Lyon, France was where our Delta flight stopped before heading to New York, so we decided to take a “detour” and stay two nights. But it began with an unexpected problem!
My husband Stu had booked our hotel through Hotels.com and requested a location in the old city of Lyon. When we arrived at the airport we went to the taxi stand and showed the driver our destination. He immediately said, “I don’t think you want to go there – its 60 miles from the center of the city!” We thanked him, and I took out my trusty guidebook to Lyon and began looking for an alternative. We cut the list down by price.
He took us to the first one and Stu wisely asked me to check out the room before our taxi driver left us! Up I went and to my amazement the room was smaller than my closet at home! We — and our luggage — would not fit! Back to the cab!
We decided to try what was listed as the best hotel in the old city, Cour des Loges. Since it was already 5 p.m., I negotiated with the manager, and she did give us a price break. The two-room suite we got was spectacular. The hotel is a converted 19th century Jesuit school, explained concierge Gerard Ravet.
It turned out to be a great luxury stay with an added bonus – a renowned concierge — Ravet is rated as one of the 10 best in the world! Since we only had one night and one day (one night was our visit with my cousin and her family), we asked his advice.
We knew Lyon was the home to the legendary French chef Paul Bocuse and wanted to get a reservation at his “signature” location.
Bocuse, 84, was rated by Time magazine as one of the greatest people of the 20th century, being the creator of “Nouvelle Cuisine.”
A reservation at his legendary restaurant is not easy to get. But here’s where an influential concierge helps. With one phone call he secured us a table at our requested time.
The dinner at Paul Bocuse, a three-story building that is Bocuse’s home and base for his international group of restaurants, was the best meal of our lives — pricey, but memorable for a lifetime! My review in The Queens Courier goes into detail. But to meet him and experience his superb cuisine in the elegant setting is worth a trip to Lyon!
In the morning Ravet advised us to visit the historic cathedral, Saint Jean Baptiste, with its 15th century mechanical clock. Its moving parts are seen only at noon each day. That information made our day! It was a singular opportunity, since there are only two such clocks in the world!
From the church we began our walking tour of the old city. It’s my favorite part of traveling, just wandering through the cobblestone streets. We came upon a large square with several open-air cafes. Since it was lunchtime and the sun was shining on the warm spring day we decided to grab a table and eat lunch at the café in Plaza Bellacour. It was an excellent choice, since we were able to watch people pass and soak up the sunshine.
After lunch we shopped along the streets off the square – another treat! The day passed quickly. At 5 p.m. when my cousin Karine Ostrowsky arrived with her darling daughter Amber we were ready for our next adventure – dinner with her family at her tranquil, gorgeous home with lush gardens in the suburbs of Lyon.
I was sad to say good-bye to them and the magical, historic city of Lyon.
