August 30, 2023
Saturday was my last day with the other students in the hotel before we were picked up by our host families. Everyone is really fun and I’m sure they’ll make great travel buddies! First on the agenda was a guided tour through Vieux Lyon with a young man named Alex. He took us to la cathédrale Saint-Jean after warning us about pick-pockets. Vieux Lyon is a popular spot for tourists (and missing wallets). Alex is French and knows all the ins and outs of Lyon. To my relief, he spoke American-friendly French (i.e. very slow and enunciated) but decided to give us historical dates in English. He joked that Americans don’t know how to count, and he’s not wrong! If you’ve never learned how to count in French, I suggest looking up how to say “ninety” and get your calculator ready. Spoiler: it’s quatre-vignt-dix, or “four-twenty-ten”. Now imagine trying to say 1480 or 1862!
There are three cathedrals in Lyon: Saint-Jean, Saint-Georges, and Saint-Paul — just remember the Beatles sans Ringo. As we approached la cathédrale Saint-Jean, there were several pigeons roosting on the statues above the entrance (the pigeons in America are much fatter than the ones I’ve seen here. What are we feeding them?). Alex pointed out many of the statues in the archway that are missing their heads! They were destroyed in 1562 during the Wars of Religion in France. During this time, a Protestant warlord seized Lyon and ordered the symbolic decapitation. The statues have guarded mindlessly over the cathedral ever since.
Check out these photos of the cathedral’s interior!
Saturday’s word of the day (or Soup du Jour, for my entertainment) was le traboule. A traboule is a secret passageway unique to Lyon. They were originally created to conserve space between buildings and to provide easier transport for silk workers (les canuts) and their products. Alex walked us through a few traboules in Vieux Lyon and explained their history. From the street, they just look like unassuming doors, so you have to know Lyon pretty well to find one!
You can’t visit Vieux Lyon without passing at least a dozen bouchons. A bouchon is a specific type of restaurant that serves lyonnais food like salade lyonnaise and a variety of pork dishes. The atmosphere at a bouchon is meant to be comforting while you enjoy spending time with others. The literal translation of bouchon is a cork, which I suppose symbolizes communal celebration.
I quickly learned that Alex is well acquainted with Lyon and its inhabitants. He led us into a sweets shop and the owner greeted him like an old friend. She explained her specialty for pralines and let us each sample one. I was expecting a caramel-colored pecan, and instead received a bright red sugar-coated almond. It was unlike any praline I’ve had before but it was delicious all the same.
After leaving the candy store, we made our way into an authentic silk shop. Once again, the owners knew Alex well and let him unfold several silk scarves to show us. He explained the detailed process of printing and weaving silk patterns before directing us to the back room. That’s where I found my little friends munching on some mulberry leaves. It doesn’t get much more authentic than that!
I took a textiles class last year and learned about the process of silk production. If you think these silk worms are as adorable as I do, I recommend you avoid any further research! (Ignorance is bliss)
We crossed the Rhône river and found ourselves at the base of la Croix-Rousse neighborhood. Alex continued to give details about the rich history there. Our tour concluded at la Place des Terreaux where we were surrounded by impressive structures on all sides. Here you can find L’hôtel de ville (the city hall), la Musée des Beaux-Arts (the fine arts museum) and — my favorite — la fontaine Bartholdi.
This is easily the most amazing fountain I’ve ever seen. I’m told it’s even more magnificent in the winter when the water freezes! The name Frederic Bartholdi might actually ring a bell for some Americans. In addition to the Bartholdi Fountain, he designed our very own Statue of Liberty! But the history doesn’t stop there. The city of Bordeaux originally commissioned this fountain from Bartholdi. However, after Bartholdi finished the fountain, the Bordeaux leaders decided it was too expensive and refused to cough up the cash. Being a rival city to Bordeaux, Lyon swooped in and bought the fountain instead.
