Friday, July 23, 2010

Hot, hot and hotter – 11 July 2010


The air was delightful and fresh when we emerged from our tent, but it didn't take long to get hot and then progressively hotter through the day, until early in the evening a pharmacy temperature gauge said 35 deg. so it was obviously higher mid-afternoon.

The first stop of the day was Semur-en-Auxois. This town is definitely worth the slight detour. The town tour leaflet from the Tourist Office takes you on a pleasant walk to a viewpoint looking at the town along the Armancon river.

Our goal for the day was Lyon, so we only made one more brief stop in Tournus. This town has a Romanesque Abbey, but not much else. However, the previous day it was the departure point for the Tour de France.

Lyon was only another hour away and our hotel was in the centre of town, and easy walking distance to everything, although 'easy' is not the description we would give to the steep and long walk up to the Basilica in the heat. But the effort was most worthwhile for, initially, the view and then the Basilica interior. This stunning church, totally over-the-top was built to fulfil a vow for deliverance from the invading Prussians. There are other notable buildings in the town, but none as amazing as this.

The Rue St Jean is a must for dinner. We enjoyed delicious salads (Lyonaisse salad is, naturally, a local dish), and the street is lively and interesting; all the more so, as the final of the World Cup was on and dinner was interspersed with cheers and groans from neighbouring bars showing the game.

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