Day One Quad Tour de France

Everyone knows that the big event happening in France this month is the Tour de France. Not quite as well known, is the fact that we have donned our backpacks, purchased another Eurail train pass and have commenced our very own three week Quad Tour de France.

Annabel Simms wrote her book An Hour from Paris for a particular type of traveller:

… not simply someone who does not have a car (but) someone who was essentially curious about everything… someone who was interested in the present as well as the past, who loved the countryside and enjoyed walking, but also liked stopping at cafes and appreciated the humbler type of restaurants where they would probably be the only foreigner. Above all, it was someone who avoided crowds and packaged experiences wherever possible and was happiest when exploring off the beaten track.

We aspire to be just that sort of traveller.

We arrived at Hotelo, Lyon 36 hours after leaving our house in Eastwood thanks to a car ride to the airport, a Qantas flight to Japan, a five hour transit, an Air France A380 to Paris and finally a TGV fast train to Lyon.

Lyon is a city with many things to admire. The extraordinary and huge 19^th century Basilique Notre Dame de Fourviere, that overlooks the city. Two glorious rivers, the Rhone and the Saone, that snake through the city. A huge UNESCO listed old town. Plus the largest urban park in France, the beautiful Parc de la Tete d’Or and of course food!.

In spite of walking close to 20 kms and probably travelling three times that distance in buses, trams and trolley buses the highlight of our first day was probably lunch at Le Restaurant de Fourviere. With a glorious view over the city our lunch today was a set menu, a €16 euro delight. Entrée was a salmon salad with the lightest dressing. Main was chicken in a tomato and cream sauce with a hint of vinegar, glorious fresh local veggies and home made egg pasta with grilled tomato on the side. Dessert was a crème brulee for Wendy and an unusual white cheese served with fresh cream for Richard. The cheese was quite tart and we missed the cue from the waiter to douse the cheese in the sugar, which he served at the same time as our dessert. Somehow we also fitted in four small, but wonderful, fresh bread rolls.

Not surprisingly we did not need much dinner.