Chica & Joey's Travel Blog: A Stop in Lyon France

18 & 19 October 2013

On a "spur of the moment" decision, we decided to stop in Lyon, France for a day to see the sights we've heard so much about and to break up our long train trip to Venice, Italy.

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We've arrived at our Airbnb lodging - a very nice place with a wonderful host.

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Oh let's see... Honestly, we do not recall the name of this structure! We just saw it, and took the picture.

There are hills and stairs in Lyon. After accidentally getting off of the bus at Marie the 1st (should have exited the bus at 4th - ooohhhhh, learning French has its challenges), we had to walk up this flight with suitcases and backpacks. From the bottom of the hill to the top was 201 steps. In retrospect, of course, we would get back on the next bus. Each time we go, we pack lighter and lighter.

After settling in and recovering from the walk up the stairs, we decided to head for town.

Cheers to conquering the many steps:)

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Did we mention the hills?

So many great looking restaurants to choose from during our short stay.

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Our host, Christel, prepared a delicious breakfast with her homemade jams and cakes.

Christel's flat was located in what was once a silk factory. She, her son and daughter, have lived there for about a year and a half and she's been doing Airbnb since April.

With the help of an Architect, Christel designed the entire interior for the flat. Now a 3 floor apartment, she created loft- like balconies and stairways to maximize the use of her space with a wonderful sense of simplicity and usefulness. The materials used in creating her flat were mainly metal, stone, and wood.

You can get an idea of the loft feel of the flat...

The fixtures and design made for a quite comfortable stay.

The stairway to the upper loft floors...

Many windows for incredible natural light...

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Christel directed us to this incredible building in Lyon. "Le Mur des Canuts" translates to "The Wall of the Silk". In 1986 the Avenir company wanted to use mural paintings to decorate a huge blind facade and highlight five of its advertising hoardings. At that time, the wall was a hideous eyesore along the Boulevard des Canuts. It called on the mural painters of the cooperative CitéCréation to carry out the decoration. However, they asked if they could paint the entire 1200 square meters illustrating all that is typical of the Croix Rousse (a hill in this area of Lyon).

A picture of the original wall...

The first painting in 1987...

In 1997 the mural painters decided to enthuse new life into this mural work, testifying to the changes that had occured over the previous decade. The buildings had changed, the colors of the facades had brightened, shops had opened on the ground floors, stairs had come alive, and the characters in the version had aged 10 years.

Once again in 2013, the mural painters used their fresco to record the new changes that have occured, while keeping the original composition and spirit of the evolving work. They have updated the architecture, facades and shops, aged the characters 15 years, added to families, given life to the squares, stairways and alleys, giving this new version a dimension of urban equity and sustainability.