A journey into France, Lyon, Grenoble and Reims – December 2023. A festival of lights and delights
Hello and welcome to a country which asks the question how quench are you France if you go to the local supermarket to get some tea what you might find is this stuff comparing a tin of bead and sausages in France and UK you can clearly see a French tin proudly
Labeling its pork French and uk1 similarly showing its pork to be as British as it against as what a filling French tin ravoli well it’s made from French beef as sort of British tined one who knows where the meat comes from and some more tined Goods how about
Some luscious stpe in a French can again made from French beef as we can clearly see should go nicely with Yorkshire pudding in a okay a tin of fre bentos chicken m balls in barbecue sauce made from Origins unknown the height of gastronomic sophistication in between shopping
Escapades I will go through free cities for some lights flights and Heights first stopping off in Alpine city of groba located in E Department then going across the 66 Mi to the Confluence city of Leon fors of automative Aviation and illumination amazement before one more stopper atam 303 M away for a
Gander here in Grena which is now closing of course it is what opens at 10:00 p.m. at a week night not here the T Mar Don all here the house on CLA which by day host a Marketplace a quick Dash around town and pass close shops leads me here the
Shenoa Easter week a thare which always sha who were once one of the richest families in the 12th and 13th century a part of the Old Town a number of historic buildings line up this week like the 16th century town houses and nowadays drinking establishments like this Scottish
Bar behind the scaffolding of the plre is the Anan paled paron which for 500 years was the headquarters of Justice in Granola it house the parliament to doin until the end of the ancient regime and was dissolved during the French Revolution or parament registered the laws and edicts issued by the king but
Also refuse to do so if you fancy a piece of art and art means there’s always the which houses over 900 paintings and sculptures just like this one where even those days the cost of living meant counting out pennies and working by candle light for this last dinner party
Where these are about to fall lad night out like nothing matters a few rooms away is this wintry landscape a reminder of what snow looks like and this 20th century landscape created by J agut who was a member of the phist movement and these 1960 paintings like
This one created by Alan Jac which to records that of the luncheon on the grass and this one of Jackie Kennedy by Andy warhall created on the aftermath of the 1963 JFK assassination across the e river is a 196 top of the hill it there are a few
Ways to get up there but this is the easy way a 6-minute cable car Journey built in 1934 it was one of the first urban cable cars in the world after re the Jiro and Cape Town having asked people what this town was like the response was bof well
There’s plenty to be excited about like a fully functioning CH system and the cold weather sure helps bring the glamour to this place well it became the 2022 European green Capital since awarded to the cities of talin Valencia and bis respectively but for a nation that’s about to host a summer olympics
In its capital there sure seems little Fan Fair in a town that hosted the 1968 winter ons it’s that time of the year again so we’re better to have Christmas dinner and full of cracker than at this restaurant of the hills Summit it’s either that or you can hold
A selfie in the freezing cold but at least to get us you once you wait happens to Go the for itself also holds a museum of French m M troops which only accept cash if you only had card no can do speaking of Christmas down there’s a Victor Hugo Square it hosts montha maret which attracts quite a crowd so in go uhoh someone seems to have fainted
But apart from the evening precipitation when can you find here according to the sign post theet P wellet Elations well what about the stores how about some Glad Rags and head gear appropriate for this kind of weather maybe something tasty like some spous waffles M watering sandwich saboya or cheese
Toasty ptic bets mold wine and beer and a little stage in the middle of the square I almost want to hang Around you also findable stores like antiy and non compation at last we’re inside the tent and more stores which sell stuff like this beautiful handycrafts or cook tea shirts mot such as I’m not always right it’s others who are always wrong or making it’s my way of Tiding up yeah eat to Iry hello and I’ve come here to rush ta sound where there’s an automated Museum the automated Museum of H malat located in the middle of this commun the museum founded in 1960 by an Enthusiast brings together a collectioned Vehicles across two the first part was in this former 12th century fortified
Castle no mounting on this 19th century Beauty from rash a Schneider one of over 130 motor car manufacturers that were based in Leon at the start of the 20th century now this vintage of water made by Deco L fun was especially made for female drivers the vintage collection also
