Festival of Lights, Cuisine Lyonnaise and SainteLyon

Festival of Lights ("Fete des Lumieres")

I will start by mentioning Lyon's very famous "Festival of Lights" (Fete des Lumieres") which takes place every year on the 8th of December and usually lasts for 4 days. Last year this event didn't take place due to the November 13 terrorist attacks in Paris.

This year the event took place in a smaller area than usual (no Parc de la Tete D'Or for example) and lasts for 3 days instead of the usual 4, and security inspections were quite thorough for everyone getting into the event.

This event is held every year to thank Mary, mother of Jesus, for sparring Lyon from the Plague on the 16th Century. Apart from the lights festival, people also light candles and put them on their window sills on the 8th December, and a solemn procession makes its way to the Basilica of Fourviere on the 8th December.

Here are some pictures I took...















It is a unique festival and there are some buildings that really come alive with this lights and animations. I haven't had the chance to see all of the animations as its really really busy, thousands of people on the streets, so its not really easy to fully enjoy the animations or take pictures. Being a scaled down version also doesn't help because the crowds are really condensed into the same area without the possibility of visiting some not so busy light showings.

I recommend this festival to everyone that is around Lyon this time of the year - just be aware that you won't be alone!

Bouchon - Traditional Lyonnaise Cuisine

After two months in Lyon, I finally had the chance to try the famous local cuisine. I was told several times that it wasn't for everyone and that it consisted of very heavy food and very big portions!
Myself not being food adventurous at all (very picky as you all know!), its fair to say I wasn't the most excited of customers, however, I have been trying new things more often since I got to Lyon, so I was feeling slightly better than I would usually...

Fabio, my Italian friend at my Alliance Francaise class decided it was time for us to try the cuisine Lyonnaise, so he got our classe together, and off we went to a Bouchon" Chez Chabert" in Vieux Lyon.

Its very simple when ordering: you only have one option, which is a menu at 27€ which includes a variety of starters, a main - which you choose, and a variety of desserts and cheeses.

The picture above shows some of the starters, so you can have an idea of how full we got even before we attacked our main! It included: potato salad, lentils salad, beetroot salad, saucisson salad, picked herring salad and a plate of charcuterie lyonnaise (top right). 

Here are a few of the mains we had. Mine is the top left one, called "Tete de veau, sauce gribiche" - basically head of calf! I actually enjoyed it! The bottom left one for example is cow's tongue..! The bottom right is the very traditional "Saucisson chaud, sauce Beaujolaise" - hot sausage in red wine, and the bottom right is "Quenelle de Brochet, sauce Nantua" - creamed fish. The menu also included the also very traditional "Andouillette au vin blanc" and also "Pied de couchon" - pork feet! 

Our desserts consisted of pears and prunes in read wine, rice pudding, pudim flan, and also a variety of cheeses to go with some bread.  

Here we are, happy and so full! We tried to go out and have a few drinks, but after eating so much we just had one and went home quite early. 

Verdict: It is really heavy food and not something I can have regularly, don't think anyway does I think. I liked the variety of the starters but disappointed with the desserts, being a sweets person! I will go again and see if I can be brave enough to try the strong Andouillette!

La SainteLyon 72 Km (45 miles) 

Jason, a friend of mine, 22, who I met during my 2nd ultra marathon in the UK in 2013, and who went to become one of the fastest marathon runners I know, came to visit me in Lyon to run this race with me (he paid for both of us). 

Jason and I before we started

We didn't know much about this race. We knew it was a 72km (45 mile) run, that started in St. Etienne at 00h00 and finished in Lyon.

This is an enormous ultra marathon. There are around 17,000 runners which can opt for either one of the different distances on offer: 72km, 45km, 21km, 12km and all the relays. 

We got going at around 00h10 with the temperature around 0'C to -2'C. We were both properly dressed up for the cold so that wasn't a factor. 

Thousands of runners. We were never alone, always surrounded by so many runners all the way through the end. Good for not getting lost but not easy due to the type of terrain with plenty of overtaking to do throughout the race.

It was beautiful to run in the dark with so many people and everyone's head lamps. Sometimes I looked back and ahead, and the view was just stunning. Shame I didn't have battery to take pictures! 

After only a few miles we realised something...this race was very very hilly! We didn't have a clue about the elevation gain, this was how prepared and informed we were! 

From this picture it doesn't seem that hilly right? I promise you, all of those "little" elevations are a wall and felt I was either hiking or going downhill. We later found out that the elevation gain was 1,817m (5,961 feet)! 

We couldn't believe how hard the layout of this race was. From the hills to the terrain. Going up was tough, but we could just walk it like everyone else, however the downhills weren't easy at all. They were very steep, muddy at times, rocky and with so many runners always ahead, behind and next to you, it wasn't always easy to run downhill.

We both cursed the course many times and we were shocked at how hard it was!

The aid stations were well stocked with drinks and food but they were really a big mess, due to the huge amount of runners. I tried to get as many salty food as possible and water down each time - there are 5 aid stations - so I never felt weak or lacking energy/salt. The stewards and aid stations volunteers were outstanding!Merci!

The sunrise was amazing to witness and after 11h36 we finished together in Lyon. 

Here we are, very tired after collecting our free t-shirt (no medal).

I was surprised at how well I felt physically and mentally after not running a marathon for 9 months and not training for this at all.
I also did not have my usual digestion/bowel issues so that was a major bonus.
I will now always have the same pre-race menu - 20 chicken nuggets! It works for Usain Bolt and now it worked for me and Jason!

Verdict: I am still not sure if I liked it or not.
Positive: Really enjoyed the tough challenge and all the ups and downs, which breaks the monotony of the race when compared for example to the flat but monotonous Thames Path 100 miles. It keeps you entertained and focused. The distance is also ideal for me, as its really a great distance to run most of it without going on for many hours, which usually gets me into digestion issues.I also love running at night so it was great and never felt sleepy.
Negative: way too overcrowded and way too hilly. Chaotic aid stations.

I have really been enjoying my time in Lyon for the past 70 days, however I can't wait to go to Melbourne and see Diana, it's been way too long! 

My next post might be from down under folks...

A bientot :)