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| Basilique Notre Dame |
Traveling by yourself is at once both easier and
more difficult. Map reading, capturing moments on ‘film’, staving off the
ubiquitous beggars, and having a meal are all easier if you’re with someone. But
as one Near-Normal traveler said to me, ‘Don't
you love the freedom of roaming the streets by yourself, free to let your
attention be drawn in any direction, by any item, noise or aroma? To pass
or linger at any window, not having to wait or hurry for your companions,
for your companions are your eyes, nose, ears and curiosity.’ Yes, I do; and I
had lots of free time in Lyon while the other Near-Normal travelers were busy
with meetings. And Lyon is a wonderful town to explore!
No real ‘Lyonnaisians’ are
on the streets before 9:00 AM on a Saturday, but the Visitor Center is open
early and it should be
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| Louis XIV |
your first stop. Located on the Place Bellacour, it
commands a great view of the one landmark you can see from virtually all of
Lyon, the Basilique Notre Dame de Fourvière. There is also an excellent statue
of Louis XIV on a horse. When I looked closely at the Louie’s feet I wondered
why an emperor couldn’t afford a saddle with stirrups. In any case, at the
Visitor’s Center you can get all of your questions answered (except about the
stirrups), find a good map, and purchase of a Lyon Card. This card gets you
onto all of the transportation (bus, trolley, subway, tram, funicular) except
taxis and into 30 museums/sights for free and another 11 at a discount; it’s worth
the 40€ price! As it turned out, I found that I could visit as many as three
museums a day, giving myself museum overload and a propensity to bore my
companions with the arcane knowledge I’d acquired.
