Once again, terrible WiFi … so I’m posting the info today and hopefully photos will follow tomorrow.
We started our tour today at the the Bassilica of Norte Dame de Faurviere. It is incredible. Seriously. My pictures do not do justice to this place. Built in the 1880s with private funds on the site that was once the Roman forum, and is dedicated to the Virgin Mary who is credited with saving Lyon from the Bubonic plague in 1643 and destruction during both wars. Believers lit candles throughout the city to honor her and ask for her protection. The structure is Romanesque and Byzantine and has spectacular carvings on the exterior and amazing and huge mosaics inside. For my Catholic readers, the confessionals have the priest in the screened room, but you’re out in the open. Hmmmm. The knick-name is the upside down elephant because of its unique shape.
The view from the bassilica is forever. Here’s a little video with French chatter in the background … including me saying “God Bless You” after a Frenchman sneezed. His wife laughed and explained to him. He looked confused and said to me, “merci.” I love the kid chatter as well.
Next we were on to the “painted houses.” They are truly amazing murals on the buildings in Vieux Lyon (the old district). My pictures don’t capture how cool these are. They are actually murals on the buildings that look like a bridge or stairs with people, plus buildings, pets, and shrubbery – all in trompe l’oeil (to trick the eye) … 3-D …. SO amazing! The streets all through the old town are extremely narrow and have these connections, called traboulles, that are secret passageways the silk merchants created as short cuts between factories. The resistance also used them during WWII.
This town has all kinds of fountains, but these at city center are totally fun – they dance. Our guide told us that very often major sculpturs put art installations on the lawn reflected through the fountains – by invitation of the city, of course.
We left Lyon headed aft first, because we had to go to the confluence of the Rhône and the Saone in order to turn the ship. It’s a fairly spectacular maneuver.