Ooh la la — Lyon is pretty in pink and a perfect feast for the senses
by Madeleine Morrow,
2016-02-26 06:07:57.0
MINUTES after my arrival in Lyon, a giant leek danced past me on the street. A mustard pot and a cornet of chips followed close behind. Round the corner, a fork and a strawberry came into view. Just as I began to think I had drank too much Prosecco on the train — it was my birthday after all — a dragon snaked its way along the road towards the Place St Jean. I never figured out why the revellers celebrating St George were dressed up as a moving feast, but their attire was entirely in keeping with the purpose of my visit to Lyon — cuisine.
Lyon is a city famed for its gastronomy. One can eat daily for three weeks in a different Michelin-starred restaurant. It is home to Paul Bocuse, one of the world’s most famous chefs, and hosts his 3-Michelin star restaurant, Auberge du Pont de Collanges, and his four bistros. One can sample traditional Lyonnaise cuisine at eateries called bouchons, where tripe, calf head and pig trotters are the order of the day, washed down with a carafe of Côtes du Rhône.
...
GOURMETS may think they have died and gone to heaven, but unless one takes a sabbatical in the city, it is possible to scratch only the surface of its food culture. The visitor is presented with the agonising decision of where one’s precious mealtimes should be spent. Making choices is difficult. Even the gelateria, Terre Adélice, sells 140 flavours.
If a city can be said to have a colour, Lyon’s is pink. One of the delicacies is praline, given a local twist with the addition of food colouring in a vibrant hue usually reserved for long, painted nails. Tartes aux Pralines are stacked on glass shelves in every patisserie window, alongside pastries and meringues ribboned with pink. The nuts are crushed and scattered like sequins on to desserts in restaurants where slices of the ubiquitous tart appear on every menu. Hunting down one’s favourite can become an addictive obsession.
Serious gourmets fill their baskets at the covered market named after Lyon’s most famous son. Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse is one of those refined food halls that makes one part easily with the euros. After whetting our appetites viewing about 55 outlets with a vast array of top-quality fare, from caviar to foie gras, we settled on a plate of garlicky, wild frogs’ legs, pan-fried to order. Licking our buttery fingers, we ambled over to the oyster stall where, leaning on the bar, we downed a dozen beauties, along with a chilled glass of Sauvignon Blanc.
Our shopping bag bursting with breads, cheese, and dried sausage for an evening snack, we hopped on a tram and made our way south to the new Musée des Confluences. Situated at the spot where the city’s two rivers meet, the views over the Rhône and the Saône are breath-taking. The museum itself shimmers in its steel-clad covering, like a prehistoric creature perched to leap into the waters. It is an intriguing mélange of science and anthropology, where interactive computers tell the story of the origins of the cosmos alongside multicultural artefacts illustrating mythology that tackles the big questions of our existence.
...
THE Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon has a collection of antiquities and art second in size only to the Paris Louvre. An English audio guide provides a 45-minute, whistle-stop tour through the highlights.
Back on the streets, there are surprises aplenty. All over the city, buildings have been transformed into gigantic murals. These tromp l’oeil artworks are so convincing that visitors need to get up close to realise that the ATM or florists are only two-dimensional. Along the river, where booksellers display their wares, a corner building appears to house a massive bookstore that on closer scrutiny is a painted wall. The city’s luminaries have their own place of honour, La Fresque des Lyonnais. What foodie can resist a selfie with Paul Bocuse — even if he has been painted onto a wall? For film buffs, there are the Lumière brothers (credited with the invention of cinema) and the director Bertrand Tavernier. The Little Prince is presented along with his creator, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.
Lyon is a city that dates back to Roman times. High up on the Fourvière hill are two remaining amphitheatres that afford not only a glimpse of ancient history, but also panoramic views of Lyon. The short ride up the steep hill can be taken in an old funicular that delights children and adults alike. Alternately, a vertiginous climb helps work off some of the effects of a weekend of nonstop eating.
Discovering hidden nooks and crannies is one of the highlights of walking in a foreign city, but nowhere is this more discreet than in Lyon, where a series of medieval passages are concealed behind doors that open only to those in the know.
These passageways, running between streets and creating links between buildings, are called traboules. They were built to enable the silk workers to move their wares safely between their workshops and the river from where they would be transported. Centuries later, they were used in the Second World War by the French Resistance, based in Lyon, to move around the city undetected by the German occupiers. With the aid of a detailed map, we ducked in and out of ancient alleys and dark hallways, discovering the inside secrets of the medieval town.
...
AS NIGHT fell, we made our way to Le 14 Fevrière, a tiny restaurant in the old city, Vieux Lyon, seating only 14 diners. The chef, Tsuyoshi Arai’s mission is "90% French and 10% Japanese". Four hours of unadulterated pleasure passed with nine courses of exquisite food and paired wines. Matched by the elegance of the two, black-suited waiters who executed a choreographed service, the meal rose to the level of epicurean theatre.
Lyon is a French city that has it all. Picturesque walks along two rivers, an historic old quarter that has been declared a World Heritage Site, museums aplenty, extraordinary street art, and outstanding food. For visitors wishing to explore beyond Paris, Lyon is the perfect destination.
