Day 6 - Wed 15 Sept - Lyon

This was the first day the tour headed out of Paris. We were all over the shop - trying to get ready and have our bags out by 6:45am was a real challenge. It was hysterical to see Stuart repack his bag quickly only to find it would not shut! I was in fits of laughter (which did not help the situation) and obviously did not help. Consequently, we were the last ones of the bus and just like naughty children had to sit up the front of the bus. Seemed like more of a reward in my mind!

It was raining in Paris and throughout our journey to Beaune and then ceased to enable us to enjoy lunch in the town square where the market had set up for trade. I cannot do justic in my descriptions of the beautiful villages with their tiled rooves, limestone walls and enchanting entrace doors decorated with wrought iron panels. Little has changed over many hundreds of years to these villages.

Beaune (all photos above)

After our lunch of omelettes and salad we visited a winery Reine Pedauque where we were served 4 different wines in their underground cellars built in 1802. I could only imagine this to be a perfect spot for the Resistence to hide during the wars. These large stone cellars withe huge stone arches housed barrels and bottles of wine going back to the 1930s. Chandelleirs were fashioned from the inventive use of green wine bottles illuminated from within, creating a subtle glow in these darkened cellars.

Note the beautifully designed tiled roof.



Reine Pedauque Winery



Lyon was our destination for the night and the tour party drifted into quiet slumber with the assistance of wines from Reine Pedauque. Driving on the freeways in France is in contrast to travelling on Melbourne's freeways. All trucks stay to the right of the road and will pull over when they are in your way.

Lyon is the 2nd largest city in France - a beautiful city that is the junction of the Saene and Rhone rivers. We ascended the heights of Lyon late afternoon to visit the Basilique Notre Dame de Fourviere - a mock byzantine creation, featuring turrets and crenellations of marble and mosiac. We visited a local restaurant for tea. We were all very merry by nights end as the wine flowed freely.

Tromphe L'oeil in Lyon