Lyon, a French weekend of food & football.
By Andrew Threlfall
Gastronomy from the Gods
Before crossing the Pont Lafayette which spans the lively river Rhone I spot a gigantic mural of chef Paul Bocuse across the road from the culinary school bearing his name. The Lyon based Frenchman was known for the high quality of his restaurants and his highly innovative approaches to cuisine. Indeed he wore the “the pope of gastronomy” title with aplomb and he was affectionately nicknamed Monsieur Paul in the streets. The Bocuse d’Or, a biennial world chef championship, bears his name and reflect typically France’s third largest city, after the capital and Marseille, as Lyon punches well above its half-a-million population. Size isn’t everything. But quality is.
Across the bridge, I head to dinner at the Bouchon Café du Jura, where the owner Daniel serves me the smallest lobster I’ve ever seen! It turns out to be a decorative addition to the wonderful sauce, a packed house is bowing down to. From the train station it’s easy, (take the bus C3 from Gare Saint Paul) but arrive there before 8:30 PM on busy Saturdays as, after that, they don’t accept new customers. The food is so splendid, the gloriously dated decor and ambience so almost post-war, they don’t need to advertise.
Bedding down in a Scrum
I’m staying at the Ruck Hotel, the closest subway station bearing the name Stade de Gerland, a big clue to my sporting weekend in the city. The room is spectacular and has a large bath, perfect for soothing the joints of weary travellers, and battle-worn athletes.
Stairway to Heavenly Art
The next day I head to the Basilique de Fourvière, accessible by the subway also called “Fourvière”. The trip lasts around three minutes and is the best two euros you’ll ever spend if you have knees like mine. The walk is STEEP! Like so many basilicas, religion often plays second fiddle to the extraordinary art collections on display. In fact, an exhibition called “Tribute to Donors” runs until the end of the year at the Fourvière Museum delving into the heart of a quite exceptional collection of rare works and treasures, never exposed before to the general public. These treasures, offered by passionate donors over the decades, explains the drama of the storied Basilica itself and is a perfect testimony to the deep attachment between city, people and cultural heritage. Among the landmark works, discover Giorda’s famous Blue Christ and the drawings of Charles Lameire, the image of Fourvière.
Time to Worship at the Temple Groupama
After such a spiritually enlightening Sunday morning it was time for a spiritually enlightening Sunday afternoon as I headed to the Groupama Stadium for Olympic Lyon’s Olympique Lyonnais versus Nantes. This impressive half a billion euros stadium design evolved significantly over time from initially more modest plans. The roof structure and landscaping around were downscaled, though they still catch the eye and though “eventually not covered with photovoltaic panels, the roof still manages to collect rainwater for internal use…aimed to resemble a forest, so the stadium’s canopy spreads like treetops much beyond the stadium itself. This impression is aided by seemingly chaotic outer columns. Just like an actual forest, the canopy offers shelter and is hoped to boost pre/post-game atmosphere outside the stands themselves.” So there you have it. And who am I to argue?
So with 60,000 seats, thankfully only 10% dedicated to corporate clients, the ultras behind each goal give Olympique Lyonnais feverish support comparing favourably to their previous home at…you guessed it, Stade de Gerland, who now host the city’s rugby team: Lou Rugby.
Post Match Pies – French Style
After the match I headed along with thousands of others – it seems a post-match tradition – for dinner at Brasserie Georges, emblematic brasserie of Lyon, and bright and breezy purveyors of steak and frites, washed down with a house beer. It’s cheap, and cheerful depending on OL’s result…we won 2-0!
Balls of a Different Shape
Monday morning at the Ruck Hotel is a great way to start the week with a quite stupendous breakfast, no wonder the All Blacks of New Zealand eat and sleep here, and afterwards I meet with Jérôme Sutra, GM of the hotel, and Arthur Maleo, PR of Lou Rugby who showed me a tour of the newly named Matmut Stadium (was Gerland remember?). The high-tech artificial grass surface is designed to encourage more passing and therefore a more fluid version of rugby union. The city, the hotel, and the rugby fraternity have done a magnificent job transforming the stadium from football to rugby and falling out of bed literally into a ruck situation has its appeal!
Lyon, from around the World
My 48 hours in Lyon are coming to an end but not before popping by La Commune for lunch with my favourite Afghan chefs, who I’ve been aware of since my Kabul days, Mustapha and Omid from Kishmish_Zardak. Their dishes are spectacular and these two men are living their dream here in Lyon representing the beauty of Afghanistan’s varied cuisine. But to be honest you can travel the world in this place with dishes and deserts from all over the globe. A must!
From the authentic flavors of Halles Paul Bocuse, to the futuristic architecture of Olympic Lyon’s amazing new stadium, the city revealed a new facet in seemingly every corner of it’s rich heritage. This is a phenomenal weekend city break destination. Be brave like a lion and pack the itinerary like I did.
Find everything you need to know about Lyon here
If you are visiting Lyon, don’t miss a trip to Saint Étienne. Find out why it’s the football fans favourite here
