We were up early and out the door before eight. It was just a short walk to a small cafe where we got a cup of coffee – a very tiny, but strong, espresso – and then we started to wander. We hadn’t gone far before my FitBit zapped me to tell me I’d walked my 10,000 steps for the day. I know we hadn’t walked that far by then, but it was long enough to have enjoyed a treat from two different boulangeries.

We didn’t have much of a plan for the day; we just wanted to wander. We found lots of interesting streets but most shops were still closed. There are a series of alleyways in Old Lyon that take you through courtyards from one street to another. If you didn’t know they were there you would never find them. Fortunately our host left us a map so we were able to see them all; we were watching for them but some of the ones we “found” weren’t actually on the map!

We ended up at a Metro Station and took the funicular up to the Roman ruins – a small and a large amphitheater. Both are still in use, in fact Radiohead played a concert in the large theatre last night.

From the ruins we walked over to La Basilique Notre Dame de Fourviere, a huge church overlooking all of Lyon.

We had a return trip on the funicular but we decided to walk down through the gardens (while they lasted) and several more interesting streets. It was a long walk and we weren’t yet back at the apartment when my FitBit registered another 10,000 steps.

We just had notification that tomorrow’s train to Maçon has been cancelled due to the train strikes. Our retreat hosts will pick us up at the Lyon airport and drive us back.

Location:Lyon, France