There comes a time when I either have to leave or move here. Let me report on my final days in Lyon.

I am excited to meet Christine and Jean-Michel who live in Lyon. They were the French parents to my friend Elaine when she studied in France and Elaine’s mom, my friend Nancy, kindly introduced us. We agree to meet for lunch at Grand Cafe des Négociants. Négociants means “traders” and created in 1864, this is such a historical restaurant in Lyon. It was once a place of negotiations for diamond dealers and silk traders. It is beautiful with luxurious tiles, many mirrors and a painted ceiling.

We have a delicious lunch and then walk through the oldest section of central Lyon.

Afterwards, my new friends suggest we go further south on the peninsula and see an ancient church called Église Catholique Saint Martin D’Ainay. The huge basilica was first a Benedictine priory founded in 859. It was consecrated as a church in 1107 and is one of the finest Romanesque churches still standing.

While we are inside walking around, a docent approachs Jean-Michel and asks in French if we want a tour. Christine tells him only if it could be done in English so I can join in. He says,”But of course. I am half American. My father was shot down in France during the war and married my French mother.”

He gives us a very nice tour sprinkled with a lot of details about his family and himself.

We decide to walk along the river after the tour and Lyon never looked prettier.

I really enjoy getting to know Christine and Jean-Michel and I have a feeling I will see them again.

The next day I decide this will be the day I will visit the other three bakeries that are in the running for best croissant of Lyon. It is raining when I start out at 8 am, but it is a nice rain so I walk through town and over the bridges of the two rivers.

I get to Boulangerie Saint-Paul. I get my croissant and take it to a table for the tasting.

Oh my gosh, this is so good! This will be hard to beat. The texture is perfect and the croissant is baked perfectly.

I walk through Vieux Lyon searching for Boulangerie du Palais. I find it and there is no one else inside, so I quickly get my croissant. A quick picture of my purchase and then I perform my taste test. Excellent, but it isn’t quite as crusty on the outside as Saint-Paul’s.

The last bakery is quite a distance away, so I decide to walk through the almost deserted Vieux Lyon and savor the atmosphere.

I see the Duclef bakery (which I had stopped at with Nick and Ivan last week) and think about adding another candidate to the contest so I go in. They tell me they do not make croissants. Since I am there, I spy a financier with a dusting of orange zest, so I take a break and have a café allonge and the financier.

I realize the last bakery might be reached more easily if I first went to the top of the hill on the funicular. Heading to the funicular, the weather is starting to get much better and the trees look so lovely.

Once I get off the funicular, it is blue skies and beautiful fall weather. I walk around that area and visit the “Eiffel tower of Lyon”.

I am winding my way toward Boulangerie Henri Gay which has won the most recent prize as the best croissant of Lyon. I try to stop at the Jardin of Curiosities, but I am stopped by a construction crew digging up the only street that goes there. I take picture from a nearby viewpoint.

Onward. I make it to Henri Gay and ask for the famous croissant. I am so excited to try it that I just photograph it in the store and take a bite right there. Sorry, but it was a disappointment. Very very soft and just not as much flavor. At the end of this post, I will announce the winner among the six bakeries.

The day has turned out beautifully and I decide to walk the long way back to the 6th arrondissement for lunch at Saint-Potin. This translates to Holy Gossip which is funny because it sits in the shadow of Saint Pothin church.

This place is happening. The manager Michael tells me that it is even busier at night when it turns into a tapas bar. I order the plat du jour.

Afterwards I go visit the namesake church. From the outside it resembles our Supreme Court.

Inside it is stunning. It is in the neoclassical style and looks like a Greek temple. It has a Latin cross form, and its facade has a Doric portico, topped by a triangular pediment. There are friezes and beautiful stained glass windows.

After three croissants, short ribs and polenta, I think it is prudent of me to walk the 45 minutes to the Museum of Contemporary Art. Off I go and I feel like I am in movie. The day is glorious and all along the route I see so many beautiful sites.

I am nearly at the museum when I see lots of security cameras and gates and I am wondering what is going on, when I look at the top of the nearest building.

Interpol! I am strolling by the world’s largest international police organization.

Interpol has every country in the world as a member. I knew the headquarters were in Lyon, but I didn’t expect to be walking by it. I love spy things. I wonder if they are hiring?

I’ll look into that hiring thing when I get home. Now I am finally at the museum.

When they say Contemporary Art, they really do not mean Modern Art. This is very far out with mostly installation art, videos, and some things that I really do not understand. Here are some of the things I see.

Stock market crash

I have walked a lot today. I notice there is a bus stop outside of Interpol (people who work at Interpol take the bus? Isn’t that a breach of security?) so I hop on and get off close to my apartment. What a fantastic day I’ve had. Just when I don’t think it can get any better, look what the bus lets me off in front of.

The only English mass in Lyon is in La Chapelle de L’Hotel-Dieu. I’ve been to 8 masses while in France, but none in English so I head there for an evening mass at 6 pm. It is a lovely chapel inside what was once a hospital established in 1440 by the Duke of Burgundy.

I get there about 5:45 pm. There is quite a crowd and musicians are practicing on the side of the altar. 6pm comes and goes and the mass has not started. I have never been to a mass that doesn’t start on time, but maybe in France this happens. I wait some more. At 6:15 pm one of the musicians announces that the priest is running late, but will be coming to do the mass. Ok this is unusual. The musicians asks the congregation to practice the hymns for the evening. We do that. Still no priest. I have a dinner reservation and I have come about 40 minutes from home for this mass. At 6:40 I give up. I really don’t know if the priest ever came.

Today I will try to go to 9 am mass at Saint Joseph where I went when I got to Lyon. I check the website to be sure there is a 9 am mass. There is. I walk the 6 blocks there. I find on the door a piece of paper saying the 9 am mass is cancelled.I’m starting to wonder. Third times the charm though. I pivot and go to Saint Pothin which I mentioned above. It is a gorgeous mass and a beautiful church.

To treat myself for my persistence, I get a kouign amann at my local bakery. It is a very good thing that I haven’t had this earlier in the trip. It is probably the best pastry I’ve had in Paris or Lyon. I would have had one of these every day if I had known.

Today I have two things on my agenda. I have a reservation for lunch at Le Kitchen and tonight I am going to a candlelight concert.

Le Kitchen is in the student areas of two of Lyon’s universities (Lumière and Jean Moulin). It is a Michelin bib restaurant. One of its owners was born in Stockholm and the interior is a mixture of Sandinavian and Art Deco design. The menu has you pick from 2 choices for each course. It turns out that both of the starter courses involve mushrooms, so the chef tells me he will make something just for me.

The main course is a mixture of three meats (chicken, pork and veal) wrapped in cabbage.

Such a delicious lunch! Afterwards I go back into the center of town. Many years ago when I hiked the Tour de Mont Blanc I bought Swiss Francs because that is one of three countries I would be hiking into during the trip. I never used the currency and kept it in an envelope in a drawer with lots of other foreign currencies. I looked it up once and found out my bills had been replaced in Switzerland and I would have to exchange them at a Swiss bank. Impulsively, I brought the currency with me thinking I might do a day trip to Geneva. I did not go to Geneva, but in Lyon I noticed a sign on a building near the Opera House for “Banque de Genèva”. Perfect. I’ll go there. It is quite a process to get access to this building. I ring the buzzer and then a security guard comes down. He lets me into an elevator with an access card and I go to the top floor. There I am met by two women in business suits. There are no other customers around and this is starting to not look like a bank. I show them my envelope filled with Swiss francs and to their credit they do not laugh. They explain in perfect English that despite the name, this is indeed not a bank. This is a Swiss private asset management operation. However, they tell me if I go just past the Opera House there is a Global Exchange office that will change these into Euros despite the fact that they are outdated Swiss currency. Guess what? I do that. Found money and a good story!

I have to get home to get ready for the candlelight concert. The music is Vivaldi and it is being held at the Chapelle de la Trinité. This is a historic monument in the heart of the Presqu’île district. It is Baroque architecture built by the Jesuits in 1617.

I have the good fortune to go into the concert alongside a French businesswoman named Natasha. We have both splurged on the first row for this concert and we are seated next to each other. We have a delightful conversation while we wait for the concert to begin. The concert is magical. The venue is breathtaking and the music so perfectly suited for the chapel.

I have not had dinner so after the concert I go back to Café des Négociants for a salad and a glass of wine.

I am not quite done for the day as I have an idea to walk a few bridges down the river and get a shot of the Palace of Justice at night. I know it is late but I am on a mission to do this. I am so glad I did. Below is the shot. Now I walk home.

It is time to reveal the winner of the best croissant of Lyon. Drum roll. It is Boulangerie Saint-Paul. It is the clear choice. I’ll show you the picture again.

In honor of its winning, I go back to Boulangerie Saint-Paul this morning. No more croissants for me. This time I get a Pain au Raisin. I think the raisins are soaked in a liquor. It is so good I am wondering if I should have had a contest for these instead of croissants!

