Although my bedroom was fifteen feet from the busy Route National outside I barely heard a single truck. Whatever sound proofing these rooms had was terrific. The forecast for today had been rain and so I was delighted that at 9.30am I was on the road in sunshine and a good deal less wind than yesterday. Macon was 30km away and stopping there for a very early lunch I was a bit dissapointed as my guidebook had talked it up alot. For the final 70km I followed the busy route national for half the way into Lyon as far as Villefranche before crossing over the Saone and to Trevoux and enjoying one of the nicest strecthes of cycling I've had so far. The last 15km into Lyon are mostly along a cycle path that follows the wide river Saone as it makes it way into the city. The architecture has now changed completely and the buildings remind me more of Genoa and Italy rather than Paris. Lyon looks and feels totally different to Paris. Cycling into Lyon has been the easiest large city I've had to cycle into. Once in the centre I get a hotel near rue merciere and begin my wanderings. Lyon is at the confluence of the rivers Rhone and Soane and the centre is between the two rivers. I instantly liked Lyon and nipped over to Vieux Lyon to mark the end of stage two and 1,590km done with a cold pint.
2 comments:
So glad you like Lyon. Isn't St Jean (as the the locals call Vieux Lyon)something else! There's an amazing roman amphitheatre on top of the hill. I dare you to cycle up to it! There's an old tradition that if a cyclist on a mission arrives at the top of the hill by mid-day, says ten rosaries at the foot of the virgin and walks around the amphiteatre twelve times while praying for the victims of the plague the monies pledged will be multiplied a thousandfold. Check it out!
Just jeeping an eye on you pete. Would love to know who your cycle expert in Ireland is ? Sounds very professional. Brigid going in on Wednesday for C section. Will keep you updated. All the best.
Dave G
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