Anna's Walks Around Lyon

 As we’re sure Anna’s mentioned before, Lyon is a very lovely and very walkable city.  She’s collected pix of some of the things she sees on her walks to share with you along with her musings.  

First of all, Lyon is a city of interesting and varied architecture.  Here are some of the residential buildings she has walked by:

Just take a look at all the great tile-work on this house!  We have no idea how old this house is, but it is obviously older than the buildings around it.  And, it is just really charming.  Wouldn't you like to get a closer look at that lovely front door with its leaded glass design?  Even the third floor (second floor in France) with its slate tile roof and smaller windows is quite attractive.  Do you suppose that floor was once servants' quarters?

The two buildings below are both apartment buildings and probably always have been.  But, they both have interesting features, lines, and colors that make them stand out as different from the usual, more "boxey" apartment buildings.  Makes one wonder what they are like inside!

Some of these older buildings also have beautiful doors that are kept polished and painted.  Here's a favorite:

Some of the newer buildings are also very attractive - this one for instance:

Continuing on her usual walking route, Anna typically takes a bit of a detour through Le Parc de la Tête d'Or.  This park was created in 1857, covers around 290 acres, and has no admission fee.

One of the gates to the park. 
If you look closely, you'll be able to see people
inside the gates.  That's how huge these gates are.

The Botanical Garden of Lyon is located in the Park and has some amazing exhibits.  It also has some interesting history.  During WWII the Resistants hid guns and ammunition in these green houses, and Jean Moulin once spent some time hiding here. 

Botanical Garden of Lyon green houses

The Park also includes a lake with boats available for rental, a zoo, a velodrome, a boules court, mini golf, a little train that travels around the park, a huge children's playground, a merry-go-round, lots of lovely lawns for picnic, play, or just lounging, and many, many paths that are perfect for strolling, running, and biking.  There is also an island in the lake that is a memorial to soldiers killed in combat.  Here are some pix to give you a glimpse of this great park:

The amazing rose gardens

With all the apartment buildings around you can see why this park is very, very popular - especially with families with young children.  And, we feel certain you will also understand why it's one of Anna's favorite destinations.