Day 1 - Flying off! : Toronto, Canada to Lyon, France

Today has been a very long, but good day for us.  We boarded a plane in Toronto, Ontario for a 40 minute flight to Montreal, Quebec yesterday evening. 

After a 3 hour layover there, we boarded another plane for the 6 hour flight to Lyon, France.  We were greeted with a beautiful sunny day and 17 degrees C as we arrived just after noon in Lyon, and the half hour Rhonexpress tram ride and 15 minute walk to the hotel went smoothly.

After a quick shower at the hotel we headed out to explore, and soon discovered that Lyon is a very beautiful city, which shares some of the same elements as Paris.  We walked down a shady tree lined street to the Saone river, which is lined with a pedestrian walkway, a lovely green space, and many floating barge restaurants.  

We then crossed the Pont Wilson onto the island, where the streets became narrow cobblestone lanes which were crowded with people out enjoying a gorgeous Saturday afternoon.  We continued through the Place des Jacobins, where 12 roads come together at a lovely fountain in one of the more famous "squares" in Lyon, which is part of a UNESCO world heritage site.

Just as we were about to cross a second bridge off the island Sean spotted a scalloped shell marker, and we realized we were back on the Way of Saint James!

 

We visited the Lyon Cathedral, which is dedicated to Saint Jean the Baptist.  There were some interesting ruins adjacent to the surviving part of the structure, and the building itself had some beautiful stained glass windows, which were a mixture of old and modern designs.

When Sean asked if we could get our pilgrim passports stamped we were told that no one had asked for this in over a year, and they very kindly obliged.  So, our first shell and our first stamp today!

After visiting the Lyon cathedral we decided to walk up the (very!) steep and long hill to the Basilica of Notre Dame de Fourviere.  We ended up taking a more circuitous route than was absolutely necessary (the hill was so steep we lost sight of the cathedral for awhile!).  The view out over Lyon from the top was well worth the climb.

We walked around the grounds and purchased a couple tarts aux fruits (delicious!), and then realized a mass was about to start.  It was a beautiful ceremony, and the interior of the basilica was very different to anything we had encountered along the Camino Frances in Spain.

The floor was composed entirely of tiny mosaic tiles, and a large portion of the walls were covered in mosaics as well, which depicted scenes that seemed to have a Greek and Egyptian influence.  There was a lot of gold leaf against blue, white, and soft pink paint, as well as stained glass windows, which gave the place a unique and interesting feel.  It was ornate without being gaudy.

 

By the time the mass was finished the jet lag was beginning to catch up with us a little, so we headed back down the hill, this time through a wonderful garden.  We didn't leave without getting a second stamp, and we made sure to stop for a gelato on the way back to the hotel. So far we have been met with nothing but kindness, and we feel extremely lucky to be here!

 

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Practical Information:

Stage: Toronto to Lyon

Distance: 3, 328 km

Accommodations: Best Western Crequi Lyon Part Dieu Hotel

 

Comments: We flew on Air Transat because it seems to provide the cheapest and quickest flights to France from Toronto.  Our choice of hotel was based on convenience (it was close to the train station), and low cost. Although it wasn't particularly romantic, or situated in the old part of the city, and it didn't provide any kind of authentic local experience, but it was a very clean and quiet hotel with friendly and helpful staff, and I would recommend staying there again if low cost and convenience are considerations.