Getting Fat In Lyon

  We have spent the last two days in Lyon and that wraps up our first week. It has been whirlwind to say the least. To be in France is to see a study in contrasts. Every where you look you see old buildings, castles and culture, but then you see native people from Paris, Lyon, or the small town of Le Thillot walking along a sidewalk and they seem surgically attached to their cellphones or some other computer devices. They are so much into turning a meal into an event, but then you get a look into the kitchen and the so-called chef is wearing a white outfit that looks like it's on it's third day of use and if you wait a couple of minutes you'll see him sneak out back for a cigarette. The French people are so proud of there culture. They love their old buildings and parts of town,

but here in Lyon they have Roman ruins that are as old as anything they have in France and they seem completely uncaring about them, going so far as to hold rock concerts in a 2000 year old Roman amphitheatre

and stringing electrical cords and wires all over the ruins so that it is impossible to get a good photo or even look at the ancient site!! Like I said, a study in contrasts.

 Not to say that we haven't been enjoying ourselves; it's been great so far. Our earlier adventures aside, yesterday we toured through old Lyon

which was beautiful as well as the Roman ruins I have already mentioned. Today we went on our wine tour which was tremendous.

We bought six bottles of Beaujolais which would never see Toronto liquor/wine stores and we are just wondering how much will make it back to Ajax and how much we will drink before we leave France! Oh yes we also saw 3 or 4 castles

as well as 2 medieval towns.

I should have mentioned that first but we had a wine tasting this afternoon and wine with our dinner tonight, so I guess you know where my head is at.

  I think that I have mentioned this before but I’m not sure, so I will say it again. I learned in Italy that I hate eating 3 straight weeks of restaurant food, so this time around, when we were booking our hotels we specifically looked for places that had kitchenettes and except for a couple of exceptions we were successful. So basically we eat breakfast in our room every morning and then sort of alternate between eating either lunch or dinner in our room each day with the other  meal being in a restaurant. I mention this because grimy chef aside, the restaurants here are pretty good. But what has been an unbelievable surprise is the foods that we have buying and bringing back to our rooms to cook. When you buy a normal cheese here, it is like nothing you can get back in Canada! We have been finding specialty Pastas that seem to melt in your mouth. And even the common Pasta tomato sauces we having been finding on the grocery store shelves are so much better than we get back home.

 Now I know that you are thinking I am writing with my rose coloured glasses on again, but with this I can promise you, even Joani will agree. We bought a couple of avocadoes that we cut up into salads and they were unbelievable. I go back to my statement that the French love their foods, so even the stuff that ends up on a supermarket shelf has to be up to a certain standard. On top of that we have been buying bottles of wine for 5 to 6 euro and thinking…… “My, this is nice, another glass dear?” I may be turning Joani into an alcoholic and as for me, I remember in my travel alert email that I said I didn’t want to get fat but I’m afraid it’s fait accompli. I’m going to have to get an extra seat on the plane to get my fat ass home.

 I have attached some recent photos for you to look at. I don’t know what they are, I’m going looking for something to eat!!

 Garry