10 Exquisite Days in France - Lyon , Burgundy and Annecy
Oct 30th, 2012, 02:49 PM
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10 Exquisite Days in France - Lyon , Burgundy and Annecy
I asked for and received much help from several experts on France here on Fodors. I though it would be nice to write a trip report in order to share my experiences and perhaps "give back" the wonderful help I recieved.
My husband had a medical conference to attend in Lyon at the beginning of September. We had reservations on Swiss in economy class. Upon arrival at GRU ( we live in Brazil) , we inquired about a possible upgrade. We were fortunate enough to get upgrades to business class for a reasonable fee , making us very happy campers!
We have a credit card which allows us lounge access at many airports , so we waited in the Admiral´s Lounge at GRU , which is fairly nice. It wasn´t crowded and we relaxed a bit before our long flight to Zurich.
Swiss has a lovely business class , with flat bed seats , very nice AVODs , great chocolate and wine. I love the litttle tins with personal items ...my boys are using them as pencil cases. Very charming.
We had a short connection in Zurich and we were off to Lyon. The flight was short , but not a huge Fokker fan . The interior of the planes is very nice , but I find the planes very noisy and choppy.
We arrived in Lyon and we were of to our hotel , the Sofitel Bellecour. Very nicely located with a gorgeous river view . We were on the 5th floor , decor a bit tired , but loved the Hermes toiletries and free mini-bar!
We had the afternoon free , so we decided to head to the old town (vieux) . We wandered around , peeked into some of the charming traboules (secret passageways) , then walked back towards our hotel We decided to stop in the Presquile , the area between the two rivers. There are streeets lined with outdoor cafés , lending to a vibrant atmosphere. We had a balmy evening and we sat down for some wine and Lyonnais salad , very nice.
Will continue repoer later!
My husband had a medical conference to attend in Lyon at the beginning of September. We had reservations on Swiss in economy class. Upon arrival at GRU ( we live in Brazil) , we inquired about a possible upgrade. We were fortunate enough to get upgrades to business class for a reasonable fee , making us very happy campers!
We have a credit card which allows us lounge access at many airports , so we waited in the Admiral´s Lounge at GRU , which is fairly nice. It wasn´t crowded and we relaxed a bit before our long flight to Zurich.
Swiss has a lovely business class , with flat bed seats , very nice AVODs , great chocolate and wine. I love the litttle tins with personal items ...my boys are using them as pencil cases. Very charming.
We had a short connection in Zurich and we were off to Lyon. The flight was short , but not a huge Fokker fan . The interior of the planes is very nice , but I find the planes very noisy and choppy.
We arrived in Lyon and we were of to our hotel , the Sofitel Bellecour. Very nicely located with a gorgeous river view . We were on the 5th floor , decor a bit tired , but loved the Hermes toiletries and free mini-bar!
We had the afternoon free , so we decided to head to the old town (vieux) . We wandered around , peeked into some of the charming traboules (secret passageways) , then walked back towards our hotel We decided to stop in the Presquile , the area between the two rivers. There are streeets lined with outdoor cafés , lending to a vibrant atmosphere. We had a balmy evening and we sat down for some wine and Lyonnais salad , very nice.
Will continue repoer later!
Oct 31st, 2012, 07:22 AM
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Thanks for reading...not sure if I´d choose the Sofitel (it was chosen for us because of the conference.) I tend to gravitate towards hotels with more local color or personality , rather than big chain hotels. That said , the Sofitel is a wonderful hotel with a great staff and an escellent location. I walked a lot , it was very close to everything.
Our first official day:
Hubby was at conference. I woke up feeling quite poorly...had a bad case of dizziness and nausea ( due to innner ear problem whihc can get worse after flying). I had planned to take the train to Perouges , but nixed that idea. Took a long , dizzy shower , ate something , then determined to feel better , decided to do some French retail therapy! Ha!
I was intent on purchasing some Repetto ballet flats , so asked the concierge to help me locate the boutique. Got a taxi and headed to the very upscale shopping street in the Presquille area. I found the store and selected some beautiful burgundy flats and some lovel leg warmers for my daughter who is a ballerina.
(have to write in small installments -mother of 3 with a job)...will try to write more later today!
