Category: France (Page 1 of 3)

Lyon 9.5.26

10 May 2026 / admin

Lyon Funicular F2 9-5-26

A return to more mundane territory today, indeed a slightly bigger drop than we had wished in some respects. Our first target today was to visit the two funiculars which I suspect I traversed on my previous visit to Lyon in 1982 but my memory of that is dimmed by time. Both funiculars commence at Vieux Lyon Cathedrale Saint Jean Metro station in the old town. We take the F2 line first which goes up to St Just with an intermediate stop for the Roman ruins. It is very warm in Lyon today so we do not feel like walking around Roman ruins and return to the starting point.

Lyon Funicular F1 9-5-26

There are significant queues for the second funicular – it all seems busier than I had anticipated. At the top of this funicular is the Cathedral named in the metro stop from which our journey commenced.

Cathedral St Jean 7-5-26

This photograph shows the Cathedral from the river level when we were walking around earlier in the week as none of the photographs taken up there actually demonstrated the full majesty of the building – it looks far more impressive from a distance as it is an elevated position over the city.

Lyon City 9-5-26

However from the elevated position the city can can be seen with the Saone river in the foreground and a little further back is the Rhone.

We had planned to walk down through the adjacent gardens but the route appears closed. We are walking as our destination is allegedly 5 minutes – although as it is steep and indirect it is a lot further before we reach La Table de la Villa Florentine which has recently re-opened following extensive refurbishment. However despite a Michelin recommendation our view was that it was slightly disappointing and unlike yesterday not really value for money.

In the evening we get to eat some of that cheese we bought and drink some more wine.

We travelled home on 10 May 2026. No fuss over getting through passport control (we go out on an early tram just in case there is a disaster) and as it is there we have a Burger King in the airport. Once back it is then pod to the car park and home with very little to report.

Lyon 8.5.26

9 May 2026 / admin

Paul Bocuse 8-5-26

Today was the intended highlight of the trip. Paul Bocuse was one of the leading chefs of nouvelle cuisine and as a result of his name and fame Lyon has become renowned as the food centre of France. His long career is covered in the linked article and I do not intend to repeat it.

The restaurant is L’Auberge du Pont de Collonges and whilst it might have lost one of the three Michelin stars it once held it remains a place of legend and our high hopes for an excellent meal were delivered in full.

The menu required two photographs:

Menu 1 Bocuse 8-5-26

Menu 2 Bocuse 8-5-26

The highlight is the chicken served in a pig’s bladder and this is impressive and a very tender piece of chicken.

Chicken in Pig’s Bladder Bocuse 8-5-26

All absolutely stunning and it was a superb meal and the waiting staff are also incredible. A lovely place and we could understand (and overhear) comments from other tables about return visit.

Jackie had arranged taxis both ways so it was an easy journey in both directions which meant that even though I could see trains through the window it is definitely the way to come and go.

I should also note that being food related ALL of the photographs in this post were taken by Jackie Whitbread and she retains copyright in all of them and any requests for use should be made to her.

In summary all excellent and it was indeed the highlight of the trip. If only it were a little closer!

Lyon 7.5.26

8 May 2026 / admin

Alien Lyon 7-5-26

Today we have an outline and it all just about works out. Metro to the main tourist information office where we book a river tour for this afternoon and then meander over into the old town to see the main part of the flat part adjacent to the river to find the Museum of Cinema and Miniatures. This is in the middle of the old town and is a fascinating collection.

The Alien moves in a threatening way with threatening noise leading Jackie to leave that particular room rapidly!

Gremlin Lyon 7-5-26

There are a wide range of models used in various ways, given my addiction to transport this model of a subway train caught my eye.

Subway model Lyon 7-5-26

Four floors and I would have thought something for everyone including Batman in various guises and a Hoverboard with much else. A goodly hour or so wandering around the exhibits.

Lunch is a pizza in the old town and we then wander back across the river to catch our boat for the afternoon trip along the river.

