May 15 - a Sunday stroll through LYON

 A cool, beautiful morning greeted us for our last exploration day in Lyon.   We started at the town hall, The Hotel de ville de Lyon.

It was built between 1646-1672.  Across from it is the National Opera of Lyon.

Look at all this blue sky!   Climbed up the slopes of the Pentes de la Croix-Rousse to look at some small ruins of a Roman amphitheater. But, on the way, another church, Eglise St-Polycarpe, whose services weren't until 11:30 allowed us to take a peek.   Completed in 1670.

Ok, now on to the Roman ruins.

Known as The Amphitheater of the Three Gauls, it was built in 19 AD.    Its capacity was 1800 places.     The following view was looking uphill from this.

We started down the hill to the river and were greeted with these views.

This is looking across the river Saone and up at the Fourviere hill at the Basilique Notre-Dame de Fourviere which we'll see in more detail next week on our river boat excursion along with more Roman ruins.

 We crossed the river on the Pont la Feuillee (bridge).  Here's a view  looking northward as the river Saone turns south towards us.

Once across the bridge we came upon a crafts market along the river.

By this time it's up to 75-deg. as we head into the north part of Vieux-Lyon.    Here's the smallish train station, Gare St-Paul.

Did I mention the blue skies?

Alas, we didn't have time to spend a couple of hours in the puppet museum.

Boy, this town is old!    Matt- see the barbeque shop?

Jan caught me taking a pic of some interesting windows.

Here's a look at .. Eglise St-Georges, neo-gothic, built in 1844, and the next pic shows the congregation leaving after mass.

An interesting very old door on this street :

It was time for lunch and it was getting warm, almost 80!   We found a couple of chairs at a cafe in front of the Cathedral St-Jean.

Interestingly, not long after this photo, a gust of wind blew over the white canopy onto the lady to the right in the white shirt.    Table things were flying everywhere.   Thank goodness she wasn't hurt.

We had just finished our delicious lunch.

Many thanks to Jan for several of this post's pictures.    Her phone's settings really capture the grandeur of the view.

Thus ends the road-trip/self-guided portion of our extensive European adventure!  Tomorrow, we'll get on a train to Geneva to start the 3-day pre-cruise portion before boarding the ship later in Chalon-Sur-Saone on Thur., May 19.

You're probably getting overwhelmed with this boring travelogue, but hang in there, .. hopefully we'll show you more exciting adventures! .. and food pictures.   We'll soon arrive in the 'lap-of-luxury', and boy, let me tell you, it will be most welcome!   See you in Geneva!