Lyon, Bastille Day

Cities are generally not my scene. They are big, crowded, expensive ... Need I say more! Lyon falls into those categories. It is in fact big, and you guessed it, crowded and more expensive, but somehow, it won me over with some serious charm offensive. To start, Lyon is considered the food capital of France. I therefore arrived with an open mind, excited, if for nothing else, to eat some really tasty meals.

After dropping off our bags at our hotel, Gabe and I did just that, finding some random cafe along the river. We both had salad lyonnaise, a tasty mélange of amazing French produce (superior to US organic by far), lardons, croutons, and a poached egg. With the addition of rose, our meal was perfect.

By 2pm, we were wandering the town, fighting our food comas so that we could see the Roman amphitheater and Basilaca de Notra Dame de Fourvier across the river. We then came back across the river and explored the pedestrian walkways. As happy hour began to arrive, Gabe and I sat down at some random cafe. Partly through our drinks, two random French kids our age introduced themselves to us, and a long conversation ensued. It's amazing how friendly people here are. Contrary to my instinct of this friendly person "must want to pickpocket us, or worse," it turns out that Europeans are just more open (fear not loyal readers, Gabe and I still remain vigilant). We had a really enjoyable conversation, lasting well over an hour at the cafe, before we split and Gabe and I went to Chez Mounier, a TA recommended restaraunt specializing in cheap Lyonnaise cuisine. Of particular note from our meal were the Quenelles, which are pike flavored dumplings in a creamy lobster sauce. 

After dinner, Gabe and I walked around town, partaking in the Bastille Day activities. Along the river there were multiple live concerts, complete with dance floors for the drunk and soon-to-be drunk to express themselves. The whole atmosphere was so convivial and fun ... Similar to the Fourth of July but without hamburgers. Gabe and I staked out our seat below the chapel early, and by the time the fireworks started at 10:30pm, we were in a sea of well over 100,000 people. After the show, we walked back the hotel, arriving just before midnight and hitting the hay before preparing to leave via TGV high speed train the following morning to Paris.

Quennelle's ... foodgasm