I sit outside and watch the world pass by. I notice croissants cooling in an upstairs window.

Next time I look they are gone.

I want to go back towards the funicular, as I envision a shot of the funicular rising above the street in the old town. I find the street that works and here is the shot.

My dinner tonight is to return to Brasserie Roseaux in my neighborhood. I’ve taken many of my visitors there, but tonight I will try it alone. I get the same waiter, Elie. It is every bit as special as the other times I’ve been. I tell Elie that I am leaving Lyon soon and he whispers to me that he will really miss me. I will miss him and this fantastic neighborhood restaurant.

Today I will get the train back to Paris. Just before I leave, I hear someone call my name on the street. It is Elie! What a nice person to see as I leave Lyon.

I Uber to Gare Part-Dieu and find my TGV platform. I see some beautiful countryside on my ride.

I have the good fortunate to sit across from Sapheer, a student from Lille. We talk all the way to Paris. He is a finance major at the university in Lille. We exchange information before he gives me a hand with my luggage in Paris.

In my travels I can actually feel my brain and heart expanding as I meet new people, enjoy a new city with visitors and learn new things. It is truly one of the best things I do for myself each year. I also find the mix of visitors (some from other Shirleyfests), new local people and alone time works well for me. When I am alone, many days I turn off my cell service so I can just be present with what presents itself. I don’t really want to check emails or news or stock tickers or messages. I also like to see if I can find things without google maps. Doing that challenges my memory and brain and I often discover things that wouldn’t have been on a google map route from point A to point B.

It is goodbye to Lyon for now. What a fantastic two months I have had in France. I’ve seen so much and learned so much about living in France. One thing that really comes through is that people in France savor their lives. It is a joyful economy. Food, flowers, time with family and friends, music, parks, gardens, museums and all of life are appreciated in the moment. Things get done properly and in timely fashion, but efficiency for efficiency sake is not a consideration. I want to keep that attitude firmly in mind.

Thanks for following along.

The day after saying goodbye to Jim and Vince, I have the United Nations of friends arrive: Elena from Paris, Nick from London and Ivan from Lisbon. They all arrive at different times and via different transport, but of course the first thing we do is have a nice lunch.

This is Ayla, a Lebanese restaurant a short walk from my apartment. The restaurant is run by husband and wife Najem and Corinne.

The food is fresh and inventive and packed with flavor. Najem explains everything in great detail and is so accommodating when we decide to switch to a different table. Ottolenghi watch out!

After lunch, Ivan is intent on swimming, so we all go over to the Centre Nautique Tony Bertrand. Built on the occasion of Lyon’s candidacy for the 1968 Olympics, this public pool, built along side the Rhône river, is huge and gorgeous. It only costs 8 euros for admission and they are strict about bathing costumes. Ivan had to buy a regulation suit from a machine.

Elena and I enjoy walking along the river and meeting the owners of a nearby restaurant, Jules and Tim, who try valiantly to convince us to join a wine festival dinner they are hosting that night.

Swimming accomplished, we walk back to my neighborhood in the sun.

After changing into our dinner clothes, we start the evening with a wine and cheese party at my apartment.

Dinner tonight is at Brasserie Roseaux. You may remember when I was last there, I was envious of the table with the steak tartare. Well, I am able to get over that now.

Elie, our great server, does the honors tableside.

Some of us even have room for dessert.

The next morning, it is time for breakfast at my place. I provide the coffee, but Elena goes out early and selects one of everything in the pastry department.

No time like the present to have entry number 3 in the best croissant of Lyon contest. This one is from Copain. This bakery is in my building and I smell bread baking every morning when I wake up.

The nearby Parc Tete d’or is calling to us on this sunny day so we head off to explore.

The zoo, the botanical garden, miles of trails…..this park is a treasure for Lyon. Ivan is heading to swim again, so Nick and I watch out my window for Elena to come walk with us to lunch. Because I am on the street, we have a system where I just leave the window open and whoever is coming shouts up to us. I am sure the neighbors love this.

It’s a gorgeous day so we walk into Croix-Rousse so I can take them to Nafas, my Syrian refugee restuarnt for lunch. Over the river and through the winding streets we go.

We arrive and the family is happy to see that I have brought more people to their restaurant. There are no outside tables, but they find two blue tables and chairs and within minutes we are ordering.

We are entertained during lunch by watching three girls about four years old set up a make-shift hospital on a bench outside. They take turns being the doctor, nurse and patient. I’ve never seen kids that age act so fairly with each other!

After lunch we make our way to Les Bateaux Lyonnais boat launch. Ivan jumps out of uber last minute and joins us. It’s a stunningly beautiful day and we happily cruise the Saône River.

We are very thirsty after being in the water. Aperol Spritz anyone?

Tonight’s dinner ends up being delicious, just not at the restaurant we reserved. After a long uber ride to the top of Croix-Rousse, we find out the restaurant wants to seat us outside in the chilly night air at tables that look like they have never been used for dining. No thanks. I do get a good shot of the Ferris wheel before pivoting to Le Rive Gauche, a great fun restaurant back on my block.

After a lazy Sunday morning, we meet for lunch on a boathouse before splitting into two groups.

Nick and I have tickets for the Lyon Film Festival and Elena and Ivan choose to give up their tickets to go to the Beaux Art museum. We are seeing the Stanley Kubrick movie, Barry Lyndon. This is an epic 3 hour long historical drama made in 1975 starring a very young Ryan O’Neal.

It’s an adaption of the 1844 novel “The luck of Barry Lyndon”. Barry Lyndon won four Oscars at the 48th Academy Awards and in a 2022 poll of directors and film critics, Barry Lyndon won 12th in the directors’ poll and 45th in the critics’ poll. I have to be honest with you. I never heard of the movie. I just want to go because it is a Stanley Kubrick film and it was part of the film festival. Others are big fans of the movie, which we find out when Nick offers our extra tickets to a French couple standing in a long line hoping to get last minute tickets. Their thanks are genuine and profuse.

The theatre is filled. No one gets any refreshments. Not a popcorn bag in sight. This is an intense movie going crowd! Geraldine, an extremely nice staff member we had met the day before when we got the tickets, talks for 15 minutes before the movie starts. People seemed to enjoy her comments. I couldn’t tell you since it was rapid-fire French.

We emerge three hours later and need time to process all that we have seen. The movie presents like a novel capturing many chapters in Barry Lyndon’s life. Ryan O’Neal does a surprisingly good job.

We make our way over to Café Terroir where Elena and Ivan meet us. Café Terroir is a unique French traditional gastronomical Michelin restaurant offering a selection of local products found in all four corners of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. We are told Cold Play ate there last year. Now people can talk about the four of us eating there.

It’s our last dinner in Lyon together so of course we start with a bottle of bubbles. Things proceed from there! I believe there was one bottle (or two?) of a delicious French red too. It was a fantastic meal.

We decide to walk along the river home. It’s so beautiful out.

After breakfast Monday morning, we take the funicular up to Basilica Fourvieux. No matter how many times I see it, it still impresses me.

There is a restaurant next to the Basilica called Bulles with panoramic views of Lyon. We head there for a delicious lunch.

Elena sadly must leave us to catch her train back to Paris. I hope to see her again very soon. She is a wonderful new friend.

The three of us decide to visit the nearby Roman ruins and walk down the hill.

We can’t seem to make it down the hill without dessert.

With that, Ivan and Nick head off to fly back to Lisbon.

A wonderful visit with great friends!

Tuesday, I must make do again on my own. I decide to try the Michelin restaurant Flair for lunch. Chef Motonori, born in Japan, expatriated first to Lyon to cook alongside famous chef Christian Tetedoie before becoming the chef of Flair.

Like most restaurants in Lyon, Flair offers a three course lunch with 2 choices for each course. The lunch is 27 euros. This just amazes me that restaurants of this caliber can do this, but this is very typical of my meals in Lyon.

I add a 2 euro coffee and leave after paying my 29 euros.

I’m off to the Musée des Confluences. This is a science and anthropology musem opened in 2014. It is positioned at the confluence of the Saône and Rhoen Rivers. It is said to resemble a floating crystal cloud of stainless steel and glass.

This is a striking building. It’s quite busy with many children. On one floor there is a special exhibit: Zombis!

I think about going, but the line is long and zombies just are not at the top of my list.

The floor above is the permanent collection. There are four major exhibits: Origins, Species, Societies and Eternities. The first deals with the Big Bang theory of the universe. The second explores the link between humans and animals. The third is about how societies build communities and the last deals with the Meaning of Life. I went to all the exhibits, but I am sure it surprises no one that I like the last one the best.

I went up on the roof of the building to get a shot of the confluence and also to clear my head. Going to this museum is like getting a PhD in one afternoon.

