End of School Year - Anna's "Classes" at AVF

We’ve mentioned from time to time that Anna has classes, but we’ve never really talked about what the classes are all about.  So for those of you who might be curious…

Anna has been (and, alas, remains) somewhat frustrated with her ability (or lack thereof) to understand French when it is spoken by French people.  She’s pretty good at reading French and fair at writing it (with dictionary in hand), but she finds it a bit difficult to “hear” words that she knows when they are delivered rapid-fire by native speakers.  What to do?  Well, AVF came to the rescue with a “French Conversation for Debutants” gathering at the AVF building each Wednesday morning from 10AM to noon.

AVF Office in Vieux Lyon

Place de la Baleine - AVF office is on the right past the red awning.

As we have noted before, people from all over the world come to AVF, and this “class” includes quite a representative sampling of nationalities.  The sessions have been led by a team of very patient native French women, Marie-Claude, Michelle, and Monique.  There has been no set curriculum and no text - the group discusses whatever topic comes up in conversation with the leader correcting grammar, giving alternative ways to say things, and taking opportunities presented to explain types 1, 2, and 3 verbs, verb tenses, proper endings for adjectives, etc. etc.  Although we are from all over the world and few of us speak the same language (other than “debutant French”), we have found we have much in common, and it has become as much a women’s weekly social gathering as it is a class.   (Men are not barred from joining, but most have day jobs, and so the classes have evolved into women’s gatherings.) 

Our last get-together was Wednesday, June 29^th, and most of us will be leaving the Lyon area this summer.  We’ve already discussed how strange it will be to leave and probably never again see people who have become our friends.  But then there’s always email!

We’re Nothing if Not Flexible...

Last Wednesday June 15^th, the weather was supposed to be poor, so we had planned to go to a museum after Anna’s Conversational French class finished at noon.  Typically, David walks the mile or so across two rivers, to the AVF office where the classes are held, and we either walk back to the apartment for a light lunch, or head for a planned activity.  Wednesday we planned to visit the Museum of the Résistance and Deportation, with lunch at a tiny café across the street.  This café was one of the first places we had lunch in Lyon, described in one of our August blogs. 

Instead of the promised rain, the weather turned out lovely - too nice to spend in a museum.

Looking South on The Rhone From La Fayette Bridge

North Towards Croix Rousse From La Fayette Bridge

As you can see - much too nice for a museum!

As we had been eyeing a sidewalk café called Les Berges above the Rhone River that is only open during the nice-weather months [about 7-months a year], we decided on a change of plans.  Unlike most French restaurants and cafes, this one had no menu or sandwich board posted on the sidewalk, so we had no idea what type of food was on offer.  [Some Lyonnais specialties such as tripe have not appealed to us.]  To our mild surprise, the menu was largely Italian – pizza and pasta.

Les Berges from La Fayette Bridge

Les Berges From The Street Side

Close-up View.  All Tables are Outside

David had a very nice, thin-crust pizza; Anna pasta with bolognaise meat sauce, all enjoyed with a bit of wine, and a gorgeous table outside, under the trees, overlooking the Rhone.  We watched fellow diners, people walking by, the river, etc., etc. Life is tough

End-of-the-School-Year

Another of our experiences here is returning to school, Anna more than David.  Anna goes to Conversational French classes for two hours on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.  Both of us have been attending Découverte France classes for two hours every other Tuesday morning.  This class has provided us with an introduction to everything from French geography, Régions and Départements, to population distribution.  The class was taught by Andrée-Anne who insisted that each person research and present a report on one of France’s Régions, and that ALL speech during the class be in French. [Anna and I were allowed to jointly research and present a report.]  Attendance at the class varied depending peoples’ schedules; the class consisted of 12 women of varying ages and nationalities, and 2 men – David and a Frenchman from Corsica.  [GREAT ratio!]

For our final class June 21, Andrée-Anne hosted everyone at her lovely apartment in the 6^th Arrondisement for a pot-luck lunch.  Many French apartments are amazing – not large, but as in Andre-Anne’s case, including spectacular hidden amenities.  Her apartment on what we would call the 2^nd floor, included a full back yard of about 1000 square feet, complete with lawn, trees, flowers, and shrubs. 

Distance Shot of Most of the Class Showing Yard

The class took up a collection and we got a thank-you card and lovely potted fuchsia for our teacher, who at the beginning of the class had seemed a bit intimidating but who soon ‘loosened-up’ so that the class developed into an enjoyable experience for not just learning the subject, but also for meeting new friends and practicing our French language skills.  We all took our responsibilities seriously and everyone presented thorough and informative reports on the numerous Régions of France.  Many presentations included samples of the local wines and cheeses - the French know how to do education!  We presented on Franche-Comté, the area where David’s ancestors came from.

