During our last week in Lyon we decided to do some random exploring. We got out the bus map, identified a route that looked interesting, rode to the end of the line, and got off and wandered around. One day that approach took us to Montessuy, a hilltop suburban community between the two rivers and north of the center of the city. It was interesting to see some of the more modern parts of the city, away from the dense population in the city center. The bus stop at Montessuy was surrounded by apartment buildings, ten stories or so, that appeared to have been built in the 1970s or 1980s. There was a small shopping area nestled between a couple of the buildings, offering all of the necessities (grocery store, pharmacy, barber shop, etc.). For some reason there was also a school to teach people to be clowns. It was closed when we were there but we could see unicycles hanging on racks inside.
On another day we took a bus about 15 km up the Saone to the village of Neuville. On the way we passed by the famous Paul Bocuse Restaurant, one of the finest and most famous in France. It’s out of our price range (and also not really our style) so we never went there to eat. Neuville is a small village located on the banks of the Saone. We strolled around the curving narrow streets, past the type of old church that seems to exist everywhere in France. We stopped at an outdoor cafe for a cold drink and then took the bus back to Lyon. The trip along the riverside highway was very scenic.
Photos of the Montessuy area
