With the help of a miracle, I pulled Katy from bed early enough for us to drive all morning and then spend half a day in Lyon. Arguably the second most important city in France, Lyon was the capital of Gaul. The ruins of Roman theaters are next to a Roman amphitheater where concerts and events are still held. Adjacent, the Museum of Gallo-Roman Civilization documents Lyon's rise as a city. More recently, French resistance fighters during World War II used the traboules (a passageway through a block of buildings; think covered alley) during their operations. Framing the steep hill with the Roman ruins and the Basilica of Our Lady of Fourvière (Basilique Notre-Dame de Fourvière), the Saône River runs parallel with the Rhône River for a ways before joining with the Rhône.

Knowing that Lyon is reputed to have tremendous cuisine, we went looking for culinary adventure before leaving the city in the evening. We found it. We had some excellent wine, and Katy and I ordered salade lyonnaisse and andouillettes, respectively, which are local specialties. Let's just say that both were more adventuresome than we could really handle, so we left a lot on our plates. I later found out that very few French people will eat andouillettes. We found a motel room for the night south of Lyon. I found it interesting that French rest areas sometimes have motels. Keep in mind, these are not exits, just rest areas.

Here's an amusing off-kilter description of Lyon.