Our first official day:
Hubby was at conference. I woke up feeling quite poorly...had a bad case of dizziness and nausea ( due to innner ear problem whihc can get worse after flying). I had planned to take the train to Perouges , but nixed that idea. Took a long , dizzy shower , ate something , then determined to feel better , decided to do some French retail therapy! Ha!
I was intent on purchasing some Repetto ballet flats , so asked the concierge to help me locate the boutique. Got a taxi and headed to the very upscale shopping street in the Presquille area. I found the store and selected some beautiful burgundy flats and some lovel leg warmers for my daughter who is a ballerina.
(have to write in small installments -mother of 3 with a job)...will try to write more later today!
Oct 31st, 2012, 08:14 AM
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Continued with my shopping , purchasing some nice clothes for my boys at Cyrullis and a nice black and white dress for myself at a boutique called Avril.
Headed back to the hotel to meet up with hubby. That evening he had a business dinner ay Phillipe Gauvreau ( 2 Michelin stars) and I was on my own. He loveddddd his dinner , especially a dessert of cannelonnis. I knew I would be eating wonderful meals the rest of our trip , so I opted to go to Hippopotomus , the French burger joint for a a giant bacon burger , lol. I live in Brazil and never eat burgers , so it was a treat! I sat outside and people watched.
The residents of Lyon , in general , are very chic. Loved the city and its people .
Headed back to the hotel to meet up with hubby. That evening he had a business dinner ay Phillipe Gauvreau ( 2 Michelin stars) and I was on my own. He loveddddd his dinner , especially a dessert of cannelonnis. I knew I would be eating wonderful meals the rest of our trip , so I opted to go to Hippopotomus , the French burger joint for a a giant bacon burger , lol. I live in Brazil and never eat burgers , so it was a treat! I sat outside and people watched.
The residents of Lyon , in general , are very chic. Loved the city and its people .
Oct 31st, 2012, 09:06 AM
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The next day I was out on my own again while hubby was at work , so I decided to head to the silk weavers district , La Croix Rousse. It was very quiet and I walked around the fairly deserted streets , rather eerie. The builings are old and high ceilinged to accomodate the looms. i had a map of the traboules and I peeked around. Took lots of nice photos. I headed down the hills to the Musee des Beaux Arts.
The museum has a beautiful sculpture coolection. There is a peaceful courtyard with flowers and sxultures and many people reading and lunchimg. I decided to have lunch at the museum cafe. It was on the terrace overlooking the courtyard . The menu was simple but elegant and my coffee and dessert was a piece of art befitting of the locale.
I proceeded to the Roman amphitheater and theBasilique Notre Dame which overlooks Lyon. Beautiful views. i took the funicular down and headed back to the hotel. Had a nice dinner , relaxed after a long day.
The next day we picked up our rental car . We programmed our GPS for our next destination , the Chateau de Vaulx........
The museum has a beautiful sculpture coolection. There is a peaceful courtyard with flowers and sxultures and many people reading and lunchimg. I decided to have lunch at the museum cafe. It was on the terrace overlooking the courtyard . The menu was simple but elegant and my coffee and dessert was a piece of art befitting of the locale.
I proceeded to the Roman amphitheater and theBasilique Notre Dame which overlooks Lyon. Beautiful views. i took the funicular down and headed back to the hotel. Had a nice dinner , relaxed after a long day.
The next day we picked up our rental car . We programmed our GPS for our next destination , the Chateau de Vaulx........
Oct 31st, 2012, 10:58 AM
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Chateau de Vaulx was recommended by a Fodorite and was one of the highlights of our trip! We took the A6 from Lyon and fortunately had no real traffic. We did have a bit of an issue at one of the toll booths when it didn´t accept our cc and the alarm went off...a long story!
Once we got off the highway and onto the country roads we were in for a real treat visually. The landscape was lovely , so green , with an occasional chateau dotting the scenery , then innumerous charming stone villages. We stopped at a resaturant by the road called Le Reposoir and had local wine and homemade ice cream with berries , wonderful. We finally arrived at our Chateau.
Our host , Marty , a charming Dutchman , welcomed us. He had advised us that there would be a concert in the gardens the day we arrived. Sure enough , there were lots of cars and the garden was filled with guests wearing white clothes , straw hats and green ribbons , very gatsby like. There was a brass quartet. A wonderful treat for us. We had a second floor suite and sat on our balcony and savored the music while sipping some wine thoughtfully provided by Marty.