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The shiny Musée des Confluences is situated at the spot where Lyon’s two rivers meet. Picture: MADELEINE MORROW
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Winding walks along the banks of Lyon’s rivers provide breath-taking views of the city that dates back to Roman times. Picture: MADELEINE MORROW
MINUTES after my arrival in Lyon, a giant leek danced past me on the street. A mustard pot and a cornet of chips followed close behind. Round the corner, a fork and a strawberry came into view. Just as I began to think I had drank too much Prosecco on the train — it was my birthday after all — a dragon snaked its way along the road towards the Place St Jean. I never figured out why the revellers celebrating St George were dressed up as a moving feast, but their attire was entirely in keeping with the purpose of my visit to Lyon — cuisine.
Lyon is a city famed for its gastronomy. One can eat daily for three weeks in a different Michelin-starred restaurant. It is home to Paul Bocuse, one of the world’s most famous chefs, and hosts his 3-Michelin star restaurant, Auberge du Pont de Collanges, and his four bistros. One can sample traditional Lyonnaise cuisine at eateries called bouchons, where tripe, calf head and pig trotters are the order of the day, washed down with a carafe of Côtes du Rhône.
...
GOURMETS may think they have died and gone to heaven, but unless one takes a sabbatical in the city, it is possible to scratch only the surface of its food culture. The visitor is presented with the agonising decision of where one’s precious mealtimes should be spent. Making choices is difficult. Even the gelateria, Terre Adélice, sells 140 flavours.
If a city can be said to have a colour, Lyon’s is pink. One of the delicacies is praline, given a local twist with the addition of food colouring in a vibrant hue usually reserved for long, painted nails. Tartes aux Pralines are stacked on glass shelves in every patisserie window, alongside pastries and meringues ribboned with pink. The nuts are crushed and scattered like sequins on to desserts in restaurants where slices of the ubiquitous tart appear on every menu. Hunting down one’s favourite can become an addictive obsession.
Serious gourmets fill their baskets at the covered market named after Lyon’s most famous son. Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse is one of those refined food halls that makes one part easily with the euros. After whetting our appetites viewing about 55 outlets with a vast array of top-quality fare, from caviar to foie gras, we settled on a plate of garlicky, wild frogs’ legs, pan-fried to order. Licking our buttery fingers, we ambled over to the oyster stall where, leaning on the bar, we downed a dozen beauties, along with a chilled glass of Sauvignon Blanc.
Our shopping bag bursting with breads, cheese, and dried sausage for an evening snack, we hopped on a tram and made our way south to the new Musée des Confluences. Situated at the spot where the city’s two rivers meet, the views over the Rhône and the Saône are breath-taking. The museum itself shimmers in its steel-clad covering, like a prehistoric creature perched to leap into the waters. It is an intriguing mélange of science and anthropology, where interactive computers tell the story of the origins of the cosmos alongside multicultural artefacts illustrating mythology that tackles the big questions of our existence.
...
THE Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon has a collection of antiquities and art second in size only to the Paris Louvre. An English audio guide provides a 45-minute, whistle-stop tour through the highlights.
Back on the streets, there are surprises aplenty. All over the city, buildings have been transformed into gigantic murals. These tromp l’oeil artworks are so convincing that visitors need to get up close to realise that the ATM or florists are only two-dimensional. Along the river, where booksellers display their wares, a corner building appears to house a massive bookstore that on closer scrutiny is a painted wall. The city’s luminaries have their own place of honour, La Fresque des Lyonnais. What foodie can resist a selfie with Paul Bocuse — even if he has been painted onto a wall? For film buffs, there are the Lumière brothers (credited with the invention of cinema) and the director Bertrand Tavernier. The Little Prince is presented along with his creator, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.
Lyon is a city that dates back to Roman times. High up on the Fourvière hill are two remaining amphitheatres that afford not only a glimpse of ancient history, but also panoramic views of Lyon. The short ride up the steep hill can be taken in an old funicular that delights children and adults alike. Alternately, a vertiginous climb helps work off some of the effects of a weekend of nonstop eating.
Discovering hidden nooks and crannies is one of the highlights of walking in a foreign city, but nowhere is this more discreet than in Lyon, where a series of medieval passages are concealed behind doors that open only to those in the know.
These passageways, running between streets and creating links between buildings, are called traboules. They were built to enable the silk workers to move their wares safely between their workshops and the river from where they would be transported. Centuries later, they were used in the Second World War by the French Resistance, based in Lyon, to move around the city undetected by the German occupiers. With the aid of a detailed map, we ducked in and out of ancient alleys and dark hallways, discovering the inside secrets of the medieval town.
...
AS NIGHT fell, we made our way to Le 14 Fevrière, a tiny restaurant in the old city, Vieux Lyon, seating only 14 diners. The chef, Tsuyoshi Arai’s mission is "90% French and 10% Japanese". Four hours of unadulterated pleasure passed with nine courses of exquisite food and paired wines. Matched by the elegance of the two, black-suited waiters who executed a choreographed service, the meal rose to the level of epicurean theatre.
Lyon is a French city that has it all. Picturesque walks along two rivers, an historic old quarter that has been declared a World Heritage Site, museums aplenty, extraordinary street art, and outstanding food. For visitors wishing to explore beyond Paris, Lyon is the perfect destination.
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