When I leave, I decide to metro up the river to check out two vintage shops I have read about.

Later I decide I need a “light” bite so I go on my block to 900 degrees, a casual Italian restaurant.

Tomorrow I am meeting a new Lyonnaise couple, courtesy of a friend’s introduction. I also still have three candidates to sample for the croissant contest and tickets in a few days to a candlelight concert. Stay tuned and thanks for following along!

A new week begins with the arrival of friends from Connecticut/Lisbon. This is the third time Jim and Vince have visited me on a Shirleyfest. On each of their last visits to Shirleyfest, they made sure to arrange for a wonderful birthday celebration for me. This time is no different. My friends have selected Circle, a Michelin bib gourmand restaurant where the menu is only revealed when each course arrives. Each course is lovingly delivered, explained and paired with outstanding wines by either the owner/maître d’hôtel Agathe or the talented chef Bastian.

Finally we have dessert! Orange blossom almond ice cream, creamy date and agastache.

What a wonderful evening! It is now midnight and after one more hug, I call my uber to whisk me home.

I don’t want you to think we only ate today. When Jim and Vince arrived, I was a little early to meet them at the monument Gadagne. Just outside the building is the famous L’horloge Charvet. This clock was built in 1852 and contains Marionettes Harlequin, Polichinelle, Guignol and Gnafron. I had just enough time to capture the quarter hour show.

This site has been in use since the 1st century B.C. It has had many occupants through the Middle Ages and beyond. A wealthy banker family, the Guadagnis of Florence, occupied it during the renaissance era. Finally in the 20th century the Ville de Lyon bought the land and building and it now houses two museums: The Lyon History Museum (Le musée d’histoire de Lyon)and the Puppetry Museum (Musée des arts de la marionette). The experience is unusual in that it is mostly interactive and thematic, as opposed to chronological. We see many school children with their teachers really enjoying the experience. The puppet side of the building was extremely colorful!

The next day while Jim and Vince climb up to Croix-Rousse, I set out to see what is going on with the annual Lumière Festival which is held every October in Lyon. It is named in honor of the Lumière brothers, who invented the cinematographer motion picture system in 1895. Hollywood may be well known, but Lyon is considered the birthplace of cinema.

I arrive to find a huge crowd. Some are buying tickets, some buying merchandise and some are there to see the first movie of the festival. The festival screens 170 movies in one week.

While Michael Mann is receiving the 2025 Lumière Award (Clint Eastwood won the first award of the festival nearly 20 years ago), Sean Penn is in town this year as a Guest of Honor and will present his film Into the Wild and do Q&A with the audience.

I’ve been to a couple of film festivals and at those festivals, new films, both mainstream, indies and documentaries are presented. Lyon’s festival was created as an homage to classic films and so most of the screenings are older, heritage films.

After enjoying the buzz of the festival tent, I decided to to go to the Musée Lumière.

It is fun to see the historical journey of the invention of cinematography, as well as the progress of the family over time.

I am going to the symphony tonight, but I want to go to mass at the historic 1325 Basilique Saint-Bonaventure before going home to get ready.

The stained glass windows in the church are beautiful and vivid. In 1944, the Germans blew up the bridges near the church and shattered the original stained glass windows. Between 1945 and 1965 the windows were restored and appear resolutely modern in their colors and style.

The mass is beautiful and once again very well attended. The music is particularly beautiful. Interestingly, I later learn that this huge basilique will be the site of a candlelight concert this month with the music of……Taylor Swift!

Vince, Jim and I have tickets for the symphony concert at the Auditorium-Orchestre National. The program is Grieg, Diamond and Beethoven. It is a beautiful program. I am captivated by the conductor, Jennifer Gilbert. Not only is she conducting, she plays the first violin for the program ( a 1781 Guadagnini violin!). There aren’t that many women conductors in the world and this is the first time I have seen a conductor also play an instrument in the performance. You know the expression “women have to work twice as hard as men?” I think I just saw a “classical” example of that.

After the concert, we walk about 20 minutes and have a drink at my apartment.

Then we head to Brassiere Roseaux on my street. It is a lovely restaurant and at a little before nine when we arrive it is packed. We have a great table and a wonderful dinner.

I really like this restaurant on my street and I guarantee you will see more food from here in a future post. I observed a steak tartare dish at someone’s table that I have my eyes on.

Today is Beaujolais Day!

I am going to meet Jim and Vince to head north to the Beaujolais wine region. First though, I have two things to do. I am beginning nominations for the best croissant of Lyon and I need to spread the tastings out over days.

I start today in my neighborhood.

Having gotten the first nomination out of the way, the next thing I want to do is head to the market at the river. This is the same market I went to early last week only to find it closed. Today is it bustling and everything looks fantastic.

I now wind my way over to our meeting place for the Beaujolais outing. We have a driver/guide named Almondine and along with five other visitors from all over the world, we head north. First stop is a hilltop tasting overlooking the valley. We learn that there are only two grapes in Beaujolais: Chardonnay for the white wine and Gamay for the rosé and red wine. There are very specific rules for this region. One is that the grapes must be picked by hand. There are 12 appellations with only the very southern part of the region called simply Beaujolais. Then there is a region to the north called Beaujolais-Villages and finally there are 10 regions that are considered “cru” and they are called by their village name. There is no mention of Beaujolais on their wine label.

Off we go to a restored medieval village called Oingt. All the buildings are made of “golden stones”, a limestone with high amounts of iron in the stone. This village is classified as one of the most beautiful villages in France. Today the population is small with mostly artists living here.

We visit the church and stroll the pretty streets. Now we head to a family-owned winery called Domaine de Fond-Vieille. This winery has been in the family for hundreds of years and grows both Chardonnay and Gamey grapes. The owner ( and his dog) gives us a tour of the vines.

We go inside to the crushing, storing, aging and bottling facility and then have a nice tasting of four of the family’s wines.

We drive back to lovely Lyon having had a most enjoyable day!

Another day, another nomination for best croissant. This time I try Eric Keyser which is a bakery started in Paris and famous for its baguettes.

I head to my regular coffee place to finish the croissant with a café allongé.

Today my friends Larry and Steve will be in town. I met them when they attended my workshop at Rancho La Puerta. They have been in France and England doing genealogy research. Now their Viking river boat is docked here for a couple of days. We walk together to Brasserie Georges. Started in 1836, this is the oldest brasserie in Lyon and one of the largest in Europe. It has a gorgeous art deco style . Ernest Hemingway, Jules Verne and Edith Piaf have all eaten here.

Steve suggests we start with foie gras and I think that is a terrific idea.

We follow that with moules et frites and of course French wine!

One of the funniest things about this restaurant is that people go here to celebrate their birthday because at the appropriate time the lights are dimmed in the whole restaurant and the waiter runs to the table with a flaming cake. It happened at least 6 times during our meal. Here’s one of the times.

We have a wonderful time together and we agree to meet later for a special dessert.

The special dessert is Lyon’s famous Praline Brioche. I mentioned this in my previous post. It is the creation of Auguste Pralus and while many bakeries mimic the creation, the place you must buy it is at the eponymous patisserie, Pralus. The store is known for its special wrapping of the brioche like a present and its colorful striped bag. Fortunately Pralus is located on my street so I get in the line to buy it. While waiting, I film the two men churning these out (presumedly for tomorrow since the shop is about to close)

I am getting worried because it is late in the day and the pile of brioche’s are dwindling. The woman three places ahead of me buys five! Then the next man buys three. Fortunately, the young girl just ahead of me takes only one so I get mine and head for the metro.

I am standing on the busy metro with my AirPods in when Laura calls me. I tell her what I’m doing and she asks how I will cut it when I meet my friends. Without thinking I say, “I have a knife in my purse”. The circle of people around me on the crowded metro backs away! When I realize what I’ve said, I show the famous bag and say,”no no, it’s for the brioche”. Everyone starts laughing.

I meet Larry and Steve and we look around the 800 year old former hospital, hospice and maternity ward that has become the five star Hotel Grand Dieu and high end boutique shopping experience.

Before diving into the brioche, we walk over to Basilique Saint Boneventure to see the stained glass windows before it closes.

Finally we end up at a nice coffee house and we dive into the brioche. It does not disappoint. In fact, the next morning when Larry was on a walking tour, his craving overtook him and …..

The next day, I decide to find some of the many murals that Lyon is known for. There are over a 100 frescos that cover the walls in Lyon and they retrace its history.

The biggest fresco in Europe is Lyon’s La Fresque des Canuts (the silk weavers’ wall). It is a stunning troupe-l’oeil mural. It was painted on a blank wall with no windows. The realism is staggering. One of the scenes is a storefront honoring the silk workers. The mural is refreshed every so often and the latest redo was in 2013.

After studying this mural for a while, I walk toward the river to see Fresque des Lyonnaise (Famous faces of Lyon).

