BlueSwimmer

I have a week off in late January. I had a trip to Bologna all planned when my DH decided it just had to be France this year.

Paris is out because we've been there a number of times, and we want to experience something new on this trip.

Can anyone give me insight on Aix in winter? We are also considering Lyon.

Let me add that we LOVE winter travel to Europe, don't mind cold weather, and adore food, wine, walking, food, wine, architecture, art, food, people watching, jazz, food and wine. (Not necessarily in that order.)

Thanks! I've gotten so many great ideas from this board, and a little peek always keeps me going on stressful days at work.

indytravel

My Provence "education" is sorely lacking. I've traveled no further south in France then Lyon & Alès.

I will wholeheartedly recommend Lyon for a winter vacation. Big city with big city things to do: museums, theater, etc.

The real bonus is dining in Lyon. It is the culinary capitol of France. Lots of great famous restaurants down to little neighborhood bouchons that serve excellent food. In May I ate at a Jean-Paul Lacombe restaurant.

For more details here's a link to my trip report last Spring to Lyon.

http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessa...p;tid=34498288

Hopefully someone else can sing the praises of Aix. It wouldn't be any fun if your decision was easy.

Patrick

We spent a week in Aix and loved it -- but that was summer and I must admit that it must be VERY different in January. I most enjoyed the summer evenings strolling the Cours and sitting outside at cafes and restaurants -- both summer activities.

We visited Lyon for a couple nights this summer (our second time there) and I'm really impressed with the city. I'd think it would be almost as nice in winter as in summer. I agree with the idea that the "big city" will offer more winter activities.

hopscotch

I agree. I think you would be bored after a few days in Aix, especially in the winter. I was there in late spring.

I would suggest a train to Dijon, and then a motor expedition south to Lyon. Use the N74 and as many backroads as you can find and have time for.

And give us feedback, please! I love Burgundy and reading about it.

annetti

I spent 5 wks in Lyon this summer. Absolutely loved it. We never ran out of things to do or places to go. The food is wonderful and in Jan. all the restaurants should be open. The Beaux Art is terrific. And we loved wandering about the Parc Tete D'Or on a Sunday afternoon. I only spent a day in Aix, so I can't compare, but I would have no problems visiting the city again. Michelin devotes over 20 pgs to the city and once you are there, you can see why! You are less than a half hour from Beaujoulais, if you have a car and an hour or two from Burgundy. But you need not leave the city, public transport is terrific and you can find plenty to occupy yourself for a week. I wish I was returning!

BlueSwimmer

Thanks for the advice everyone.

Indytravel- I loved your trip report. The description of rabbit in mustard sauce clinched my desire to visit Lyon. I have an actual philosophy of always ordering rabbit if it is available. (I know- what kind of person who isn't a vegetarian has a philosophy about eating rabbit?? All I can say is that my rabbit-ordering philosophy has never steered me wrong, in many cities on two continents

Patrick- I think I agree about Aix in the summer. I have always wanted to visit after reading MFK Fisher, but I imagine it with leaves on the trees. Maybe we will save it for a summer trip someday.

Of course now that I am getting excited for Lyon, DH is suddenly interested in Plan A- spending the week in an apartment in Bologna taking daytrips to surrounding towns and eating a lot of great Italian food.

At least we've narrowed it down to two towns- Lyon or Bologna. Interesting that they are both known as the prime eating towns of their respective countries. I'm not sure what that says about us... I do know that in winter, there is nothing like a great meal and a glass (or three) of a really good red wine!

Thanks everyone!

annetti

When you look for restaurants, you may want to stay off Mercier Street -- it is all chain restaruants, that is if you dislike chains, otherwise you may be happy. There's one place, called the Agricole or something like that, that tries to get you in on their "farm appeal" and has a cute little rabbit in a cage in front of the restaurant. Being a vegetarian that really put me off!! Though, I do remember one poster here saying the food was good. We used the Routard for recommendations. If you care about a place being smoke-free you might try 100 Tabac, behind the Opera. Some of the pasta dishes are good, like the goat cheese ravioli, but some not too tasty, but it is an opportunity to get away from smoke fumes for one meal. Though, I must say, smoking though prevalent isn't as bad as it used to be.

Patrick

This evening I was thinking about Lyon in January, and suddenly thought about taking a train trip to Grenoble -- what a great spot. We liked it in the summer, but it has to be even better in January, whether you're skiing or not. About an hour from Lyon, as I recall.

Love you comments about rabbit and I agree. (You'll have to travel to Malta and to Ishcia, both of which have special preparations for rabbit.) I always remember my mother telling me about a drive-in restaurant in Middletown, Ohio during the depression that served rabbit sandwiches. Believe it or not, the place was called "Bunny on a Bun"!