Check out a few of my photos here:
https://picasaweb.google.com/1015750...ISvxvnfsMKXWw#
Once we got off the highway and onto the country roads we were in for a real treat visually. The landscape was lovely , so green , with an occasional chateau dotting the scenery , then innumerous charming stone villages. We stopped at a resaturant by the road called Le Reposoir and had local wine and homemade ice cream with berries , wonderful. We finally arrived at our Chateau.
Our host , Marty , a charming Dutchman , welcomed us. He had advised us that there would be a concert in the gardens the day we arrived. Sure enough , there were lots of cars and the garden was filled with guests wearing white clothes , straw hats and green ribbons , very gatsby like. There was a brass quartet. A wonderful treat for us. We had a second floor suite and sat on our balcony and savored the music while sipping some wine thoughtfully provided by Marty.
Check out a few of my photos here:
https://picasaweb.google.com/1015750...ISvxvnfsMKXWw#
Oct 31st, 2012, 01:02 PM
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to the top=ttt it means that your thread goes back to the top of the page (so that others are more likely to see it) and so that we can easily see access the thread and watch what how it develops.
No idea what Hr means, but carry on
No idea what Hr means, but carry on
Oct 31st, 2012, 04:11 PM
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Thanks for the translations! Appreciate the kind words annhig....
After the concert , we decided to dine in the charming town of La Clayette. There is a gorgeous lake with a castle on its banks , really pitoresque. The town was only 14 km from our Chateau. While dtiving there , we saw about 14 hot hair balloons drifting peacefully. It was evening and the colors over the countryside were memorable. In my picture album ( see link) , there is a photo of one of the balloons.
After a light dinner , off to bed. The Chateau is perched atop a hill , overlooking the gorgeous valley. Very dark and quiet. We awoke and had our breakfast in the garden. We had reservations for lunch at Colline du Colombier , part of the Troisgros culinary empire. We decided to visit some of the nearby villages before lunch.
After the concert , we decided to dine in the charming town of La Clayette. There is a gorgeous lake with a castle on its banks , really pitoresque. The town was only 14 km from our Chateau. While dtiving there , we saw about 14 hot hair balloons drifting peacefully. It was evening and the colors over the countryside were memorable. In my picture album ( see link) , there is a photo of one of the balloons.
After a light dinner , off to bed. The Chateau is perched atop a hill , overlooking the gorgeous valley. Very dark and quiet. We awoke and had our breakfast in the garden. We had reservations for lunch at Colline du Colombier , part of the Troisgros culinary empire. We decided to visit some of the nearby villages before lunch.
Nov 1st, 2012, 04:20 AM
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Thank you , I love photography.
as I said , we were off to http://www.troisgros.fr/colline.php.
This wonderful restaurant is really off the beaten path , in a bucolic paradise near Iguerande.We left early in order to visit some of the nearby villages.During our 3 night stay at the Chateau , we explored many of the villages in the Saone et Loire region , including Marcigny , Semor en Brionnais , La Clayette , Paray Le Monial as well as many others.
My impressions of this region were only positive. We were there at the beginning of September , as stated before.We had gorgeous blue skies and sunny weather ( around 28 degrees). There were no crowds at all , we were on the roads alone almost during all our explorations. Maybe this region hasn´t been "discovered" yet?
The villages were incredibley beautiful with the sunwashed yellow stone , the town squares with the monuments to the "enfants" lost in the wars , the charming " Mairie " buildings ( a kind of city hall) , always with flowers and flags , the stone crosses at the entrance of the towns , the Roman churches. There was reallly a sensation of going back in time .
Back to our lunch....it did not disappoint! After following lost of signs to the middle of nowhere , we arrived at the renovated stone farmhouse. It was sunday afternoon and fully booked. We were very kindly greeted and invited to have a drink on the patio , surrounded by flowers and sweeping views of the hills.
They took our order and soon we were taken to our table. The dceor is " rustic chic" , lots of stone and interesting glass art pieces.I had blackened salmon , very nice . My favorite part of the meal was one of the appetizers ,a fried artichoke , just delicious. The service and food was excellent , I loved the restaurant.
as I said , we were off to http://www.troisgros.fr/colline.php.