I decide I can walk to one more of the murals and I choose a walk along the river to La Bibliothèque de la Cité (The City Library). This depicts an immense library with hundreds of writers in different genres.

This has taken a good part of the day and I’ve gotten many steps. That is good thing because tonight Jim, Vince and I are going to a different Bouchon restaurant.

I meet them at Bouchon des Filles. This bouchon was started 14 years ago when Isabelle and Laura, two former waitresses in the world of Bouchons Lyonnais, met at the “Café des Fédérations”. I wrote about that bouchon in my last post. They had the desire to perpetuate the tradition of Lyon mothers, and to open their “Girls” Bouchon with a more current and less caloric cuisine. 

You be the judge.

I did not take photos of the cheese course or the dessert course. The dinner was delicious and perhaps a little less caloric than Café des Fédérations.

Good thing I had a long walk back to my apartment!

Annecy Day Trip

I’ve been wanting to do a day trip to Annecy, France for weeks. Nicknamed the “Pearl of the French Alps” due to its location between its huge lake and the nearby mountains. It is also called “Venice of the Alps”, because of the many canals and the Thiou river, which pass through the old part of the town. I just call it beautiful.

I set my alarm for 6 am and quickly get ready and take the metro to the Lyon Part Dieu train station.

Despite the early hour, people are streaming into the station. A piano player tries to soothe the commuters with his tunes.

The train takes two hours and passes by many lakes and mountains. It’s a very enjoyable journey.

When I arrive, I decide to walk through the old town and see the canals first.

As I always do on Shirleyfest day trips, I have made a reservation for lunch at a Michelin restaurant.

I choose the special menu of the day.

The waiter was so nice and explained that the restaurant is committed to only using locally sourced ingredients and that all the herbs are from the chef’s garden. I leave very happy.

Now it’s time to spend time at the lake.

It is simply stunning. I have to find a way to return to Annecy. I must now make my way to the train. On the way, I stop for coffee at Adrenaline Roasters. My friend Charlotte in Lyon told me how good the coffee is there. I have a little time to discuss coffee with Sebastian before reluctantly heading home.

Jim and Vince must leave today. We have one more traditional lunch at Comptoir du Boeuf.

I say goodbye to Jim and Vince as they fly off to Portugal. I know they will come to another Shirleyfest and I will visit them in Portugal.

It is a beautiful sunny day and I have a mission to get flowers and walk in the sunshine. As I cross the bridge I see “The weight of oneself” statue on the river Saône in front of the courthouse.

It is such a beautiful statue with the sunny backdrop. At first glance, the giant marble figure almost 3 metres high appears to be a savior. But the man he holds in his arms is none other than himself. This antihero symbolises the issues of responsibility debated daily at the nearby courthouse, inviting us to reflect as well.

But onward to flowers. First stop is Place de la République.

Then I see a small stand with an elderly lady making bouquets. Her name is Juliette.

It is time to head home. I have to pass by the Halle de Paul Bocuse so I cut through and wouldn’t you know it…this tart citron just jumped out and insisted I buy it.

A Dutchman, an Englishman, a French woman and an American traveler (moi!) convene in Lyon tomorrow. Watch this space to see how much fun they have.

Thanks for coming along on my journey.

I’ve been living in Lyon for one week. It is hard to know where to start. Shall I tell you how beautiful, serene and livable Lyon feels? Or maybe I should tell you how it’s the first Shirleyfest city where the history and geography so boldly define the city? Or shall I talk about how in my first week, because I have an entire month and I’m not rushed, I’ve had long conversations with a multitude of interesting local people about their lives, dreams and challenges?

Let me start in the beginning.

I take the TGV to Lyon from Paris and arrive in less than 2 hours. My apartment is in the 6th arrondissement, near Lyon’s version of Central Park. The park is huge and is called Parc de la Tête d’Or. My apartment looks out on a pretty tree-lined street.

I am very happy with this apartment, with its stone walls, curving staircase and top of the line appliances. The owner has left me a bouquet of flowers to welcome me.

As soon as I drop off my bags, I walk back to the transportation office at the train station to ask about getting a monthly metro/bus/tram/funicular pass. There is a huge line of people outside with two staff members controlling access to the inside agents. I approach one staff member and using google translate, I tell her why I am here. For some reason they usher me right in. They issue my transportation pass right on the spot.

I cannot stress too much how getting this step done on the first day is important. Having easy access to all parts of the city, without waiting for Ubers, or getting into traffic jams with taxis makes my life so easy.

Since I now have my super cool pass, I take a tram back to my apartment to get ready for dinner. I have a reservation at Café des Fédérations, one of the oldest bouchons in Lyon. It is a beautiful evening so I walk to the restaurant.

A bouchon is a type of restaurant found in Lyon that serves traditional Lyonnaise cuisine, such as sausages, coq-au-vin, “salad lyonnaise”, roasted meats and many other more unusual dishes (that are parts of the animal that I usually avoid). Compared to other forms of French cooking, the dishes are quite hearty. There are approximately twenty officially certified traditional bouchons in Lyon.

It is so many courses that I lost track. Here are a few of them.

I am so full that I decide to walk home and the city is so beautiful at night.

The next day, as is my usual way, I have booked a walking tour. We meet at the Lyon Cathedral, Saint-Jean Baptiste.

This tour is being led by Paul and is mostly of Vieux Lyon, the old town.Vieux Lyon sits between Fourvière hill and the River Saône. Its Renaissance-era streets and famous traboule passageways are captivating. Lyon has been inhabited since prehistoric times and was one of the most important cities of the Roman Empire. It has always been a market town, thanks to the two rivers, the Saône and the Rhône which converge just south of the city center.

When the tour ends, I walk back to the farmer’s market along the Rhône.

Tonight I’m heading to Söma, a Michelin bib restaurant in the 5th arrondissement. I have to walk across two bridges to get there but it is another beautiful evening.

It is tiny with seven tables. Camilla, my waitress/sommelier helps me chose interesting French wines to pair with each course.

I have the good fortune to sit next to Keith and Glenn from Toronto. Since they are well-traveled foodies, we find common ground and talk throughout the delicious dinner. We exchange information and I have a feeling I will see them again.

Sunday I go to mass at my nearby parish church, Saint-Joseph des Brotteaux.

It is packed, as have been all the masses I’ve attended in France. Our priest in Menlo Park told me this summer that France is experiencing exponential growth in attendance in almost all of its Catholic Churches. I am impressed with how the children at mass are so well dressed…very chic.

After mass, I walk to Les Halle de Lyon Paul Bocuse.

This is the temple of Lyonnaise gastronomy. Sixty shopkeepers and as many restaurants under one roof present the finest produce, cheese, charcuterie, seafood, and regional specialities that Lyon has to offer. It was created in 1859 and a century later renamed for the multi-starred chef and local hero Paul Bocuse.

It is a beautiful day and after dropping off all my goodies from the market, I walk the two blocks to Parc de la Tête d’Or.

I’ve got to get a move on because I am meeting Chantal today. She is with Greeters International. I wrote to them and asked to be paired with one of the Lyon greeters and I was happy to hear back that Chantal had graciously accepted. We have a wonderful time roaming, not only all over Old Town, but we go up the funicular to Fourvière hill, where the Basilica is located.

It is starting to get dark when we finally stop for a glass of wine.

I have learned so much about Lyon, but also about Chantal, who grew up in Lyon and has been a high school English teacher for many years.

Monday I have coffee at my local coffeehouse.

I want to find a botanical watercolor artist that I have read about. Fortunately I find his shop.

Vincent is delightful. I am lucky to be in his shop on a day when he is there. We discuss his work and he invites me to come see his workshop in a charming village in Provence.

Now I will go up the hill to the bohemian Croix-Rousse area to meet Bernard who is giving me a tour of this fascinating area. Lyon has been the center of the silk weaving trade for centuries and this is the area where the silk workers lived. The area is perched on a hill with panoramic views over Lyon’s rooftops. It’s a mix of gentrified areas and street graffiti.

For dinner I want to find the restaurant Nafas. It is run by Syrian refugees and even though it is tiny and quite low key, it has made it onto the list of the top 24 restaurants in Lyon. I arrive and meet Nawal, and wife and husband Nawar and Ghasan. I go outside and I am delighted to sit next to Sarah and Aaron, two locals in their twenties having a meal. Nawal asks for Sarah’s help in translating for me and after I order, Sarah asks if I want to sit with them and talk during our meal. Of course I do. We talk about food, Lyon, Paris, careers and, finding happiness through a deliberate life….it is just a wonderful time.

As you know, I always go to a movie in my host city. Tonight I go to Cinema Luminaire. I see One Battle After Another which is in original language and subtitled in French. Three hours actually pass without me noticing.

I know it is full moon tonight, so after the movie I walk to the river to see if I can capture the beautiful moon.