And while I enjoyed the food in Bologna and it was OK for a couple of nights' stay, I sure wouldn't choose it for a week over Lyon!

BlueSwimmer

Patrick-

I was just checking out my atlas, and thought about Grenoble, too, or maybe Annecy.

For rabbit, Brigtsen's in New Orleans has a wonderful rabbit loin in mustard sauce.

"Bunny on a Bun" LOL!

Thanks for the advice annetti. I do like to avoid chains. Sorry for being a bunny-eater!

kevin_widrow

Major vote here for Aix. We lived there for a year and a half (through 2 winters, in fact) and while it is a lot of things, boring is not one of them. Remember it is a big university town, so there are always plenty of cultural events, music etc. going on. It's as active and lively in January as in July, in a very different way.

Weatherwise, there is no beating a clear sunny winter day in Provence. The lighting is something else.

-Kevin

p.s.: lyon is not bad either!

BlueSwimmer

Thanks for the advice, Kevin.

Now instead of narrowing down my options, I'm adding to the list of places to visit!

hanl

I've been in Lyon for two years and I'm not bored yet! So there's certainly enough to keep you interested for a week, and plenty of fabulous day-trip options if you want to get out into the countryside (Auvergne, Beaujolais, Annecy and the Alps, even Provence...), there are great markets and museums, restaurants for every taste and budget, and more than an eyeful of stunning architecture.

Of course, I haven't been to Aix en Provence so I can't compare the two towns objectively.

By the way, I think Annetti's comment about rue Mercière being full of chain restaurants is a tad misleading. It's a popular, bustling, cobbled street packed with eateries of variable quality (and attracting a fair number of tourists), a couple of which are owned by the same group/owner. However, I don't think you could call them "chain restaurants" as such (which to me implies something like Pizza Hut, Au Pain Quotidien, Buffalo Grill, etc.), apart from the "Hippopotamus" restaurant. Even Gaston, "le Restaurant Agricole" isn't a chain, although it might seem that way. The bunny outside is a recent addition, by the way, and wasn't there when I had a cheap n' cheerful lunch there a year or so ago. The poor creature looks so miserable I'm not sure I want to eat at the place again.

Incidentally, if your taste also extends to hare (which will still be in season in January) I can recommend a restaurant in the Croix Rousse district that serves an amazing "lièvre à la royale" which is slow cooked for 14 hours.

BlueSwimmer

hanl-

Thanks for the extra insight into Lyon.

I've never had hare, but it would certainly fit in with my rabbit-eating philosophy! Will you reveal the restaurant?

I'll trade one: I can't remember the exact name or location, but I had an amazing spit-roasted rabbit (edible organs included) for lunch at a place in Florence called La Spieda (or whatever "the spit" is in Italian). We found it by smelling the aromatic wood smoke from blocks away and literally following our noses. The front of the restaurant is a huge, open meat-grilling open oven. Lots of locals we're getting take out. The back is a warm and cozy restaurant where the pasta was quite good and the roasted meats were amazing!

Hare in season might persuade my DH to go to Lyon. (Yes, we will travel somewhere just for a certain food!)

BlueSwimmer

Sorry- I didn't edit; "were" not "we're" and only one "open" in the message above. Dur.

hanl

Hi Blue
The restaurant is called La Marmite en Bois, on rue Dumont (metro line C - Croix-Rousse), tel. 04 78 28 13 56. Apparently the hare dish is so popular that it's worth checking availability when calling to reserve a table.

It was actually my fiancé and his father who ordered the dish (last year) and they have been raving about it ever since! I'm not a great fan of hare (a bit strong for me) but I am starting to appreciate rabbit. In fact, my fiancé cooked me a wonderful ragoût of rabbit in white wine just this weekend.

Patrick

I have a good recipe for elephant-rabbit stew, in which you use two whole hares as well as most of the elephant. But there is a disclaimer saying that it may be wiser to keep it strictly elephant, as a lot of people don't like finding hare in their soup.

dovima

Groan.

indytravel

In the early 80's a W. Lafayette, IN entrepreneur thought the next fast food boom was going to be deep fried rabbit.

The name of his establishment which folded in 6 months was "Hopscotch" replete with a plaid theme.

In May I had some great rabbit in mustard sauce at one of the Chabert & Fils restaurants on r. des Marronniers in Lyon.

BlueSwimmer

I love watching a thread can mutate!

I'm so hungry I'm going to "hop" on home to dinner.

Remember the scene in Roger and Me when the loved/reviled Michael Moore interviewed the lady with the sign saying Rabbits for Sale: Pets or Meat???

carolv

A few years ago we spent a few days in Provence in February and had beautiful, sunny weather. We were able to go to an outdoor cafe in Aix. There is so much to see and do, I don't think you'll regret going anytime of year.