided to give it a shot. The food was delicious, but I took no pictures of the food or the interior. It didn’t seem right, even though the traditional clothing (and the restaurant itself) looked great.

In honour of the occasion, the restaurant was also serving a special beverage called tej. The waiter tried to explain it to me. I wasn’t exactly sure what I would be getting. I knew there was honey in it, but beyond that I struggled a bit. He said it also contained gesho, but couldn’t translate that further. I couldn’t even tell if tej was alcoholic or non-alcoholic. It is strange to start drinking something without knowing exactly what it is.

My glass of tej was definitely alcoholic. And it was also very good. When I got back to my hotel, my research revealed that tej is an Ethiopian form of mead (honey wine). Gesho is a bittering agent, similar to hops, which offsets the honey’s sweetness. If you ever have an opportunity to try authentic tej, I recommend it!

I slept well after my Ethiopian feast. The next day, the weather was great and I set out relatively early to do some sightseeing. While I had been in Lyon last year, it was in late February and the weather was gray and cool. I also didn’t make it to the truly old part of the city. That was my goal on this trip, as Vieux-Lyon is a renowned destination for travellers.

It seemed like every tour group in town was visiting the Cathédrale Saint-Jean-Baptiste. The cathedral reminded me vaguely of the duomo in Orvieto, Italy. Rather than follow the throngs, I decided to head up the steep hill that loomed over the cathedral. I found a narrow, deserted street that looked promising. It was a really tough grind…straight up without a break.

At the top (in the Fourvière district) I was rewarded with a great view of the big city. But I also found something else … stay tuned for the details!