Tuesday 8 May 2012

a weekend in lyon part 2: the smell of lilacs

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If the Saturday I spent in Lyon was a day for tourism, Sunday was a day for food, friends and flowers. Alexa took me up to a charming Sunday market in a part of the city I immediately forgot the name of. In any case, it had stunning views over all of Lyon, with its bridges and cathedrals. We met up with a friend who took us to an idyllic café which had been his "local" in high school (cue Alexa and I sighing over the impossibility of this ever having been our local in Canada). He bought us incredible pains au chocolat from a local bakery, and we had a convoluted conversation--since there was no language that all three of us spoke, he and Alexa spoke French, he and I Spanish, and Alexa and I English, obviously. During the French bits, I embarrassed everyone by taking pictures of nearby tables. The lady in the oyster shot was giving me the skink eye, but I felt it was my duty as a travel blogger to record people having oysters (and drinking wine) for breakfast.

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Alexa bought the most beautiful bunch of fresh lilacs, which smelt like heaven and were dragged around all day (and looked pretty much the worse for wear at the end of it). The rest of time in Lyon consisted of:

1. looking at some of the city's many impressive murals... the one above was absolutely enormous and referenced Lyon's silk-weaver past.

2. buying cheese, olives, pastries and fruit at the maket

3. lookng for second-hand books that I might be able to understand at a market along the quay. I bought a copy of The Witches, which was probably a bit optimistic... should've stuck to Tin Tin.

4. Eating the spoils of the market sat on the quay, watching the world go by, and feeling smug that our picnic looked better than everyone else's!

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15 comments:

Hannah said...

looks amazing!! that mural is gorgeous and I can practically smell the lilacs from here :)

caitlin said...

gah, perfect day. those lilacs are incredibly lovely. and i've been craving croissants in a cafe lately...

Emily, Ruby Slipper Journeys said...

The lilacs were absolutely amazing... I'm having withdrawal from the smell of them. Definitely my favourite spring flower!

sweet harvest moon said...

My weekend was also lilac themed,stealing from the neigbors and making flower arrangements :p

Lovely pictures!

Shybiker said...

Alright, I'll admit it -- I come here for the pretty pictures. Your photographs are so beautiful; they make me feel like I'm reading a fancy travel magazine. The quality of the photography is amazing.

Despina T. said...

beautiful photos.it seems that you had a great time.lovely flowers :)

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Closet Fashionista said...

Yayyy, so fun!! Those murals are so cool!! I want to go to fun, exotic places! :D
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Anonymous said...

Lyon seems to have a thing for the trompe d-oeil art. I've had conversations as challenging as the one you describe. In our travels, DH has told me that alcohol proves to be the universal language.

Emily, Ruby Slipper Journeys said...

@Shybiker: aw, thanks! I don't feel like my photos are particularly great, but I just take hundreds of them... plus the subject matter pretty much rules here.

@Terri: That's true to a degree, but even alcohol hasn't taught me French yet!

C.G. Koens said...

Oh my gosh - those flowers are amazing, but I'm totally in love with those murals! The book one had me at hello. :-)

Ashley said...

HAHAHA!!!! LOVIN the stink eye photo. But of course, it WAS your duty to take pictures of such an event :)

I loved the bit about the different languages you were all speaking...still a big fan of your writing, em.

Angelica said...

WOW! Perfect pictures!

Laura said...

Haha! I'd say it was totally worth enduring the stinkeye to get such a priceless photo :) I swear I could almost smell the lilacs while reading this post...

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Jean at www.drossintogold.com said...

The smells, the sounds, the sights...ahhhhhh......I'll bet even the lady with the "eye" really didn't mind so much, and if she did? Oh well!! Delicious.

Unknown said...

Oooh gorgeous pictures I want to be there x