River View 1 Lyon 7-5-26

Our journey is along the river Saone which meets the Rhone (hence the name of the tram from the airport) a little downstream. We initially head upstream past the old town on our left with old warehouses now converted to housing on the river front. At Pont Koenig we swing round and start the journey downstream.

L’Homme de la Roche Lyon 7-5-26

Given its size and no doubt cost the absolute history of the statue appears to be shrouded in mystery with several explanations existing, the most likely being that it celebrated a hermit who lived in the cave where the statue now resides.

Our trip extends along the Saone to its confluence with the Rhone with the space between the two rivers having been extensively redeveloped in the recent past with a collection of buildings of modern designs.

Euronews HQ Lyon 7-5-26

There is also a bright orange building and also a modern conference centre.

Pont Kitchener-Marchand Lyon 7-5-26

On our return we pass under Pont Kitchener-Marchand which is a modern bridge but the original was named after Field Marshal Horatio Herbert Kitchener and Jean-Baptiste Marchand who together were responsible for peaceful settlement of the Fashoda crisis. The bridge is adorned with the pictured metal sculptures depicting the spirits or allegories of the Rhône and Saône rivers.

We wend our way to a shop to obtain some local cheeses to eat later on the holiday as we are having a heavier meal tomorrow (the hotel wine was also consumed) by a different metro route as Lyon is well served by a variety of public transport.

Dinner this evening is at an excellent restaurant Table et Partage which is within walking distance of the hotel and the quality here was superb. Strongly recommended.

A much better day today.

Lyon 6.5.26

7 May 2026 / admin

Empty l;ocker space 6-5-26

Having spent a fortune on her Amex card we became entitled to a companion voucher on BA and whilst they have made these less attractive and usable over the years they do enable an almost free flight to European destinations so when it arrived last year we determined that we would visit Lyon. Hotel booked, Restaurants booked and hopefully a few pleasant days would ensue, which looked even better when a previously unavailable dining location re-opened bookings to co-incide with our time in the City. All good news.

Off to Heathrow and as usual into a pod from the pod parking to the terminal. Convenient even if a little expensive and of course our second trip using this route in a short time.

We have both packed with two cabin bags – Jackie with her new cabin bag as acquired in Den Haag and me with a black case I had for short trips at work. We also have a second bag all in accordance with BA guidance. At the gate we are minding our own business when a BA employee asks to see our boarding passes and then tells us that our bags are going in the hold. He had walked around the waiting passengers and we were the only ones he approached. Apparently the plane was full and the luggage had to go in the hold. When we pointed out that this was not right we were told we would be offloaded and could not fly. There was none of the usual – can you help us please or any politeness – it was his way or the highway. The lack of customer awareness was unbelievable.

So at Lyon I checked the overhead locker – it was completely empty. In other overhead lockers we could see cases with luggage labels indicating they were destined for the hold. Put simply there was no need for it. One bag each would have gone in the overhead and the other one under the seat in front. It was handled so badly that it put us off completely – this is not the BA that once claimed to be the world’s favourite airline.

The next nightmare is border control. They have three open booths (of 6), no-one is managing the queue and it takes two hours, no seats, no water and no-one keen on actually welcoming us to the country. No instructions on how to use the electronic gates or even information on if they could be used (as we registered on the new system entering the Netherlands). When we do reach the border person she and her adjacent colleague are discussing the next night out and Jackie is pretty sure she does not even look at her to compare the photo taken. Absolutely awful.

Rhone Express 6-5-26

The airport is adjacent to the TGV station to which we walk. On the far side of the station is a platform for the “tram” known as the Rhone Express into Lyon which terminates adjacent to the main station and also our hotel as Jackie wanted a short walk from tram stop to the hotel – which is just as well as it actually raining at this point.

Now I can offer some advice. Nothing wrong with the hotel. However the area on this side of the station is less than attractive. We wander around some adjacent streets in the hope of a little bar or similar but nothing appeals and at one point there are some less than welcome drunks lying in the street. Not appealing at all. To save going out again we cancel the restaurant booking this evening and decide to eat in the hotel. The wine is good even if the food is slightly lacking.

