We spent our first few days in Lyon getting oriented to our neighborhood and (for Carrie) getting over a cold. But by Saturday we were ready to begin exploring the city. We began with a long, leisurely lunch (that’s the French style) at La Traboulerie, a small indoor/outdoor cafe in the center of Lyon. La Traboulerie is on Rue Merciere, an old narrow street lined with cafes. Every place was packed with local couples and families. We began to learn that people in Lyon love to go out on Saturdays, especially when the weather is good.
After lunch we crossed the footbridge over the Saone and spent the afternoon exploring Vieux Lyon (Old Lyon). This neighborhood is the oldest in the city and many of the buildings go back to the Middle Ages, although there are ruins on the hillsides that go back to the Romans around the time of Christ. Vieux Lyon has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was fun and interesting to walk through these ancient narrow streets.
Vieux Lyon is crisccrossed by narrow walkways called traboules that connect streets and buildings. They were originally built so the silk workers could transport their goods from building to building without being exposed to the elements. During World War II the traboules were used as secret passageways by the French Resistance fighters to avoid the Nazis.
