France: Lyon
Second City
Lyon is the third largest city in France, after Paris and Marseille, and is where the RhĆne and SaĆne rivers join.
Gare de Lyon
Leaving Paris via the first line of France’s TGV (Train Ă Grand Vitesse) system to have been completed in 1981, connecting the country’s two most important cities.
L: The waiting area
The station restaurant
The name is a nostalgic reference to the generation of fast express “Blue Trains” that preceded the TGV. Below: Dining at Le Train Bleu.
Arrival in Lyon
L: A TGV at the platform on arrival from Paris. Below: Lyon Perrache station.
Rambling in Lyon
Leafy walkways, ancient but lively streets. Lyon has maintained its prosperity since medieval times, and today is a center for banking, pharma, biotech, and metallurgical research.
Cathedral of St. Jean
The most lavishly decorated church in Lyon.
Food markets
Stores and stalls are everywhere along the walkways. R: The Farmers’ Market.