In summary not a good start to this particular trip.

Homeward Bound 1.8.25

2 August 2025 / admin

MS Jane Austen 1.8.25

The end of the holiday and time for the next journey so we step away from the MS Jane Austen. Jackie is travelling with others on the normal return journey – a coach and Eurostar then Thameslink and GWR in a straight reverse of the outward journey.

I have my own trip programmed – taking an Interrail excursion at 71 (although technically it is not Interrail as I shall be staying in France). That story continues over on the Railways blog as (of course) I am not travelling with my wife.

Coach home 1.8.25

So I wave her coach farewell before heading off. I suspect Jackie is convinced that I cannot possibly manage three nights travelling on my own without getting lost or into trouble – but at least I have my passport.

This has been a good holiday. A mixture of relaxation and visiting new places. Two locations struck off the long list of places to visit – Monet’s Garden and Versailles plus a chance to see Rouen and Honfleur. Well worthwhile.

Versailles 31.7.25

1 August 2025 / admin

Versailles Statues 31.7.25

When we booked this trip we knew we would have a free day in Paris so by looking at the berthing location it was clear that it was a walk across the road onto the Metro which had a fast direct service to Versailles – it seemed an obvious way of using the day.

About three weeks before departure (so almost four weeks ago) I decided to check the detail using the ratp journey planner. After some “fun” I find out a few things. First up track works disrupting services are NOT loaded into the ratp journey planner until three weeks prior to operation even when they are known about and planned months in advance. Reading the website showed that the relevant line was disrupted in July and August – but the journey planner was showing normal journeys because it was more than 3 weeks before the journey date. Hence if you have issued a press release saying the line is disrupted then you must be able to update the journey planner, indeed why would anyone not do so? Unless you are from Paris obviously. It turns out that the relevant line is completely closed for today, not a single service will run. So working out where we are and the nearest metro station turns the journey into an initial walk, three trains and then something like 20 minutes’ walk at Versailles as we no longer arrive at the nearest station. This does not sound like fun and my plans are over-ruled – we shall go by taxi!

For the Palace we had made an 11:30 booking and, unlike the Pena Palace, Versailles clear the 11am queue and then immediately start letting the 11:30 booking line in with only a short delay – so although the very hot weather has returned we do not spend too long standing in the sun which is welcome.

Royal Chapel Versailles 31.7.25

My Canon appears to have gone on the blink this morning and so all shots were taken with my phone. These days can you tell the difference? A lot of my photos appear to be of the ceilings – simply because of the crowds – which have always been true of the palace I suppose.

Given the heat and the walking when we find we have not booked access to the gardens I am not that bothered – they are obviously extensive but the grounds close to the palace are closed and being reworked and those further afield look like being a long walk – so on the whole being prevented from going further is a good thing.

Hall of Mirrors Versailles 31.7.25

Versailles is impressive – but the crowds are difficult – there are several guided tours ahead of us and it is impossible to take in more than an impression of the grandeur which exists. The Hall of Mirrors remains the standout of course but I wonder how much is lost in the crush. We get a reasonable lunch and then head back out towards where I had spotted taxis earlier and indeed there is a taxi rank very close which is at variance with the guidance found online so we are soon taken back to the boat to enable packing before our final dinner.

Monet’s House and Garden Giverny 30.7.25

31 July 2025 / admin

Giverny Bridge 30.7.25

This morning we are moored in Vernon and looking at weather reports online for Vernon implied it was far nicer than it actually looked outside using window. After some research it is established that there is another Vernon in Canada and somehow that comes up on a search and not Vernon France. Here, regrettably, it is actually raining intermittently. So the waterproofs were worth bringing and are put on.

The mooring is on the north bank of the Seine whilst our destination is on the south bank and so there is a twenty minute coach ride to reach Monet’s House and Garden in Giverney where our group is second only to Nicko Cruise in obtaining entrance. Both groups are allowed entry well before the advertised opening time.