Okay, that’s enough history for now. After the tour, we searched for a place to eat lunch and found a nearby bouchon. I won’t go into too much detail, but when I say the lyonnais eat pig, they eat all of the pig. My host mom recently taught me the phrase “tout est bon dans le cochon“. In English: “all is good in the pig”. I can’t say I agree, but I’ve got four months to change my mind.
Speaking of my host mom, I met her for the first time Saturday night when she picked me up from the hotel. Her name is Anne and she’s very kind and easy-going. Anne has a 13-year-old daughter named Sanae that I haven’t met yet, but she sounds lovely. Anne has had an impressive career as a film director and now she’s in culinary school. It feels weird to take photos of the meals she makes, but just know that Anne’s cooking is the best food I’ve had in France — even if it doesn’t appear in my Chews Wisely reviews!
Enjoy this photo of la Croix-Rousse! You can’t find a bad view in this neighborhood.
For those of you who told me I’d be just fine in France because I’m “basically fluent” (I’m not), this is my “I Told You So” moment: I’ve never felt this incompetent in my entire life. I quickly learned that nodding my head and pretending to understand things is all good until someone asks you a question. This first week is defined by lots of blank stares, stutters, and “je comprend pas“. If I’m being honest, it was both discouraging and exhausting. But we persist!
On Sunday, I went to the farmer’s market with Anne and her friend Audrey, another culinary student. It was bigger than any farmer’s market I’ve seen before. There are tons of farmer’s markets all throughout Lyon, and open almost all week. I think I finally understand the true meaning of farm-to-table. Anne and Audrey bought a variety of fresh food that turned into our lunch.
Later that afternoon, Anne took me on a leisurely walk through la Croix-Rousse. She pointed out popular restaurants, cafés, and even took me into a traboule! One notable feature of la Croix-Rousse are the murs peintres, or murals. The most famous mural in la Croix-Rousse is the Mur peint des Canuts. The original mural looked pretty different, but it has been updated every few decades to reflect changes in the neighborhood. With its unique history and busy streets, la Croix-Rousse feels like its own city within Lyon.
Monday was my first day of school… kind of. We have a two-week exploratory course before our actual semester classes start. I chose the Lyon, ville historique option, so we have a few excursions in the city as well as history lectures! For anyone that’s interested, my university is called Université Lumière Lyon 2 – Campus Berges du Rhône.
I’m in the school of international French studies, so I get to meet students from all over the world. Here’s a picture of me and my friend Jules getting lunch with our new buddies from Japan and Taiwan! I’ve also met students from Germany, Italy, Moldova, England, Spain, Ireland, Australia, and Korea. Most of my school days are spent in class and exploring the nearby lunch spots with new friends.
After class on Monday, I walked along the Rhône until I arrived at the Parc de la Tête d’Or. Legend has it that treasure is buried somewhere in the park in the form of a golden head of Christ. “Park” feels underwhelming when describing this refreshing oasis in Lyon. I spent over an hour just walking around the lake (which houses a collection of adorable boats). I plan to go back to find other attractions like the zoo, botanical gardens, miniature railway, and quaint ice cream shops and restaurants.
In a moment of bravery, I opted to take the stairs home rather than public transit. After just a few minutes, my legs were on fire and all I could comprehend was sweat and regret. This trek might rival that of the Manitou Incline. But it’s all worth it when you get those Croix-Rousse views!
To finish this post, I present my favorite thing about France: 1.99 € bottles of wine. Okay, maybe not my favorite thing, but the excitement never seems to wear off. Some of my American friends and I picked up drinks after school before heading to a serene lake just outside the city.
Soup de Jour : le cygne (swan)
Thanks for following along with me! Please enjoy this week’s winning photo below.
5 responses to “Getting Settled”
Great pictures and commentary!
Love the lazy cat.
I’m trying to channel his energy.
They have some pretty cheap wine in Corvallis if I recall correctly …
Allow me to clarify: wine that doesn’t taste like gasoline