Most of the Class at Table Enjoying a Variety of Comestibles From Many Nations.

Another Shot of the Happy Group with Andree-Anne in the Foreground

The lunch was a great success – beautiful weather, Andrée-Anne pronounced herself a great lover of fuchsias, all but one person appeared for the lunch, the food was great, the wine flowed, the conversation [en Français, bien sûr] was lively, and a great time was had by all.  In addition, we had a selection of French popular music CDs playing – everyone from Charles Trenet to Edith Piaf, to Patricia Kaas.  We even had a sing-along to a couple of them.  [OK, I DID say the wine flowed!]

Dinner at l’Est, a Paul Bocuse Restaurant

We have found we rarely eat dinner in restaurants; we have lunches instead.  There are several reasons for this, but the two biggest are that we generally prefer not to eat dinner as late as the French, and we would rather not go to bed feeling stuffed.  So the two of us going out to dinner is a big thing, and we decided to splurge for dinner at one of Paul Bocuse’s restaurants.

Paul Bocuse was born in Collonges-au-Mont-d’Or, a small village just north of Lyon on the Saône river, and is considered to be Lyonnaise.  He got his first star in the Michelin Guide in 1958, his second in 1960, and his third in 1965.  In 1975 he was decorated with the Legion of Honor by Valéry Gistard d’Estaing, president of the Republic of France.  The guy definitely has some creds.  He also has five restaurants in Lyon; four of which are named for the compass points designating their locations: le Nord, le Sud, l’Est, and l’Oest.  We ate at l'Est.

Gare des Brotteaux as it looks today.

Another shot of the Gare des Brotteaux - this one showing l'Est with the umbrellas on the left.

L’Est is located in the lovely, old Gare de Brotteaux , a former rail way station.  We’ve walked by it many times, stopped and read the posted menus, and agreed that it would be nice to eat there sometime.  So when we were thinking about where we should have dinner after the AVF cruise on the Saône, we thought we’d try L’Est.  But, it was early (only a little after 7PM) and we had no reservations – so what were our chances of getting a table?  As it turned out, they open at 7:15 for dinner, and had an open table for us. 

And, here's l'Est!

Showing interior and exterior seating - we ate inside.

We celebrated with flutes of champagne and started perusing the menus.  We decided to each have a plat (main dish) and dessert – with a nice Givry from Bourgoyne (a Michel Sarrazin et Fils - this family of vigneons has been producing wine since 1671).  David had “Filet de Bœuf avec Sauce au Poivre,” and Anna had “Poulet Rôti à la Broche. ”  Both were excellent, in fact, David’s steak was probably the best cut of beef we’ve had since we arrived in France.  Our desserts were great, too.  David had fresh strawberries and raspberries with whipped cream, and Anna had clafoutis des cerises (a sort of cross between a tart and a cake or flan made with cherries).  All of this was followed by cups of French coffee.  By the time we left, a little after nine, the restaurant was packed.

We ended our dinner experience with a 10 minute walk to our apartment on a pleasant summer night.  Life is really rough here, but we feel an obligation to do our part to support the French economy and encourage entrepreneurs like Paul Bocuse.

A Cruise on the River Saône

We know we’ve mentioned AVF, the organization we have joined that exists to welcome newcomers to Lyon and other cities in France.  But, we can’t emphasize enough how much we have enjoyed being a part of it and how much we recommend it to anyone coming to France for a year or more.  Our latest excursion with the AVF Lyon-Rhône chapter was an event for those of us who have joined in this past year; it was a cruise on the river Saône.

The weather turned out to be perfect for an afternoon cruise – a few scattered showers in the morning followed by a sunny, but pleasantly cool, afternoon.  So, around 4:30, 75-100 of us gathered at the boarding spot of  the Navig’inter on quai Rambaud.