Water Garden 30.7.25

We go first to the Water Garden which is accessed by a walkway under the main road but it is initially surprisingly quiet. The numbers visiting are large but not impossible at this stage but it gets steadily busier. However I think getting any photographs (other than close ups) without people is impossible. The water gardens are stunning – although it is the wrong time of year for water lilies to be in bloom it is still a lovely setting.

Monet Garden 30.7.25

Passing back under the road we then visit the main garden which is colourful before joining the queue for the house. They are limiting entrance to the house and the queue does slowly grow behind us – we are waiting about 15 minutes which is adequate – by the time we come out I suspect that the queue length has nearly doubled.

Monet House 30.7.25

We head out and obtain a cup of coffee and an indoor seat just before the rain starts pouring down very heavily which continues for some time following which we move to the meeting point.

Then we return to Jane Austen and continue smoothly along the Seine towards Paris, once again we have the pleasure of watching the countryside pass by, catch up some reading and can remember that holidays are also for resting as well as seeing new things.

Honfleur 29.7.25

30 July 2025 / admin

Honfleur Salt Cellar 29.7.25

It is a shorter coach journey today for a half day excursion to Honfleur which is where the Seine reaches the sea.

Between the mooring point and our destinations yesterday and today our coach crosses all three modern bridges in the area easing communication between the two sides of the Seine. These are Pont de Brotonne (close to Caudebecquet), Pont de Tancarville and Pont de Normandie which links the Honfleur (south side) to Le Havre (north side) of the Seine and which we once used many years ago to gain the ferry to return to the UK after a holiday in the Loire.

Honfleur town was once famous for salt cellars, three originally, there are now two. They existed because the salt was needed to preserve the fishing catch. The cellars are constructed of great blocks of limestone with wooden vaulting ceilings erected by craftsmen word worker who were normally ship builders so the roofs echoing hulls of ships.

Old Harbour Honfleur 29.7.25

The complexity of the various buildings on the side of the Old Harbour which is at the heart of the town came about by the need for money of the owner who sold the right to build on the land adjacent to the Harbour and the properties were built with direct access to the Harbour. When the owner later ran short of money she then sold the ability to build a further four or five stories above the earlier construction with access from the street away from the quayside – so the properties had two owners. This trickery did not go down at all well.

St Catherine Honfleur 29.7.25

The church of Saint Catherine burned down and the replacement wooden church was again designed by local people versed in the art of shipbuilding giving another opportunity for those hull like structures to be deployed.

The fishing fleet of small boats is now virtually extinct (rather similar to the position in the UK) and the harbour is now rather more full of modern luxury sailing boats.

We return to the MS Jane Austen for lunch and in the middle of the afternoon we start retracing our steps along the Seine towards Paris. It is very restful to once again watch the countryside pass by. As with our trip along the Rhine a few years ago this is also a working river so we are passing other working vessels.

Bayeux and D Day Beaches 28.7.25

29 July 2025 / admin

Harold Bayeux Tapestry

We are moored at Caudebec en Caen. Whilst I am sure that our river boat could navigate further along the river we will spend two nights here and our excursions to the channel coast will be by coach. Today is the longest excursion on this tour with an early start – as we shall be visiting the sight of the D Day landings near Arromanches this afternoon but first we head to Bayeux to visit the famous tapestry.

Historically the experts now agree the Bayeux Embroidery was created in Southern England at the request of Bishop Odo, brother of William the Bastard (as he was known until he became the Conqueror), to reflect the various promises that William would inherit the English crown made by Edward the Confessor. Bishop Odo was the Bishop of Bayeux.

My picture above comes from Aspects of History which argues that whilst the scene is depicted above the limited contemporary records refer to Harold being seriously mutilated and hard to identify – so just maybe that famous story is not entirely true!

We are given handheld recorders describing the embroidery scene by scene. All well and good as it indicates the supposed pace of movement – except that some in front of us seem unable to move forward at the inherent pace so I am constantly trying to look a couple of scenes ahead to see what is being described; it is not possible to pause the recording as it is a crowd control issue. The Tapestry (it is actually technically an embroidery) will be coming to the British Museum in 2027 so I wonder what visitor numbers it will attract.

