Fourviere Basilica, Place des Terreaux, and Mouse friends

After a morning full of lugging laundry back and forth around Saint-Priest (it was thankfully a success), I spent the afternoon and early evening out and about in Lyon. I wanted to revisit a beautiful fountain I saw the last time I was here and see the Basilica on the hill for the first time.

I hopped on the tram and took a different metro route (see I'm getting fancier) to the Funiculaire (a funicular or cable car) to the Fourvière quarter of Lyon. This was a stroke of genius (or luck), because after touring the basilica (which I'll get to in a second), I walked down the stairs (the alternative to the funiculaire) and was grateful that I was not one of the other tourists huffing and puffing up the hundreds of stairs to the top. But, back to the basilica (or the Basilique Notre Dame de Fourvière). Once you get off the funiculaire, you run right into this humongous church. It has four beautiful towers, it's a bright white color as opposed to the older middle ages looking cathedrals, and it is just enormous. It was windy and cold, so I walked straight into an open door leading to what I now know was just the basement of the basilica. I was pretty impressed, it had high ceilings and a few mosaics on the walls, but it wasn't better than other churches I've seen.

Then I realized there were stairs leading up to the main part of the church. And all I can say is, my jaw dropped and I was in awe. This is the most colorful cathedral I've ever seen (pictures don't do it justice!). There are wall to wall to ceiling mosaics, beautiful stained glass windows, and the ceilings were 4 times higher than the ones in the basement. The church’s focus is on the Virgin Mary’s life (Notre Dame) because she is the Saint of Lyon. I also learned from my guide book that the nickname for this basilica is the "upside-down elephant" because of its four towers and the size of the building. It's not the oldest church in Lyon (built in the late 19^th century), but it is really something. I will be coming back, and it will most

certainly be on the list of things to show my visitors:) Also, from theoutside, it has stellar views of the city. Can you spot Place Bellecour?

After climbing down the stairs, following an adorable little boy and his

grand-mère the whole way, I made my way across a bridge to the center of Lyon (or Presqu’ile as they call it). There are actually 2 rivers that flow through Lyon, which is why there are so many bridges, and which explains the name of the central quarter called Presqu’ile (or almost island). Unlike Paris with one river flowing through the center and actual islands in the middle of the river, Lyon’s almost island is the part of town located between the 2 rivers. Neat, non?

I passed by a little open air book market, a restaurant Leslie and I ate at the last time we were here, and found my way to the Place des Terreaux, or the really cool fountain. Still love it.

On my way back to the metro, I decided I would stop somewhere to eat… and since I didn’t have much lunch, I’d treat myself to a real sit down dinner. By this point I was starving and decided I’d just pick the first place that had something I could afford and was open. Bad choice. I picked the “Hippopotamus” (unfortunately not translated into its much cooler French counterpart, Hippopotame), a chain that might be British because it serves “chips” and burgers and everything you can imagine on a kebab. I knew it was a chain and just went in anyway, hoping it wouldn’t be so bad. But, although my food wasn’t horrible (mozzarella and tomato kebab thingy and crème brulée for desert) it was much too over priced for what it was, and halfway through my meal, I was joined by a cute little sourcil (mouse). I told the manager about the mouse, but he didn’t seem concerned and said that it’s like this everywhere on the Presqu’ile because of the metro. That may be… but I’m still going to look it up online to see if this mouse problem is for real… and then I will be sure to choose a different quarter to eat at in Lyon. (I should also start cooking real food at my apartment).

Anyway, I’m back to my cozy apartment with crappy internet that cuts in and out. Hopefully you haven’t forgotten that the battle between me and France is going down tomorrow, so send me some good vibrations s’il vous plait. And in the evening I’m meeting another English assistant I met online for dinner in Lyon (she’s spent more time in the city, so hopefully she knows of a good, cheap, and mouse-free restaurant).

Miss you all! Reste cool:)