Au Revoir, Lyon…
We have really enjoyed our time here in Lyon, and it’s a city we definitely want to visit again. It’s smaller and more relaxed than Paris, but there’s certainly no shortage of interesting things to see and do. And the food was everything it’s cracked up to be. 😋
The internet connection has been a bit comme ci comme ça, and I haven’t been able to upload all of my photos yet. So I’ll post some now, some later.
Morning Farmers’ Market
Mornings start off cool, but by early afternoon it’s warm enough to lose the jacket.
I’ve been wearing those Cole Haan sneakers almost daily, and they’re awesome! So far, I’ve seen lots of sneakers…mostly classic and sleek styles. What I haven’t seen are the big, clunky “Dad-style” trainers. I’ve also noticed several women of all ages wearing sneakers that close with velcro, similar in look to these.
In addition to classic styles, I’ve also spotted some printed, embellished and glitter finishes:
Cole Haan | Adidas | New Balance | Converse | Gentle Souls
I keep forgetting to mention that I never travel without 2 or 3 of the Eileen Fisher silk jersey camisoles and tanks. I wear one of these almost every day (at home too) and aside from being perfect underneath a sheer top or one with a deep V-neck, I think they also help keep my tops cleaner longer. They can be hand washed in the sink when traveling, and they hang dry overnight. (The tunic length can also work as a nightgown during warmer seasons.)
tank (Misses/Petites/Plus) | camisole (Misses/Petites/Plus)
Frances and Paul had recommended a visit to the Marché Saint-Antoine, so we made a point to visit. Had we been staying in an apartment, it would have been a great place to shop!
The produce looked gorgeous! The market is held daily, in case you’re planning to visit.
Lyon And Silk
For many centuries Lyon was a center of silk production in Europe. At the top of my list to see here was the Musée des Tissus (Textile Museum) which was fabulous! Unfortunately they do not allow any photography of the exhibits, so do check out their website linked above if you’re interested. (And we’ve heard that the museum is having funding challenges and may close next year or curtail hours. So if you’ve had this on your list to visit, perhaps sooner than later would be prudent.)
After seeing some of those stunning fabrics, I was in the mood to check out the silk shops. We’d walked past Brochier Soieries a couple of times, and had read that they were one of the last two producers of silk products in the Lyon area (the other being Hermès). Their small shop is packed with silk scarves of different sizes, weights and designs. This company supplies silk scarves to museum gift shops all over the world. We’re not talking Hermès quality here, but they are quite nice.
The company has been run by the same family for four generations, and they are very proud of what they do and the silk legacy of Lyon. One of the lovely mesdames was eager to show us some of their processes, and they have a small atelier and educational display set up in the back room.
Above, the atelier where the silk velvet burnout scarves are hand-painted.
Above, she demonstrates how the velvet burnout scarves are painted by hand. Each one is unique.
And she even let me feed the silkworms they have on display. Yes, I did leave with a couple of scarves! 😉
I’m excited to be heading to Paris, but hope to get back to Lyon again soon. If you have a chance, it’s well worth a visit! I’ll share more that we saw and did in a future post.
Next stop…Paris!!
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I was in Lyon last week also . I was in Lyon some 40 years ago and noticed how it had grown . We dined at Paul Bocuse again ,this time in his function room at the Abbaye, returned to the medieval city and admired the 3D paintings of all the famous Lyonese on the buildings.And yes at 82 wore my lovely silver sneakers. Too short a time alas
Lynne
Are the sneakers comfortable?
I also love to buy scarves when I travel. They are the perfect souvenir because they fit so easily into a suitcase. On my recent cruise, I recognized a scarf from a Mexican designer worn by another passenger. Sure enough, the woman was from Mexico. What a lovely way to make a connection, and I had brought my similar scarf with me! In Amsterdam I bought a lovely silk scarf at the Van Gogh museum. Maybe the silk is from Lyon! Isn’t it great to travel, learn so much, and make world-wide connections?
You really are getting your money’s worth out of your sneakers! Everything is so lovely and I am enjoying your adventure!
Eagerly look forward each day to your travel posts. France is on our list for next year. Thank you for sharing your travels.
I love your Lyon posts! Especially the views inside the silk atelier. I’m heading to France and Italy in two weeks – your blog is so helpful for planning my wardrobe, even though it may be warmer by then. Thank you for your posts.
Glad to hear you are loving your Cole Haan’s and nice tip on the cami’s. I will check those out.
Lovely posts, Susan. I look forward to your observations. Next stop–Paris! I will be going there in July.
Thank you for sharing your travels.
Lyon has just moved way up my list of places to visit.
You said once that you didn’t like open cardigans for travel, but it seems that the tie on this one makes all the difference. It looks great. Sneakers are everywhere over there as long as they are sleek. Makes it a bit harder to pick out the Americans. You could pass for a local in that outfit if you tossed on one of those new silk scarves.
I like an ultralight tee instead of a cami — your outer layer stays even cleaner. (And the Uniqlo Airism version is dirt cheap, although admittedly not elegant.)
Beautiful scarves, glad you bought a few. Thinking of you.
Greetje
Lyon is now also on my get-off-the-train-and-stay-awhile list! It looks lovely.
As always, I thank you for helping me be such a satisfied armchair traveler — happy to travel, happy to read about others’ travels.
And now I’m looking forward to Paris. 🙂
Love your post. My granddaughters, daughter and I are going to be in Paris 15 days. We are so excited and I have enjoyed your posts regarding packing for Paris. I have our Euros, pass for transportation and excursions booked to Disneyland, Lunch in the Eiffel Tower, Louvre, and Versailles. Busy week, I can’t wait to see your post on Paris.
Joyously,
Betty
Loved Lyon which was a few day stop on our month long drive from Paris to the south of France. Gotta say as cool as the big cities are, there is nothing like the South of France absolutely beautiful….Eze and St. Paul de Vence. Loved them….. Have a great trip.
Lyon is now going on our travel list but gosh, how expensive is the market produce!
Maybe we’ll cross paths in Paris – I’ll be out for a day of shopping before heading out to the country. Great photos of Lyon, thank you!
I’m always impressed with your photographs. Am I correct in assuming they are taken with a smart phone? If so, would you be willing to share what brand and model? Thank you.
Hi Caroline, thank you! I use an iPhone 6 Plus. I’ve mostly been very happy with the photo quality. (Low light situations can be a bit tricky.)
I enjoy your posts
We spent two nights in Lyon a couple of years ago and I loved the city, but we happened to be traveling in August and so many shops and other things were closed. Must go back sometime!
When I was in Paris literally everybody, both young & old, were wearing the sueded version of either adidas or New balance. Mostly in pastel colors or light beige or grey. They wore them with everything from shorts, capris, dresses, black tights. I was wishing I had a pair!!
As you probably know, the impressive building across the bridge is the historic Palais de Justice de Lyon: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palais_de_justice_historique_de_Lyon I was there in 1987 soon after the Klaus Barbie trial. And of course one can see Fourvière in the background.
One can also combine Lyon with Grenoble and the French alps, or with Turin and the Piemont wine region.
Angela, that market is lovely but now a bit touristic. There are other markets in Lyon that aren’t nearly as pricy. But overpriced fresh tomatoes shouldn’t make a huge dint in a travel budget, as you aren’t buying a lot of them.