Today, I have an idea to find the best coffee in Lyon. It is known as Mokxa. I start walking and walking and walking. I cross back over the two rivers and go up so many staircases.

Finally I reach the top and turn left at the Ferris wheel.

Is it worth climbing 20 stories? Yes the coffee is great. Even better is my conversation with Charlotte, who is working there today. She is delightful and when I find out she is from Quebec City, I show her my blog post from when I was there. More conversation ensues along the lines of yesterday’s delightful meeting with Sarah and Aaron. I cannot tell you how fortunate I am to have the time to get to talk to people like this. It makes the trip memorable.

Tonight I am trying Les Mauvaises Herbes, a vegetarian restaurant. It is packed! I see why after my first taste of the yellow curry velouté.

This morning I get up very early and take my rolling cart to the outdoor produce market on the Rhône known as Marché alimentaire Victor Augagneur. In most European towns, various outdoor markets are open on different days. I had double checked that this one was open. Guess what? It wasn’t. Maybe because it is October, but in any event, I find myself at 7:30 in the morning along the river, having traveled 30 minutes and in need of more coffee. It is fun to see the people biking to work along the river.

After finding a nearby patisserie for an espresso, I recalibrate and realize the famous cheese shop , Fromagerie les Trois Jean is only a 20 minute walk more into the 7th arrondissement. I haven’t been there yet so this is a good opportunity.

It is a terrific cheese shop and I end up buying many cheeses.

Iliana helps me choose the best French cow, sheep and goat cheeses. With those cheeses, they also sell wine that pairs well, so of course I had to buy various bottles of wine. I enjoyed talking to Iliana who let me include her picture in this post.

Once back home, I stop at the flower shop on my block and get my flowers from the shopkeeper Marie who arranges them for me.

I’ve been trying to make time to get to the Fine Arts Museum of Lyon (Musée des beaux arts de Lyon). Off I go. It is the largest museum in France outside of Paris. It is housed in a former Benedictine Convent from the 17th century. Its collection ranges from ancient Egyptian antiquities to Modern Art and even includes a fully restored beautiful chapel.

The Egyptian art, the chapel, the Degas and the Monet are all wonderful, but my favorite room is the one that contains Le Poeme de L’âme (The Poem of the Soul). These are 18 painting by Louis Janmot inspired by a poem written by the artist. The series tells of a soul’s life on earth, incarcerated in a young man, accompanied by his female double. His companion disappears and he spends the rest of his life alone, as did the artist.

The story told as you work your way through the four sides of the room is mesmerizing. I don’t want to leave, but the museum is closing.

That’s a wrap for week one. I have good friends joining me tomorrow. Stay tuned for more adventures! Thanks for following along.

We’ll always have Paris.” ~ Humphrey Bogart, Casablanca

“Paris is always a good idea.” ~ Audrey Hepburn, Sabrina

“When good Americans die, they go to Paris.” ~ Oscar Wilde

“There are only two places in the world where we can live happy, at home, and in Paris.” ~ Ernest Hemingway

“The chief danger about Paris is that it is such a strong stimulant.” ~ T. S. Eliot

“Paris is not a city; it’s a world.” ~ King Francis

“Whoever does not visit Paris regularly will never be elegant.” ~ Honoré de Balzac

My Paris time has come to end and now I will move on to Lyon. The photos above represent just one reason I will miss Paris so much. They are from a dinner with my friends at the culinary experience known as Atica. The food, as you can see, is amazing, but the experience is unlike any other restaurant. There are only 8 tables in a large space that, every few months, Chef Ramzi Saade decides on a culture to feature. The tables are in the middle of the room and on all four large walls are projected the most beautiful images of the place chosen. In our case it was Corsica. High resolution images and videos of the sea, the mountains, the forests and the villages of Corsica project throughout the 7 course dinner. Soft sounds of the sea and birdsong from the forest are so subtle that you don’t realize until later that you never heard any conversation from the other 7 tables. It is magical.

To live in Paris for over a month is such a different experience than to come for a few days or even a week. It is also different to have come back to Paris, having been here for shorter visits many times in the past. When a person comes for the first time, or for a short period, naturally they visit all the important sites and eat at the restaurants they have read about or their friends who have also come for short visits tell them they really must try. This visit I do very little of that. I wander the various arrondissements,

I meet local friends,

I have my neighborhood hangouts,

I go to the movies,

And to the many parks.

While even Parisians regularly go to the Louvre (although usually at night or off hours), they also love the less well known museums and I do too.

Some days I’m all over town. Other days I sit in the same café all day and people watch, read and write.

My last week here has been lovely. I’ve actually experienced three seasons during my month. It was summer when I arrived, then there were days of spring with chilly rain and now it is fall.

My birthday was last week and I had many celebrations. My new friend Jill takes me to the restaurant Pristine for a great dinner.

I have a wonderful lunch at Le Chardenoux in my neighborhood.

I have elegant drinks at Le Duc de Morny Library at Le Reserve Hotel.

In between all that birthday eating, I also was so happy to go to the John Singer Sargent Exhibition at the D’Orsay Museé. He is one of my favorite painters and while he is considered one of America’s most important painters, he is still largely unknown in France until now. This month, the D’Orsay organized a huge monographic exhibition of his early works and his ties to Paris. It was lovely.

Aside from enjoying yet another birthday in a foreign country, I’ve been sampling loads of restaurants, art museums, neighborhoods and taken some interesting day trips. Let me give you a sampling of my week.

More Food:

I hear of a restaurant in the 5th arrondissement, Les Papilles, where there is no menu. The chef each days makes four courses and you get what he makes. Today he makes vichyssoise, braised veal stew, and a Sainte-Maure de Touraine cheese course. That stripe of red is the spice I mentioned in my previous post: Piment d’espelette ( I am too full to find out what he made for dessert!) Afterwards, I take my friend Louis’ suggestion and stroll down the enchanting Rue Moufftard. Turns out I find dessert after all.

Art:

I have the opportunity to do a night time visit to the Louvre with friends who are members. It is not crowded at all and there is no waiting to get in. We decide to focus on the Napoleon III Apartments. The Louvre was a palace before it was a museum. These apartments show the splendor of palace living around 1861.

Afterwards we admire the beautifully lit grounds as we walk to another outdoor art installation nearby.

Another day I take myself to the Carnavalet Museum in the Marais. This museum is dedicated to the history of Paris. It is housed in two 16th century mansions and contains furnished rooms from different periods of Paris history and Paris life. I can’t believe I have never been here as it is now one of my favorite museums.

I am also fortunate to see the Paul Troubetzkoy sculpture exhibit that opened September 30th. He is an iconic Italian sculptor that uses Impressionism in sculpture. He has sculpted many many famous people including the master sculptor himself: Rodin.

Of course when the weather turned beautiful again, I turn to just walking and walking and sitting in cafes.

Neigborhoods:

I spend time in the Bastille Market which goes for at least six blocks and where many chefs shop for their produce.

I also sit in the sun in the Tuileries.

Nearby is the US Embassy and I usually try to take a look at our embassy in each city I visit.

I go from Boho shopping to luxury window shopping when I head over to the Champs Elysee and Rue Montaigne.

And then there is the shrine to luxury shopping: Dior.

I am early for my ticketed spot to see the Dior Exhibition so I am offered to go for coffee in their flagship store next door. Ok. Sounds good.

Now I’m at the Dior Exhibition. It is perfectly orchestrated. Room after room about the life and clothes of Christian Dior.

Day Trips:

Fontainebleau

One day I take the train 45 minutes south and see the beautiful Chateau Fontainebleau. A UNESCO World Heritage site, it is the only chateau to have been inhabited by all the monarchs from the 12th to the 19th century. Napoleon was the great restorer of Fontainebleau and ironically this is where he abdicated in 1814. I see the room where he signed the abdication papers.

I tour the gardens behind the chateau once I finish touring the chateau.

Having been to both Versailles and Fontainebleau, I much prefer Fontainebleau. It is easy to get to and quite uncrowded. Versailles is wall to wall people and you can hardly see the furnishings.

Moret Veneux-les-Sablons

This is a quaint village not too far from Fontainebleau. It is where the painter Sisley did much of his work. It has a beautiful riverfront park and ancient church. You can train here from Paris. It is quite peaceful with a town square to sit and have a drink.

Provins

Everyone I ask about a potential day trip mentions Provins. It is about an hour and 15 minutes on the train from Paris. It is an intact medieval village. The buildings date from the 12th century. I arrive late morning and walk about 10 minutes from the train station into the center of town. I see up the hill this beautiful dome.

I start walking and come first to the castle. Caesar’s Tower it is called. I pay my 5 euros and start exploring the interior of the castle.

I walk the ramparts and then come to the church called The Saint Quiriace Collegiate Church.

The interior is lovely. Joan of Arc attended mass here in 1429 with King Charles VII. The exterior of the church was never finished.