We cruised by so many historic buildings and landmarks that it is hard to remember and list them all.  But, here are some of them:

·         The Quarantine Quay - site of a 15^th century hospital where beggars and plague victims were quarantined outside of the city
·         The Church of Saint-George-built in 19^th century with a spire that was the tallest tower in the area at 67 m, or ~220 ft, in 1847
·         The Grand Synagogue of Lyon-an official historic monument dating back to 1864
·         The Cathedral Saint-Jean-1180-1480 – the marriage of Henry IV (as in “Paris is worth a mass”) and Marie de Medici was blessed here with great ceremony in 1600
·         The Lyon Academy of Music- the building once housed the world’s first veterinary school (1795) and had originally been a convent
·         The 16th century Fort Saint-Jean – built as a checkpoint to protect the city from invasion and smugglers; now houses the National School of Public Finances
·         The architect Tony Garnier’s houses - 3 single-story, gray houses constructed with reinforced concrete (the guide said one was for him, one for his wife, and one for his mistress, but we are never sure how much of this stuff to believe).  (For a look at some of his less "contoversial" work see posting Nov 5^th .)
·         The Île Barbe – Favored by Charlemagne (he built a library here) and once site of a powerful abbey (see our posting May 3^rd).

Here are some of the photos we took during the cruise:

There are lots of barges on the river - some are used for pleasure cruises and some are working.

Cathedral St Jean from the river.  (That's Fourvière hill and the basilica in the background.)

Some of the many apartment houses along the river.  (There are businesses on the ground floor.)

People soaking up some sun on the quay.  Apartments of various styles on the shore.

Going under one bridge with the next one coming soon.

A lovely home with a great view.

Fort St Jean - impressive, isn't it?

As a bonus, were fortunate to arrive at just the right time to watch crews from several  local rowing clubs compete.  Two shells took an early lead and were obviously strong rivals. (We have heard Lyon has produced some world-class rowers.)

The race is on!

Anna and our boat after the cruise.  (It was a bit breezy on the river-hence the light jacket.)

We returned to the dock around 6:00.  The event was not only a pleasant cruise along the river, but it enabled us to learn more about Lyon and get a different visual perspective on landmarks we are used to seeing on land.  A lovely Saturday afternoon!

A Quiet Oasis Inside This Bustling City

Some of you may remember our blog posting on September 14th about spending the day in the Croix Rousse area of Lyon.  We mentioned joining in a parade celebrating the "Republique des Canuts" (silk workers).  The parade ended in a park with festivities including speeches, food, etc.  We didn’t go into the park, but agreed that it looked interesting and that we should go back some time to check it out.  Well, we finally did it!

The park, Le Parc de la Cerisaie (cherry orchard), is actually the former estate of the Gillet family.  The Gillets built a vast industrial empire that eventually merged with Rhône-Poulenc, a large chemical and pharmaceutical company.  (Renaud Gillet was president of Rhône-Poulenc for a while.)  The park includes the villa the Gillets had built in 1911.  The family actually lived there until 1976 when they gave the villa, outbuildings, and grounds to the city of Lyon. 

Lyon has made a few changes.  The city began hosting symposiums of sculptures in 1980, and there are sculptures throughout the grounds.  The villa was renovated in 1986 and now houses several art, music and literary organizations.

Picture we took of the front of the villa and part of the grounds.  (Yes, that's a modern high-rise in the background.)

Showing detail of decoration on villa.

The villa remains impressive, and the setting is lovely and amazingly tranquil.  When we were there there were people strolling along the various paths, enjoying reading a book while sitting on park benches, and just enjoying the ambiance of the park.  One couple had actually brought their own lawn chairs and were peacefully reading a newspaper.  The grounds are so vast that one can easily find a spot away from all the other visitors.  What a lovely oasis in this big city!

Here are some of the pictures we took; they should give you an idea of the lovely park we are describing.

One of the expansive lawns with sculptures.  Hard to believe that downtown Lyon is just on the other side of those trees!

David standing at the gate to the grounds.

Here David is standing by some of the outbuildings (lodging for some of the staff and storage).  The  rear of the buildings is now right on the street as you can see.

A pleasant, quiet place to sit and read a book as the lady on the bench is.

Coming from Kirkland, a town known for its many parks, it has been a pleasure to enjoy the lovely parks in our second city, Lyon.

Pérouges - A beautiful village makes a come-back

Several of our friends told us we really had to visit Pérouges, a lovely medieval  village that was rescued from destruction in 1911 by the Vieux Pérouges committee and Eduard Herriot, then President of the Republic of France and long-time mayor of Lyon.  Archaeologists, artists and other notables have taken part in the restoration, which continues today.   

The city wall is hidden by all the vegetation.

Pérouges is a popular site for movie makers.  (If you’ve seen “The Three Musketeers", you’ve seen Pérouges.)  There’s a good chance you’ve seen bits of it in TV programs, too, since it has become a favorite site for producers as well. 



Standing high on the hill, this village is proud to boast that no lord has ever reigned over it although it was fought over several times.  (More on that later.)   It finally became a part of France through the treaty of Lyon in 1601.

