In an effort to fully adjust to the time change, I arose early
for a morning run. Since it was Sunday and not yet dawn, there were only two or
three other runners on the paths along the river bank. Mist rolled along the glassy surface of the
water, infusing the air with a deep bone-chilling cold that lingered through
the first mile of my run. The route reminded me of the paths along the
Schuylkill River in Philadelphia, but wider and less trafficked. The colors of
dawn spilled down the waterway, nature’s counter to the manmade lights festival
of the night before. It was the kind of peaceful, beautiful morning that
reminds you to be thankful.
We spent the rest of the morning at the Musee des Beaux Arts
de Lyon, which had just opened a large Matisse exhibit. Similar to the Picasso
museum in Barcelona (which I thoroughly enjoyed), this exhibit pulled together
art from all stages of Matisse’s journey as an artist, including his early
training in drawing and painting the human form. Some of his charcoals caught
you off guard with the photograph-like level of detail and the honesty of the
model’s expression.
Josh noticed that many of the pieces were on loan from the
Baltimore Museum of Art and Yale University Art Gallery (as well as the MoMA in
NYC), which was a fun connection and made me wonder how many of the pieces I had
seen before. We were surprised at how many were from the BMA because it is
currently hosting an exhibit contrasting the work of Matisse with that of
Diebenkorn, an artist who drew his inspiration from Matisse.
After the Matisse exhibit, we explored the rest of the
museum’s collections, which includes an impressive array of Egyptian
hieroglyphics, impressionist art from the collection of Jacqueline Delubac (a
French actress), and an extensive coin collection. The majority of the other
visitors seemed to be local, or at least from France. It was interesting to
watch them admire and understand the art; many would assume the positions of
the figures in a particular painting or sculpture to see what emotions it
evoked.
Next, we walked to a large building that a marketplace
of fish, bread, cheese, meat, candy/pastry, and other vendors. It reminded me
of Boqueria Market on Las Ramblas in Barcelona, a place that was for chefs,
residents, and tourists alike. We were
there around 2 pm and had to rush around before the market closed, so I suspect
it opens early just like Boqueria. As we wandered between stalls, we had to
squeeze through clusters of patrons hovering over platters of oysters and
steamed crustaceans.
We made a beeline for the Mons cheese stall, where a
lovely woman helped us to select cheeses, which she confided were aged to
perfection in a special cave. We also bought some incredible fresh yogurt,
crusty baguettes, and an enormous meringue from various other vendors.
Everything you need for a well-rounded meal, right?
After a pit stop to unload our bounty, we went to work up an
appetite. Climbing to the top of the nearby hill to see the Basilique Notre-Dame
de Fourviere was no picnic; I went from shivering to shedding layers after only
a few minutes. Up we went, climbing and winding to the jutting peak with views
out over the city. However, the views inside the basilica were just as
stunning. Every surface was beautiful, from the winding marble patterns on the
floor to the carved columns and the blue-teal-aquamarine stained glass. The
basilica is dedicated to the Virgin Mary for her salvation of the city of Lyon
from the bubonic plague in the 1600s and a cholera epidemic in the 1800s. They
were clearly VERY grateful. Josh and I wandered through the sanctuary and sat a
while to listen to the evening service (possibly compline? Hard to tell with
all the French).
Meandering back down, we stopped at the Saint Jean Baptiste Cathedral
at the bottom of the hill. While the
outside is beautiful, the inside was underwhelming after the ornate basilica.
We slipped out as quickly as we had come and hurried home to our hotel, ready
to sample our seven different cheeses.
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