I climb back down the hill and I’m famished. I have made a reservation at Trattoria Val and I have my one and only Italian meal in France.

Tonight I have drinks with Benoit and Michele, who I met the first week I was here, at Au Cadran Voltaire in my neighborhood.

Afterwards, I walk to my favorite wine bar, Le Pure Cafe, and talk to Louisa, Antoine and Orem. I have a nice meal before walking the few blocks home.

So that my friends is some of how I spent my last week in Paris. Thanks for following along on the journey. I hope you will stay with me as I continue on to Lyon.

The expression that a picture is worth a thousand words always rings true to me. Let me present you a mostly pictorial description of my week 3 in Paris.

Monday: Chartres

Chartres has more to offer than just its famous cathedral. It is a beautiful fall day so I take a stroll along the Eure River, stop by several of the museums and admire the half-timbered houses of the old town. Then I walk back to the train station and head back to Paris.

Tuesday: Hidden Passageways

It is a bit rainy so today I want to find as many of the covered passages of Paris that I can. These were built in the early 1800s. There were almost 200 of these at their peak, but many were demolished during Haussmann’s renovation of Paris. Only 25 survive and all but one is on the Right Bank.

I stop at La Valentin in Passage Jouffroy in the 9th. Of course I go for the croque monsieur.

I realize I am fairly near the famous kitchen shop E. Dehillerin. This is where Julia Childs shopped when she was in Paris. Say no more! I am on my way.

I head home because tonight I’m going out to the suburbs to have dinner with Elena and her husband Sylvain at the restaurant Eugène Eugène.

We eat and laugh and talk for four hours. We walk back to the tram together at midnight. Fireworks are going off. A really fun day!

Wednesday: Montmartre

Years ago on my first trip to Paris, I climbed up the steep staircase to see the beautiful Sacré-Coeue Basilica. I remember it being jammed with people. Today I plan to ease into Montmartre by starting above the Basilica and leisurely getting acquainted with this neighbor that has so much more to see than just the famous Basilica.

A walk home after a beautiful day.

Thursday: Strike day in France

Oddly demonstrators in France publish way ahead of time when they are going to strike. So I knew that today was the day. This is suppose to be bigger than the one we had here on September 10. I know I can’t plan anything that takes trains or metros as they won’t be running. So I set off down my street, Rue Charonne, to see what I can find.

What I find is complete quiet in my neighborhood. No ubers, cabs, buses. It is so peaceful. I walk further and do a little shopping at the boutiques that are open.

This patisserie is considered one of Paris’ best and it’s on my street. I decide I might eat my meals backwards today. I’ll start with a pastry.

Friday: Giverny

I have wanted to go to Monet’s home and gardens for the longest time. I am finally going to get there. Monet lived and painted at Giverny for 43 years. He meticulously constructed his gardens to be an inspiration for his paintings.

I am out the door at 6 am. Walking to the train. No one is one the street.

After a bite in the tree-shaded cafe in the village, I reverse my steps and make it back to Paris. Tonight I try a wine bar in the 2nd called Aux Deux Amis.

Saturday: Versailles Musical Fountains

Not every thing always goes as smooth as my trip to Giverny went yesterday. Today’s supposedly simple outing was less smooth. This is the last Saturday for me to be able to see the fountains at Versailles sprouting to the rhythm of baroque music. I buy my ticket in advance and I watch the YouTube video of the performance in anticipation. I check the weather. Nice, no rain in the forecast. I decide to wear a dress—after all I’m going to a palace. I go outside and I feel a few sprinkles. No problem. I’ll just grab my lightweight short rain jacket with a hood. I don’t need my longer raincoat or an umbrella. I train out to Versaille and when I come out of the station…it is pouring. No Ubers or taxis available. I jump on the bus thinking that’s better than walking. It goes the opposite way. I get off, cross the street. Try again for taxis or uber. Nope. Get back on the bus gong the right way. Walk the 15 minutes from the bus stop to the gardens. I’m pretty soaked.

Now I’m in the garden, fountains are not spewing and music is not playing. I get a hot chocolate and the rain tapers off. Finally the music comes on at a roar and the fountains do their dancing. I enjoy it for sure, but I would have enjoyed it more with a dry outfit.

One nice thing that happened on this excursion is that I was crossing over to take the train and my hood was barely keeping me dry. A nice man walks up to me and motioned that I should share his umbrella. We walked for about 10 minutes under his umbrella in silence before I asked him if he is a local.”Oh no, I work at Netflix in LA”, he says.

Gotta laugh!

Sunday: Brunch, Church, More Monets and a Park

I’ve been seeing the name Holybelly pop up a lot as a great breakfast spot. I go at 9am and I am quickly seated. What a surprise. It is a fun place run by Australians with a great menu and delicious coffee.

After mass I head out to the 16th arrondissement. I walked through the Bois de Boulogne to the Musee Marmottan Monet.

This museum houses the world’s biggest collection of works by Monet. It is in a magnificent townhouse with preserved European decor. Monet’s son, Michael donated his father’s works to the museum.

After reluctantly leaving the museum (they were closing), I decided to check out Jardin Des Plantes. This is a beautiful park with a zoo, museum, botanical garden and cafes. What a treasure to have this right in the middle of the city.

I cross back over the Seine and think what an amazing week this has been in Paris.

Monday: I take the metro out to Cafe Kleber to meet Elena, a friend of Nick and Ivan’s. In our text to set up the meeting, she says, “ I may come with my little darling”. “Daughter”, I say? “Sausage dog”, she replies. They arrive via e-bike with Rita, her cute dog, in the front in a custom made carrier. We have coffee and get to know each other, all the while Elena instructing the men at the table next to us to send their smoke in the opposite direction. Elena works at Insead, a prestigious global business school that is part of the grandé école, which is similar to the Ivy League in the US and Oxbridge in the UK. Elena is wonderful and after coffee and conversation we decide we are going to spend much more time together while I am in Paris. She rides off with Rita.

I wander over to the Trocadéro just across the street. Named in honor of the Battle of Trocadéro in 1823, it is now most famously known as the ideal place to take pictures of the Eiffel Tower without being at the Eiffel Tower. I snap a few myself before walking across the Seine to Le Bon Marché, one of the world’s first department store.

Le Bon Marché is now owned by the luxury brand LVMH. I browse the store, but what I am really interested in is the Food Hall occupying the entire floor of one of the buildings. It is similar to Harrod’s Food Hall and just as crazy, with people stocking up on food to take on the plane and also enjoying the restaurants or buying things to eat at home.

After I try a few of the food items myself, I see that I’m not too far from the 13th century Church of Saint-Sulpice, so I walk there. Along the way I stop in at Le Chocolat Alain Ducasse, as well an interesting shop called Popelini that sells cream puffs of all variety.

I enjoy the splendor of the third largest church in Paris. It is the church that baptized the Marquis de Sade, where Victor Hugo got married and where the funeral mass for Jacques Chirac, the former President of France took place.

What’s a few more steps when I’ve been wanting to see Rue Cler. It is touted as one of the best market streets in Paris. I try to see that, and it does have a nice cheese shop, but honestly I like my neighborhood in the 11th much better.

Back in my neighborhood, I opt for Louie Louie, another Laura great find. It’s Neopolitan style pizza and owned by a family from Naples. I sit at the bar and talk to the bartender who is named…Louie (he quickly points out he is not an owner).

Tuesday: Elena and I are meeting at the Musée d’ Art Moderne de Paris in the 16th. I love modern art and this museum is excellent. There is a mural by Raoul Duffy installed in an oval room that is breathtaking. It is called The Spirit of Electricity. He researched everything related to electricity: technical and historical works, biographies of scientists, correspondence with scientists of the time to update his knowledge. The mural includes 108 scientists from Antiquity to the present day.

The museum also has a sculpture by one of my favorite French artists, Louise Bourgeois.

We decide to have lunch on the patio at the restaurant Bambino after seeing the rest of the museum. Our table has a view of the Eiffel Tower of course.

We ate so healthy at lunch that Elena takes me to her favorite patisserie, Cyril Lignac, for a treat. Incredible.

Elena bikes off and I make a brief stop at the Musee de la Mode de la Ville (Fashion Museum) before walking down the Avenue des Champs-Élysées to the Petit Palais.

There I find more beautiful art, including an antique book sculpture.

I’m meeting more new friends tonight so I must head home. First I stop at a local patisserie to buy a hostess gift for my new friends to be. I’m going to the home of Benoit and Michelle. They are the parents of Mathias who I met a few months ago when I was on a walking tour in London. He will be there as well. It is just a short walk from my apartment. They live on a cute quiet street and as I approach they call to me from the their balcony.

Up I go and we have the best time. Michele works for the non-profit associated with Patagonia and Benoit works in strategy for French national transportation. They are curious about me and I them and we get along very well. We enjoy champagne to toast Mathias’ graduation from college a month ago.

