By jadoerge
Semester Break Vacation Part 9: Lyon
Ah, the country side of France. Looking out the window of our small regional train, the rolling hills and small towns of central France whizzed by as Morgan and I made our way from the Aix-en-Provence to the nearly geographic center of France, Lyon. Filled with a rich history of food and handmade goods, Lyon had a much different nature than the two cities in France we had visited already on this trip.
Our first adventure came on our first night there when, upon checking in with our host for the 3 days that we were there, we were tasked with finding something to eat in a mostly residential area of the city on a Sunday. As we strolled the poorly lit streets in search of anything that was open and cost less than 30 Euros per plate, we happened upon a small little restaurant with taco in the name. At 9pm at night, it’s hard to be picky in this location and neither of us had eaten a good taco in months, so we headed in. After deciding to order both of ours with chicken (the apparent specialty) and each choosing one of the twelve or thirteen sauce options, we were served what can only be described as a burrito on steroids. I mean seriously, this thing was a monster. It was approximately the size of 2 full Chipotle burritos and filled with approximately 3-4 finely chopped and seasoned chicken breasts, ¼ lb of French fries, and a few pieces of lettuce for good measure along with the sauce of choice. Although we both fought quite valiantly, our efforts were in vain and we both left around ¼ of the burrito on the plate. You win this time, France.
On our first full day in the city, we knew that we wanted to find a Bouchon to eat lunch, as we had already discovered that Lyon is often called the gastronomic capitol of the world and is perfect for people who love food as much as we do. Fortunately, after aimlessly wandering the streets for a few hours, we settled on a small bouchon in an alley across the river from the main downtown area with just enough sunshine to warm us as we ate. After a glass of the house red wine, we got started with a great salad for Morgan and some amazing French onion soup for me. Having peaked our appetites, neither of us could resist one of the specials of the day: lobster soufflé. To try to describe this dish would simply not do it justice. Between the lobster bisque sauce and the light and fluffy pasty, it was too good for words. But of course we left room for desert, a.k.a. chocolate mousse. Despite all of the decadence, however, we both escaped for just around 15 Euros each! Unheard of! That was one of the best parts about Lyon’s food scene; it is truly approachable from any budget.
During the rest of our time in Lyon, we explored some of it’s amazing cathedrals and we would both highly recommend trying to see the Basilica of Notre Dame de Fourviere and experiencing the breathtaking view of the city that it provides. Aside from the churches, the small artisan shops are a joy to walk through and simply hanging out along the banks of one of the two major rivers that flow through the city is a wonderful time if you bring along some brie and a baguette (about as French as it gets). After a few more amazing meals and house wines from the region, it was time to say goodbye to our little food paradise and head to the Pièce de résistance
in our little European tour: Paris, of course!