Vendredi 17 décembre 2010 :
today is the day Fabienne has arranged for us to meet the girls at 12.40pm outside the Lyon Opera House, not to attend an opera performance, but to have a guided tour of the building.
A view of my room #104 at Residence Park Lane, 43 Rue du Sergent Michel Berthet,
69009 Lyon-Vaise ....
This is the view outside my window - it had started snowing and soon everything was lightly blanketed with snow.
I was hoping to use the bicycle again to ride along the Saone River to Vieux Lyon, so I walked up to the bike station near the Gorge de Loup metro - this is the view down the street back to our hotel. I keyed in all the numbers on my ticket and selected the bike number #26 but could not get the bike out of the lock, so I gave up and decided to catch the train instead. It was probably just as well because the footpaths were very slippery.
Below is the
Gorge de Loup platform, direction Gare de Vennisieux, which takes us to Vieux Lyon and Place Bellcour. The trains on this line are driverless, they are also incredibly clean and punctuall - the
prochain or next rain is never more than 2 minutes away, the
sulvant train to follow is only another minute or so later! It puts Melbourne's train network to shame!
The trains don't wait long, so you can't afford to hesitate! The doors beep then close whether you're in the way or not! I ahd my backpack caught in the door one day but I managed to pull it out. When it's very busy, it's not unusual to get pushed very hard by the people behind you to get on, creating a squash on the train like a tin of sardines!
A arrived at Vieux Lyon and went up to catch the St-Just funicular to the Roman Ruins.
This is the view out the front window of the funicular.
I hopped off the train as it wasn;'t leaving for another 5 minutes, shock horror!
I thought I would give the bike one more go as I had until 11.15am , another hour, before my ticket expired, but again I could not get one out of the lock - it seems like you need two people, or there's a certain knack to it!
As I walked through
Place St-Jean at front of
Catherdrale St-Jean, it started to snow again - what a delight!! it was a different type of snow - small, round snowflakes that resembled bean bag filling!!
I stood underneath a shop canopy to get some photos......
.... and the snow made a soft plonking sound on the metal chairs!
I noticed the doorway into a traboule we did not visit on the excursion with the girls - the residence of a printer Guillaume Leroy in the 15th century
I walked along the passageway ...
Once in the courtyard, I looked up to see this view.....
Back out again and I walked further along Rue St-Jean. I love the statues on the corners of the Renaissance buildings. I was back at the boulangerie where I hoped to sample the local biscuit delicacy -
The delicious
allumatte aux pralines, 2,60 euro per piece, a Lyonnaise speciality - almonds and cherry praline I think... yum!.
another local delight - the croquant aux amandes, noisettes et praline = 2,20 e per piece
The doorway into the traboule we saw on our first excursion, and a small gift shop, with snow on the awning...
Then in throught the large doorway, throught the tunnel into the courtyard of the restored 15th century
la Maison du Chamarier, Canon-count Francois d'Estaing, one of 8 major dignitaries in the Cathedrale St-Jean chapter, supervised safety, justice and the road system and held the keys to 6 doors of the cathedral precinct. The home and courtyard are decorated in the flamboyant Gothic and Renaissance styles
A sprinkle of snow on top of the well dome.
The view back to Rue St-Jean, through the passageway.
At 12.30pm, we arrived at the l’Opéra ( Lyon Opera House) to meet the girls for our excursionBelow is the view looking out across the gorgeous rouge glass venetian-type lanterns and painted celing of the arcaded portico to the town hall, Hotel de Ville, across the road.
The soaring ceiling of the entrance foyer and the striking black and gold decor .....
Our guide Julian tells us about the "big room" - the main theatre - it is very black and dark, with a touch of red - the padded red entrance rooms at each level, to signify to the audience as they walk in that they have crossed the threshold from the outside and are now part of the performance
The choir practice auditorium.
The opulent decorations in the grand room, the only room remaining from the original Opera House, a tribute to the world's famous musicians.
The view out to
Hotel de Ville.
The rehearsal room at the top - you can see it is underneath the domed glass roof.
Time to say au revoir to Julian!
We then walked up to Croix Rousse to visit the Silk weaving workshop. It started to snow - big soft feathery snowflakes, so we were quickly getting covered!
Up the stairs we go....
The view across to Fourvier Basilica on the right hand side - not a clear image because of the low snow clouds.
We arrived at
la Maison des Canuts, at the workshop, we saw the old weaving loom......
The girls listened attentively ...
The coloured silk threads and wooden bobbins used to weave the floral design on this superb and very expensive fabric 1000 euro per sq m - Jacard, named after the founder ...... Jaquard, the fabric is now only used for furnishings in palaces and chateaus
We had a quick walk to the painted wall which celbrates the Canut Silk weaving industry at Croix Rousse....
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