Wednesday: Elena and I were going to meet today but she is concerned about the demonstrations that are called for all over the city so she asks to postpone our meeting. Of course I agree. It gives me the opportunity to go to Canal Saint-Martin. I jump on the Metro and get off at Place de la Republique. There is a bakery there that I must go to near the Canal.

I start walking from the metro stop and see I have a text from Elena. “If you go out don’t go anywhere near Place de la Republique as that is the heart of the demonstrations.” Oops. I’m already here and I don’t see much going on. I love the shops in the area as I walk towards the bakery, Du Pain Et Des Idees. It is in a shop from the 1800’s with a gorgeous ceiling.

I arrive and it is amazing. I choose two things: The Tarte Fine Aux Figues and the Boeuf Fume Chèvre Frais Piment d’Esplette. One sweet and one savory. I love the spice Piment d’Esplette and it is hard to find in the US.

These are so so good. Still warm. I get a cafe allongé to have with the pastries and I am in heaven. I walk back to the metro at Place de la Republique and I can see more of the demonstrators’ action. But to be fair, these are French food-loving people, so I also see two men pushing a cart to make crepes for the demonstrators.

I head to the Church of Saint Mary Magdalene (also called la Madeleine). It was planned by Louis XV as the focal point to the new Place Louis XV, the present Place de la Concorde. It has an exterior design that looks like a Greek temple. Inside it is magnificent. There is a dome that depicts the History of Christianity. As I am looking around I see daily mass is about to start so I stay for mass and it is lovely.

After church I stop by the Ritz hotel (trés chic) for a coffee. Less chic but more tasty is the special sandwich I have at Le Petit Vendôme.

I have a special dinner reservation tonight at a new restaurant in the 20th called Dandelion. It is the creation of two famous chefs that left their big name places to collaborate on this new venture. I walk there in the rain and find tidy white walls, opaline suspension lamps and a buffed cement floor. A sophisticated menu is presented by very friendly staff. The sommelier helps me choose a wine as I contemplate my choices. I choose a starter of corn and crab in a harissa sauce. It is amazing.

Before the next course a couple with their college age son sits next to me. The husband gets up and takes the menu to the window squinting mightily. I’ve been there. He’s forgotten his readers. He seems frustrated as he goes to sit back down. I hold up my readers (3.0!) and offer them to him. He is so happy! I tell him I have ordered so he can take them to his table. He couldn’t thank me enough.

Here comes my main course. It is trout with stracciatella and charred cabbage in a tomato butter broth. Again…amazing!!!

I walk home with my umbrella very happy.

Thursday: I am meeting another Parisian today. He is Louis who used to live in Palo Alto. Our daughters, Laura and Ines, were born 10 days apart. I haven’t seen Louis in over 15 years. We meet in the Marais and have a lovely lunch. It is like we saw each other yesterday. I forgot to take a picture of us together so here is a picture of our two girls the year they were born. Obviously the one with the Louis XIV collar is French.

After leaving Louis, I go to Place des Vosages to view some art galleries.

Then I head home, as tonight I am going the Paris Philharmonic. The Paris Philharmonic is in the Greater Paris Metropolis, founded a decade ago by the French Parliament. The project to build up this far eastern area of Paris stalled for a while, but was revitalized with the coming of the Olympics and has brought development, vitality and housing to this area. The Paris Philharmonic was designed by architect Jean Nouvel and is a 2,400 seat concert hall. 1.5 million people attend the Philharmonic annually. Compare that to Davis Symphony Hall in San Francisco with a 2,700 seat capacity and an annual attendance of 300,000. Parisians love the arts!

I leave home with enough time before the performance for a bite at Café de las Musique.

I’m siting at a communal table when two ladies join. They are from Vienna and they fly to wherever the conductor we are seeing tonight presents. They are in awe of him. He is pretty amazing actually. Klaus Mäkelä, from Finland. Twenty nine years old. At twenty-one he conducted the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and by twenty four he was the chief conductor of the Oslo Symphony. He is the director of the Orchestre de Paris. In 2027 he will become the music director of the Chicago Symphony. I ask these ladies if they will fly to Chicago to see him, “But of Course”!

It is a beautiful building and I find that I have a front row seat overlooking the percussion group as well as a clear view of Klaus conducting. I am so lucky!

The program is wonderful. The featured piece is “An American in Paris” by George Gershwin. I tell everyone how nice it is that this big organization has welcomed me to Paris with this choice.

I enjoy myself so much. I take the metro home and it is after midnight.

Friday: I have to get up early as I have secured a spot on the tour of the Paris Opera House (Palais Garnier). Virginia is our guide and she is funny and knowledgeable. She tells us the main auditorium is closed for some repairs and that is too bad. But…as we start up the beautiful staircase a man comes and whispers in her ear. She smiles and said she has permission to take us in. So glad, as it is beautiful.

It opened in 1875 and it is huge. 450 dancers can be on stage at once. Virginia shows us where ladies had to sit because they all wore large hats and no one wanted them to sit and block their views.

Now I must get across town to the Neuilly-sur-Seine area as I am meeting Elena at the Fondation Louis Vuitton. But first, I want to get a crepe at the well regarded Cafe Breizh. The crepe is square with a pat of butter and I devour it.

The Fondation Louis Vuitton is in an extraordinary building designed by Frank Gehry. It opened in 2014 as an art center and is sponsored by LVMH. It cost 800 million euros to build, an overrun of 700 million euros.

We take a tour of the building and then we are invited to do an immersive VR experience. We are game so we put the glasses on and find ourselves all over the building, on the roof, leaning over the edges and in general inhabiting this amazing a structure.

Tonight I will try the restaurant Camille. I walk there about 30 minutes and I’m glad I reserved ahead because it’s packed. The waiters are very sweet and explain a few of the choices. I go with the sea bass cooked in an olive and tomato sauce accompanied by a cold glass of Chablis.

Saturday: I have read about the best boeuf bourguignon being at Chez Réne. I have been wanting to have this dish for two weeks. Today is the day. I walk there to get exercise as it is across the Seine. I am seated at a nice table and I notice every person in the busy restaurant is French. This is a good sign. People are ordering so many things: Beef tartare, sardines, onion soup, frisée salads. But I want what I came for so I stick to my plan. The very professional waiter first brings me a little crock of a cheese dip and crackers.

I say I want the boeuf bourguignon and he says then you must have a glass of red wine. Well ok if you insist. It comes to a side table and the waiter scoops a lot of it into a bowl and then brings me the bowl and the rest of the crock. Oh my!

I pass on dessert. C’est tout! I meet the man having lunch on my right. He is French and has just gotten off a plane from Brazil. This is where he comes first. I see why.

I leave quite satisfied and stroll through this lovely neighborhood. I know from my research that the best baguettes in Paris are sold nearby as well as a well regarded cheese shop. I visit both and make purchases thinking I will eat in tonight.

As I cross the river, I decide to pay a visit to La Samaritain. This is another luxury department store located right on the Seine and you guessed it—-it is also owned by LVMH. The one smart thing I do is go to the perfume department and have then spray some fragrances I like on business card size paper. I keep those in my purse as they come in handy sometimes on a crowded Metro ride where personal hygiene is not uniform.

It is starting to rain so I head home. At 6:13 I realize there is a 6:30 mass at Church of Saint-Germain de Charonne. It is a mile away but if Iget out the door immediately I will make it. I do! The church bells are ringing as I run up the steps. It is a beautiful small mass.

Afterwards I stop in a bookstore on my way home and then a wine shop. After all, I have that cheese waiting for me and it needs some good wine.

Sunday: It is a rainy day so it is perfect for the museums I still want to see. I start with the Picasso museum. The audio guide is very helpful. The museum is three floors and has an enormous collection. It is not crowded at all which I am surprised at given the weather.

I know that between the Picasso and my next museum is supposedly a fantastic falafel place. It is called L’As Du Fallafel . I go by and there is a long line to eat in the crowded little place. But they have a take away window and the All Saints store across the street has a little covered patio and a bench. So I order to go at the outside window. It is delicious.

My next museum is the European Phtography Museum. They are having an exhibit of Marie-Laure de Decker. She is one of my favorites as she photographed in dangerous situations, but from a human level. The room of her Vietnam photos is particularly captivating. She has a series of portraits from Chad that I love as well. It is all just so compelling.

I am all museumed out so I head home as I am having a coffee with Mathias shortly.

We meet at Au Cadron Voltaire, a local cafe.

We sit outside at a little table. I really enjoy getting the perspective over a coffee of new friends in my host country and we have such a wide ranging conversation. I am really going to miss this terrace culture when I leave. Every block in Paris is full of cafes with outdoor tables. It’s Paris’ version of a pub, but outdoors. People are just having a coffee, drinking a glass of wine and some are eating. I do not understand why we don’t have this in San Francisco. In SF there are a few tables out in a few neighborhoods, but by and large those are restaurants and you don’t sit and have a coffee. We have just as a good a climate as Paris. It puzzles me.

