Food Glorious Food

We are back in France for the umpteenth time and you would think that by now we would have got used to all the fabulous food. But Sunday mornings mean only one thing to most French people and it is not religion...

This is the beautiful Basilica on the hill overlooking the city of Lyon, but it has been a long time since you would find many people praying on the Lord's Day. For the locals, and visitors, the main attraction on Sunday mornings, both here and throughout the country, is the market...

Here on the banks of La Saône river in Lyon the locals attend to a culinary mass every Sunday. Although the calendar suggests it is autumn, the temperatures are still in the twenties and the fruits and vegetables are still being carted in from the farms that carpet the adjacent Rhône valley...
Because it is autumn the stalls are laden with fresh mushrooms of every kind, some enigmatically called, “Trumpets of death.”

Every kind of cheese imaginable can be bought in the market, and with such an array of local produce who needs anything imported...

However, some 'foreign' foods have crept in. This Spanish paella looked particularly enticing..

And the handiwork of the artisanal baker is a joy to behold...

In order to try some of Lyon's famous cuisine we dined at Brasserie George in Perrache.
The terrine of piglet with foie gras was delicious...

This famous restaurant has been in business since 1836 and it is as busy today as it has ever been. The restaurant averages 1,200 patrons every day of the year so come early or you might have a long wait.

Lyon is an interesting big city with a wealth of historic buildings dating back 600 years and more. Its pedestrian friendly flagstone streets and miles of steep steps wind up the hillsides to vantage points overlooking the city...

And a labyrinth of secret passages snake through its ancient core...

Now we are heading further south to the gentle hills of the Luberon; the land of wine and truffles made famous by Peter Mayle in his books about life as an ex-pat in Provence. We don't have a year to spend in Provence, just one week, but the sun is shining, the grapes are ripe and the locals are friendly. Please excuse us for a week as we explore this beautiful area of France. Our blog will return once the wine, the cheese and the truffles have run out.