Includes transport two wheels like these motorized bikes and these four runners to the bicycle from The Dandy horse bone shaker velocipede and Penny faving the second of course is held in this this iconic cutie the Renault type AG the taxi de la man which fed 6,000
Infantry men to the battle of the man in September 1914 in the Great War and here has something straight as a pimp my r that might rack up a few uless charges and of Hitler’s Mercedes 7 and 70k and if that was not exciting enough
How about a tra like a but embarking or disembarking is no no we take the disent French Aviation the finest of French aircraft like this little Nipper the MC5 which can reach speeds of up to 220 km per hour something a little heftier to the French Air Force
And theet free can be used for SE rescue operations they can fit up to seven passengers like this Rider how French is this jet TR serve the patri large Po and here’s something that Roars into action the sepat Jaguar which can reach up to 1.3 Mac somewhere between a two
Communes and in a shadow of Three Hills like this one forier Hill which prays and we pray for better we it’s a little town of Leon where the sound and Rome rivers meet but over 4 days 2 million visitors come down here where a festival of lights brighten up a dozen also sight
One sight not covered surprisingly is a landmark Basilica no projections asking Marie to look over the family and Armenia do not coming from the C and basking the grand of Maran Soul all 86 M long and 35 M wide of it which 5 million EUR to keep this up now
It was built between 187 and 1897 and downstairs is a CPS is dedicated Jos and and at the back is this nativity scene telling us that Jesus is coming so look busy the street lights are on your T lights are on and ambulance lights are on the buildup to Christmas is in full
Swing and down of a plaster shakan the laser lights are on for five or so minutes we are treated to a presentation of smoke beans of Light which circulates all around where the people at the outdoor disc protect fast The Bling Bling thing is actually two backto back
Discs in this Plaza is a multicolor hula hoop known as inline v360 PL antonine Pon a 360 degree changing canvas color and outside the to D change it’s a flower power too close to the flowers so why the Festival of Lights at all well it Parts back to
1852 when citizens L candles and window seals to Mark the erection of a statue of virin Mary up there on for Hill this of course commemorates a tradition when Municipal councilors promised to pay tribute to Mary sh Town Beast the plague in 1643 it would have taken place in
September the 8th 1852 instead of December had there not been a blood in the 1960s shop window competitions continued this event in a new form and in 1989 the city adopted its first plan lumere in order to light up its Heritage sites nowadays it has developed into a 3 million euro spectacle projecting
Visualizations that look like something straight out of wind and trips on sites such as the San Cathedral St Paul railway station FR de Leon and the plastic Terror now imagine a council undertaking such an investment to inject some art pure these days Oh now that the cadine projection is over here’s the exit and for my final not stop over I am in Rams famous sports champagne production but not a shop open this time at night du by a It Anyway here’s a circus and here is another light show
Not really but around here in the park San R is a San R Basilica named in honor of Bishop risius it takes around half an hour by foot to get to the other part of the UNESCO world heritage site the Cathedral of n D and what do we get in
Return a scene straight out of a hallmart Christmas movie pit for a king well 25 kings of France were next to here it was built to replace an earlier Church destroyed by fire in 1210 and since it was built it underwent a couple of restorations particularly after the
First world war when it was sh look at the beautiful masonry of the French Gothic architecture all 81 m of it with SP Towers in a West facade outside the town hall is a cute Christmas tree and a decorative sign something to put on to
Snatch up as a reminder of where you are and here in the Royal Square are some more lit up trees surrounding a bronze statue of originally the work of and a lit up Fountain to throw your pennies in great for a date or stroll around sadly no pennies could be spent or dates
Could be brought to this Christmas Market down at the promiz Jean L schneer I guess the trainers called it night just after supp time well what’s left for the city that took its name from the REM tribe well the main Boulevard known as the P Dre Delon where between here
And 55 me high in Ferris bille is a sub F erected in 1906 with statues on each face and this is the part where we say thank you for watching and ofwa and that’s enough Christmas festivities from France oh look a working fountain with glitzy lights
A vlog of a journey through Lyon, Grenoble and Reims.
Includes visits to the Bastille Fort, Grenoble,
Henri malartre automotive museum, Rochetaille sur Saone
Aviation museum, Corbas
Festival of Lights, Lyon
Notre dame cathedral, Reims