Mathias is off to his parent’s home in Lille tomorrow so I hope to see him when he returns. He starts a new job in the UK in October and he will be a huge success.

Tomorrow I am taking my first day trip…to Chartres. Stay tuned!

Bonjour mes amis! I leave for Paris on Air France on September 1 for Shirleyfest #15 and arrive Tuesday September 2nd.

I uber quickly to my new home in the 11th arrondissement. It is a vibrant, residential neighborhood filled with with Parisians taking their children to school, running for the bus, strolling to the cafés. I like my apartment very much and the neighbors are really friendly.

Now I must start walking to avoid jet lag! I immediately find my “first place in the morning” cafe, “On Partage.” I walk into this lovely coffeehouse on my block and Marion greets me warmly. The coffee is wonderful and all the people working there make me feel right at home. I wisely hold off on the pastries and order a healthy option.

After a coffee, I walk for miles getting to renew my love of this beautiful city. I stroll through three arrondissements on the right bank before crossing the Seine and exploring the left bank. I am almost home when I come a cross Le Pure Cafe, which beckons me for a glass of wine and some nourishment.

France and Poland are playing basketball on the tv behind the bar. I meet Antoine, Anita and Sebastian and now I have my “last place at night” place. After dinner, many miles on my feet and 30+ hours since I left home, I finally turn in for my first night in Paris.

Wednesday: First thing first. I have to buy my monthly metro card. It is the one thing that makes traipsing all over the city a breeze. Charonne is my station on the 9 line so I go there and I am lucky to get a patient attendant to make my card. Voila!

I know I want to buy an annual membership to the D’Orsay Museum and the L’Orangerie. I set off for the museum ticket office.

I like having an annual membership because then I can go every day for an hour and actually enjoy the museums. Also I like providing support for the arts in my host city. The water lilies at the L’Orangerie never disappoint.

At the D’Orsay, I head for Van Gough’s Starry Night and say hello before eating at the museum’s cafe under the famous clock.

If you get the right vantage point, you can catch a glimpse of Sacré Coeur through the clock. After the museums, I wander the left bank, browsing the lovely shops and after a while stop at Gérard Mulot, a famous patisserie for a pain aux raisin and café allongé ( basically an Americano).

It is difficult to not indulge in even more of their beautiful wares, but I reluctantly leave.

I head home just before a rain shower that lasts all of 5 minutes before blue skies arrive and out I go again.

This time I go to the 2nd where I check out the area known as Montorgueil. It is an off-the-beaten path pedestrian area in the heart of Paris.

I spy many historic homes, cheese shops and brasserie-bars. Then I see it. Stohrer’s!

It is the oldest patisserie in Paris, founded in 1730 by King Louis XV’s pastry chef, Nicolas Stohrer. Nicolas invented rum baba, the Chiboust cream tart and the puit d’amour. This last one I learned from the shopkeeper was the pastry the king would send to his mistress as a signal he wanted to rendezvous with her. I have my own love affair with this beautiful pastry and now I’m off for home.

Thursday: Today Laura arrives for a quick visit. She is like me and wants to start walking as soon as she arrives so we head off down Rue Voltaire. We stop in at Paperboy for coffee and admire their sandwiches, but it is too early for that! We walk to Marché des Enfants Rouge. This oldest covered market in Paris dates back to the 17th century and gets it name from a nearby orphanage founded in 1534. The children were dressed in red, a color symbolizing Christian charity, hence the name.

We shop there and then visit 134 RDT, which won the award for the best croissant in Paris and which happens to be across the street from Jacques Genin, the chef turned famous chocolatier. It is climate-controlled and it is like entering a goldsmith’s shop.

We find some lovely home stores before completing our walk back home. We stop for lunch at a local café called Belle Equipe and meet hilarious waiter Gregory.

Tonight we head to OOBATZ for dinner. It is one of the most talked about new restaurants in Paris and it is pizza! Laura had this on her radar and got in the queue for a reservations minutes after our dates opened up. It was delicious, minimilist decor, great food and attentive service.

Friday (Laura’s second and last day): We start to do a walking tour and then thought a better use of our time would be shopping.

We head to the left bank and enter the world of French beauty products known as Aroma Zone. Just to demonstrate the popularity of this store, in France the brand sells a hyaluronic acid serum every 10 seconds. Exhausted from shopping we get baguettes of jamon and fromage and sit in the Luxembourg Gardens for a picnic.

Crossing back over to the right bank, we do more shopping on Rue Vieille du Temple which houses the competitor to La Labo perfume, Perfumer H, conceived by Lyn Harris,a British perfumer trained in Grasse. We also stop in Laïze-Sainte-Avoye, a Taiwanese beautiful tea/coffee house for tea and delicious lemon cake.

We visit a wine shop and secure a natural wine which we take home for happy hour while we get ready for dinner. Dinner tonight is at Mezetiere in the Marais and it is delicious.

Afterwards we take a walk through this gorgeous neighborhood.

There is still time to jump on the metro and take it out to view the sparkling Eiffel Tower.

Saturday:Laura has been here less than 48 hours and now she is flying back to New York. I will miss her energy and her systematic way of finding the coolest places in a city she barely knows.

After I wave goodbye, I head for a hike along Paris’ inspiration for New York’s Highline, the Coulée Verte. It is a beautiful fall day and I do the entire length. There are ivy covered arches and elegant rooftops as I walk through the breezy path.

I then join my San Francisco friend, Patrick, at the St Regis for a coffee and a little browsing on I’Île Saint- Louis.

Patrick is staying at our friend Bob’s gorgeous apartment on the Seine and that evening I am delighted to attend a cocktail party there. It is a terrific party with such fun guests. While sipping champagne, eating pâté and French cheeses and gazing at the river views, I start to wonder how I can possibly live in Paris full time. A memorable evening!

Sunday: There is an open air market, Rue Ponchlet, near the Arc de Triumph that I’m looking forward to seeing. It is near an English speaking Catholic Church and I have the idea that I might go to mass there. My timing is off for that, so I go directly to the market. It is rowdy in a good way and people are buying up the produce and flowers excitedly.

I buy my provisions and go to Parc Monceau for lunch at the carousel.

Afterwards I walk to the famous Père-Lachaise cemetery. I have studied a map and I am proud to say that in this enormous place I found Jim Morrison’s grave easily.

I then explore the rest of the less famous graves, like Proust’s.

Later I set out for Notre Dame. I have an idea to at least get in to hear vespers and hopefully mass. I am amazed that while the line to view the newly renovated cathedral is long, there is no one online for vespers.

I go right in and I have a seat in the front row. It is beautiful eveningsong and prayers and the church looks spectacular. I ask if I can stay in my seat for the mass which follows and I am told “but of course”. The mass is presided over by a bishop and at least 20 priests. I can’t take pictures during mass, of course, so I patiently wait to do this afterwards. Of course the mass is in French, but I can follow pretty well. It is breathtaking to be there and experience Notre Dame in this fashion.

I walk the 40 minutes home in a lovely trance. Of course I stop at Le Pure Cafe, my last place at night bar, for a glass of Chablis and I toast my first week in Paris!

Tomorrow morning, I am excited to meet Elena, a friend of Nick and Ivan’s who lives in Paris. Stay tuned.

And in English…a sweet pear! I think you’ll find my Shirleyfest 2025 just that!

This year I’ll be taking on two cities in two months.

Paris is well…PARIS. Known as the City of Lights it is one of Europe’s most enduring cities. From the Eiffel Tower to the Arc de Triomphe to the newly reopened Notre Dame, the landmarks abound. Couple that with exquisite food and artistic treasures housed in numerous excellent museums, you can see why I’ve decided to spend a Shirleyfest month roaming the streets of this iconic city. While I’ve been to Paris several times, it has been a while since my last visit. Here’s a snap of Laura and me on an earlier visit. So now I will return and give a Shirleyfest whirl to Paris!

Lyon you may be less familiar with. It’s France’s third largest city and is a city of culture, history and business.

It’s located at the crossroads of Europe and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Lyon is known as the capital of French gastronomy and is internationally recognised for its cultural events such as the Festival of Lights and its Contemporary Art Biennale. I think it will impress me like Bologna did in 2022. You can hopefully look forward to many pictures of me enjoying the bouchons of Lyon. What are bouchons? They are places that serve traditional Lyonnaise cuisine, such as sausages, coq-au-vin, “salade lyonnaise”,  or roast pork. Compared to other forms of French cooking, the dishes are quite hearty. Apparently there are approximately twenty officially certified traditional bouchons in Lyon, but a larger number of establishments describe themselves using the term. I’ll let you know!

As always, if you have any travel tips for me or if you know anyone living in either of these two citues, please leave me a comment here on this site or contact me directly at shirleyfesttime@gmail.com.