Our Lyon

 

Last Saturday morning we set off for an overnight in Lyon (7:34 am). Voila! in 2hr5 minutes we arrived ready to conquer French cuisine!

First stop, a short walk from train station Part-Dieux - Paul Bocuse Halles. So much praliné!(sugared almonds)a Lyonnaise classic.

A spin around will show you the Lyonnaise specialties (Saucisson de Lyon (sausage), Rosette lyonnaise, Saucisson brioché) you Must eat. Plenty of free tastes and all upper crust quality. 

Ever onward to our reserved lunch at Le Nord, one of Paul’s bouchons. 

I had the ‘fix or formule’ (32€). An incredible froth of mushroom soup with bits of foie gras, and baked Cod. Carolyn likes to be independent and ordered a French steak. We both had tarte citron meringue for dessert. A superb lunch. Not an intimidating place. All very relaxed locals. 

On to the old town/Vieux Ville. No way could we eat dinner, so we combed the tiny medieval streets studying menus for Sunday’s lunch like everyone else. 

Next day this little bouchon appealed (Vieux Lyon). I’m not sure you can get a bad meal in Lyon. 

My ‘fix’ lunch (21,90) was salade Lyonnaise (lettuce with bacon, croûtons and a poached egg.), classic quenelles(ground, poached pike). We shared the profiteroles with home-made vanilla ice cream😊 Carolyn had onion soupe.

Then more wandering.

Old Lyon has exquisite hidden alleyways and alcoves to explore.

Traditional Lyonnaise silk shops of course.

Everyone was carrying a candy bag from Francois Praulis, so we did too.

I wanted to see the Musee de Cinema et Miniatures

Which was a marvel and close by.

Lyon is known for Guignol, its own punch and judy show. We visited the musée des Marionettes too. Don’t miss the secret garden on the top floor. 

It’s 31 March and I am still working on the March letter art 💌 Last day to buy a watercolor and make a contribution to Ukraine Red Cross. For the few PB readers who misunderstood, I do not have your names or email addresses, much less access to your Paypal accounts. None of your funds were taken. Sorry if I gave that impression. The black cat skills of Cary Grant are not mine. I did once paint an oligarch’s yacht in Cannes if you want to see it. 

Coming home to the Seine never disappoints.

Hugo Pratt, musee des confluences, Lyon

My reason for going to Lyon last Saturday was to see an exhibit of graphic novel artist, HUGO PRATT, HORIZON LINES at MUSEE DES CONFLUENCE. I caught a bus across from the Halles Paul Bocuse. The driver and his pal explained I would have to change to another bus. I was escorted to the other bus, which took me to the end of a peninsula surrounded by many modern structures but no museum in sight. I had to enter a tunnel, cross some highways. Et voila!

An amazing structure said to look like a floating crystal cloud of stainless steel and glass designed by an Austrian group, Coop Himmelbleau.

Inside an equally astonishing experience to wander through

The perfect setting for the other worldly drawings of Hugo Pratt.

The display was a dramatic mixup of ethnographic objects and his blown-up cartoons.

You're immediately drawn in.

For once wall notes were in English, French and Italian. Pratt was born in Venice, spent early years in Africa and lived in London, Argentina, Brazil, Paris, Lausanne. And in general traveled the world searching for settings for his main character, adventurer/sailr/hero, CORTO MALTESE, who somewhat resembles Burt Lancaster...as well as Hugo Pratt himself.

I was attracted to Pratt's delicate washy watercolors a few years back.

Plus he does good seagulls...

Wonderfully loose sketch sheets

What's not to love?

Painting in his Swiss studio. He died in '95 just 62 years old, but he expanded the graphic novel to new heights from 1967 with his eye for cinematography and his adventurous storylines influenced by Kipling, Stevenson, Melville.

I was so tempted to buy a big empty paintbox like Pratt's at Boesner this week.

Love his loose personal sketch sheets..

Which contrast with his strong black and white graphics

Drawing ✍️ with India ink are as enticing. The exhibition is appropriately called "Horizon Lines"

After 2 hours of immersion and inspiration, I hopped on a tram in front. Then a short metro trip to the center of Lyon, before returning home. Somehow I missed the Musee de Cinema et Miniatures. Plus the famous silk museum. I’ll return soon. The Hugo Pratt exhibit is on through October, 2018.

Thanks for reading Parisbreakfast. If you'd like to subscribe to Parisbreakfast maps and letters in your mailbox, look in my Etsy shop. And check out my Instagram. Summer is ending.

Sirah 2013, Lyon

Dimanche 27 janvier SIRAH 2013 Lyon

I left the house at 6am to run to catch the 7:58 TGV at Gare du Lyon.

Another tram and a bus et voila - SIRAH!

This show is enormous. As big as Maison et Objet. I took just a tiny bite.I’m thinking of running back today for more bites.

Football fields of food, tableware, equipment.
2200 exhibitors and brands
22 national pavilion
1200 demonstrations every day

And so many chefs

And chef demos mis en place

Thousands of croissants wherever you look.

Christophe Adams created 'baguette' eclairs. Formerly Fauchon's master eclair pastry chef. He now owns l'Eclair du Genie..

Valrhona Chocolate is a major sponsor of the 5-day extravaganza. They passed around tasting trays of various flavored chocolate mousse.

Loved this olive oil tasting set up like a perfume tasting.

Beautiful KitchenAids like Radio City Rockette dancers were in every chefs kitchen onsite.

Statues of Paul Bocuse everywhere. The Bocuse d'Or concours  lasts 2 days and is a major world wide event.

Clever Villeroy and Boch had a space where anyone could paint their own version of the Bocuse commemorative plate. Fun!

The 'presse' lunch upstairs in the press room— savory relief from all the lush sweets in the food halls downstairs. The Coupe du Monde de la Patisserie tomorrow. Stay tuned!

Bonne Journee!