Bayeux Cathedral 28.7.25

We also have a few spare minutes to see the exterior of Bayeux Cathedral.

Remains of Mulberry Harbour 28.7.25

At Arromanches we visit the D Day landing museum. One aspect new to me is that Mulberry Harbour A (American) was destroyed in the bad weather which came soon after D Day and only the B (British) Harbour could be used to bring in everything until November 1944. The advancing forces took Antwerp in the September but there was no clear path until the conclusion of the Battle of the Scheldt to open and clear the estuary for use by Allied Troops. The logistics of the Mulberry Harbour as a single point of failure must have caused many sleepless nights for those concerned.

We then visit the D Day Arromanches British War Graves – here dominated by the large numbers of very young soldiers. We then move onto the relatively recent (June 2021) British Normandy Memorial recording the names of the 22,442 individuals under UK command who lost their lives between 6 June 1944 and 31 August 1944. It was brought into being after it was noted that other nations already had a dedicated memorial.

It has been beautifully completed. These European reminders of the horrors of the two World Wars did not stop the Argentinians in 1982 and seem to have no recognition currently in either Israel or Russia who continue their plans to grab the territory of others. Indeed there has recently been talk of the USA demanding that Canada and Greenland become part of that country.

Standing with Giants 28.7.25

For D Day 80 1475 silhouettes names “Standing with Giants” were placed on the hillside below the Memorial and they returned this summer representing those lost under British command on 6 June 1944. It commenced as a small community project but these images have appeared widely over the last few years.

Rouen 27.7.25

28 July 2025 / admin

Rouen Cathedral 27.7.25

In Rouen we are berthed close to the city centre so we are split into a number of walking groups and with ear pieces in place we head up the steps and into the city. Rouen is the limit of the tidal flow – further west the Seine is canalised to allow larger boats to reach this far along the river towards Paris. It is a major centre with huge grain silos in the port area and a little further westwards there are two huge oil refineries which are supplied by sea – at least one still has the capacity for despatching refined products by rail, although there is also evidence of river tankers which we passed on the way here as another means of distribution.

Out first stop in Rouen is the enormous cathedral which has one of the highest spires in Europe and the highest in France. Apparently having the highest spire at one point was a competitive sport in Europe and the others slightly outstripped Rouen as time passed. Mirrored in many ways by the competitive building of Towers in the 1960s which have been noted in most European capital cities!

Part of Rouen Cathedral 27.7.25

The cathedral’s entrance is impossible to fit into the camera’s viewfinder for a single shot as one cannot stand far enough back. There is an incredible amount of carved detail all over the face of stonework which shows that the work involved was enormous.

Rouen Cathedral Roof 27.7.25

It is not only the front of the cathedral or the interior which is decorated but also there are carved figures on the roof although I have struggled to find any information about them. Indeed finding photographs is difficult. So I thought I would include one.

Gros Horloge and Belfry 27.7.25

We then progress through the pedestrianised area. The centre of the town is marked a grand clock which tells the time – but in its own way. The Gros Horloge dates back to 1389. The hour hand revolves once in 24 hours – there are 24 rays to the sun. Moon phases are in the upper part of the dial. Week days are at the base of the dial in allegorical form (Diane/Moon – Monday, Mars – Tuesday, Mercury – Wednesday, Jupiter – Thursday, Venus – Friday, Saturn – Saturday, Apollo – Sunday).

The supporting archway pays tribute to the original source of wealth in the area – sheep.

The final stop on the route was until the 1960’s the local market and the area was the location where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake. A new development encompasses the remaining market stalls plus a modern church as a memorial to France’s revolutionary heroine. It is also a reminder that for a long time western France and England were ruled by William the Conqueror and his successors.

This evening there is a quiz with 20 questions and a total of 23 points. Our group of 4 did well getting 22 out of 23. We could not recall the name of a particular Clint Eastwood film – “Unforgiven”.