This wonderful restaurant is really off the beaten path , in a bucolic paradise near Iguerande.We left early in order to visit some of the nearby villages.During our 3 night stay at the Chateau , we explored many of the villages in the Saone et Loire region , including Marcigny , Semor en Brionnais , La Clayette , Paray Le Monial as well as many others.
My impressions of this region were only positive. We were there at the beginning of September , as stated before.We had gorgeous blue skies and sunny weather ( around 28 degrees). There were no crowds at all , we were on the roads alone almost during all our explorations. Maybe this region hasn´t been "discovered" yet?
The villages were incredibley beautiful with the sunwashed yellow stone , the town squares with the monuments to the "enfants" lost in the wars , the charming " Mairie " buildings ( a kind of city hall) , always with flowers and flags , the stone crosses at the entrance of the towns , the Roman churches. There was reallly a sensation of going back in time .
Back to our lunch....it did not disappoint! After following lost of signs to the middle of nowhere , we arrived at the renovated stone farmhouse. It was sunday afternoon and fully booked. We were very kindly greeted and invited to have a drink on the patio , surrounded by flowers and sweeping views of the hills.
They took our order and soon we were taken to our table. The dceor is " rustic chic" , lots of stone and interesting glass art pieces.I had blackened salmon , very nice . My favorite part of the meal was one of the appetizers ,a fried artichoke , just delicious. The service and food was excellent , I loved the restaurant.
Nov 1st, 2012, 06:46 AM
#18
it all sounds delightful, vbrasil. we get precious few TR's from thing region of France, so it is very welcome.
I had a look at the website of the restaurant, expecting it to be very expensive but no - a real bargain by the looks of it.
keep it coming!
I had a look at the website of the restaurant, expecting it to be very expensive but no - a real bargain by the looks of it.
keep it coming!
Nov 1st, 2012, 03:18 PM
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After our wonderful lunch , we decided to visit the Chateau de Dree http://www.chateau-de-dree.com/infos.html , a wonderful Chateau with gorgeous box gardens and fountains. It is most certainly worth a visit. We stopped at a local supermarket and bought some nice wine and cheese and had a light "dinner" in our garden that evening. We tend do do a big lunch and a light meal in the evening.
The next day we headed to Roanne , to the 3 Michelin star Maison Troisgros ( we were in Troisgros country!) . http://www.troisgros.fr/english/lerestaurant.php
Roanne is a terribly attractive city from what we saw. The drive there was nice , but it is a heavy , industrial city. We were there on a Monday for lunch , so it wasn´t crowded.
We were warmly greeted at the restaurant by one of the gentleman who was at Colline du Colombier the day before.We were taken to the courtyard for an apertif. Again , it was a very balmy day and the drinks were delicious and refreshing.
Before going to our table , we were taken to the kitchen and introduced to the young Cesar Troisgros. Very kind , the kitchen was a masterpiece of precision and professionalism.
The dining room was done in plush grays , very relaxing and posh. The service was impeccable. We had the menu of the day , which included lagostines , ravioli with chevré , a beautiful herb encrusted duck breast , a fantastic dessert of berries and cream , petit fours. It was our first 3 star Michelin experience and I hope it won´t be our last!
The next day we headed to Roanne , to the 3 Michelin star Maison Troisgros ( we were in Troisgros country!) . http://www.troisgros.fr/english/lerestaurant.php
Roanne is a terribly attractive city from what we saw. The drive there was nice , but it is a heavy , industrial city. We were there on a Monday for lunch , so it wasn´t crowded.
We were warmly greeted at the restaurant by one of the gentleman who was at Colline du Colombier the day before.We were taken to the courtyard for an apertif. Again , it was a very balmy day and the drinks were delicious and refreshing.
Before going to our table , we were taken to the kitchen and introduced to the young Cesar Troisgros. Very kind , the kitchen was a masterpiece of precision and professionalism.
The dining room was done in plush grays , very relaxing and posh. The service was impeccable. We had the menu of the day , which included lagostines , ravioli with chevré , a beautiful herb encrusted duck breast , a fantastic dessert of berries and cream , petit fours. It was our first 3 star Michelin experience and I hope it won´t be our last!