The village was probably founded by a group of people from Perugia in Italy.  (Hence the name.)  In its heyday, in the 13^th century, it was a center of farming and linen weaving with a population of about 1,500.  Mechanization dealt a major blow in the 19^th century, and the population dwindled to about 90.  At the beginning of the 20^th century only about 8 people remained.

Today Pérouges  is once again a perfect example of a Middle Ages town, complete with surrounding wall, narrow, cobblestone streets, two large, impressive gates, and a fortress.  The population today is around 856 with about 85 living within the walls.

Interior gate with fortress tower and village flag.

We had lunch at this restaurant on the square.

Street leading from the square.

What's left of the main gate.

One of those gates, la Porte d’en Bas (lower gate), has a great story!  The village was under siege in 1468, and it became apparent that these wooden gates were not going to hold.  So the villagers built a rock wall behind the gates, and when the attackers did break through the gates they were confronted with a rather substantial rock wall.  The attackers were so angry that they ripped the gates off their hinges and took them away as booty.  The people of Pérouges installed a sign over the gate saying:

Perogia Perogiarum. Urbs imprenabilis.
Coquinati Delphinati Voluront prehendere illam
Ast non potuerunt
Attamen importaverunt portas, gonos, cum serris et degringolaverunt cum illis.
Diabolus importat illos!

Roughly translated as:

Pérouges of the Perougians, impregnable town.
The Dauphiné scoundrels tried to take her
But could not do so.
However, they took the doors, the hinges and the locks and fell with them.
Let the Devil take them!              

Here's the gate.  The sign is on top of the gate.

But, enough background, here are some more pictures to give you an idea of why Herriot and others felt it was worth saving, and why it is one of The Most Beautiful Villages of France.

That's part of the church in the background.

David and the village flag (with a dragon) at the top of a tower.  The view of the countryside was lovely!

View of the main gate from inside the wall.

Gardens and ruins of the maison des princes (of Savoy).  Now housing a museum.

Village square.

Shop fronts with apartments above.  The place with the reddish sign is where the Grenier a Sel was located. (Sale of salt was a state monopoly and heavily taxed.  One of the many factors leading to the revolution.)

Our friends were right - It was definitely worth the short drive from Lyon!

Daytrip to Trévoux

We have noticed our attitudes toward historic sites has morphed during our stay in France.  We are now finding ourselves saying things like “Just 18^th century?  I’d rather go see something old.”   The good news is that there are beaucoup de nice, old villages nearby that are perfect destinations for day trips.  With that in mind we’ve driven to several of these villages and will be glad to share our discoveries.  (This is a cue for those of you who are ODing on old villages to tune out.)

We paged through our copy of Michelin's "The 100 Most Beautiful Detours in France" and decided to check out Trévoux, one of the places close to Lyon.  And so, Saturday, May 21^st, we got into our rental car and drove to Trévoux.  Trévoux is a lovely little town in Beaujolais just 30 km (~18 ½ miles) north of  Lyon.  We had a very pleasant drive through the countryside to this spot in the Saône Valley.  Trévoux is located right on banks of Saône and definitely was living up to its title of one of the “Most Beautiful Places for a Short Stay in France” (per the Ministry of Culture).  The city has done a great job of taking advantage of its picturesque location and has river-side parks and bicycle/pedestrian paths.  There is also a river boat that cruises up and down the river and docks at Trévoux.

Here's a picture we took from a view point above the village.

Beacuse of its location on the river, it has been recognized as a strategic spot as far back as Charlemagne's time, and thus, the obvious site for a château-fort.  This fort dates back to the 14^th century and boasts an unusual, octagonal, dual-colored tower.  The tower is still there, but most of the rest of the fort is in ruins.  We wandered around and explored and were impressed with what is left, including this arched gateway that David is standing in and the octogonal, dual-colored tower.

David is standing just inside a gate to the fort.

The fort tower is impressive both from a defensive and decorative standpoint.

An interesting surprise!  We found out that Trévoux is the home of the “argue”, a device developed in the 18^th century to draw precious metals into wires used in embroidery and jewelry.  This device  actually stretches the metal which is then fed through dies and becomes wire.  It’s a fascinating process – the metal must proceed at exactly the right, constant speed to make this work.  Must have been quite the challenge when they had to rely on men pushing a turnstile!  Something to think about next time you admire embroidery with gold or silver in it or a delicate piece of jewelry.

This demonstration shows how the process used to work.  The folks on the left are turning the turnstile which feeds the metal to the man on the right who draws the metal through the die to make wire.

Here are some of the dies used in the past.  As you can see some of the holes are quite small.

Amazing what we are finding in our “backyard”!