Sewn up the Soane

Tournus was lovely and we had a pleasant chat with a chap who recognised the lines of a Southerly 115. He was in Tournus collecting wines to take back to Blighty but I think I lost him when I asked which ones he would recommend for under 2 Euros.

Next stop Macon. 30 km down the Soane. Just before we left Tournus the guy in the boat in front said that there was a formula one event so Macon might be busy. So I was thinking Louis Hamilton, or is it Neil?

We ambled down the Soane and decided to stop at the nice marina just before the town rather than look to tie up right in town. Which was a lucky decision as a 2km boneshaker ride revealed when we got there.

This is what he meant by formula one in Macon. Hermy getting mixed up in that lot might have caused a stir around right of way!

Macon is a nice, busy town with some interesting buildings and possibly the best solution to difficult children I have seen.

You select your unwanted child, bring him or her here, turn the barrel, place said child inside, turn it back and make a run for it. Not sure it's still operable today but it has a very convenient and tidy ring to it. I will put it to the Kent Safeguarding Children Board

We decided not to stay at Macon the marina was a bit pricey and I didn't fancy cycling in again so we set off bright and early, about 11:30 to make for Villafranche. 

For some reason I had in my mind that this might be quaint and lovely. I made the same mistake with Sittingbourne before I saw it. 

We met a nice English couple on Dunvegan, a barge they had been cruising around in for the last ten years or so and they gave us some good info on the River Rhone. 

Welted my head on their companionway but no blood. I think its stopped going there.

A quick visit to the supermarket and the post office and we left for Lyon.

Entering Lyon was like entering Paris but with much less trauma. We only had to dodge one big boat.

Lyon is a place worth a visit. Lovely harbour not unlike Paris Arsenal but much less busy. The city is built on the confluence (where they join, someone had to tell me ) of the river Rhone and the river Soane.

We did a flying bus tour around all the major touristy sites then went for a French lunch. Yes we thought we had better give the cuisine another chance so we had a plat de jour. Pig snout salad and other undecipherable things but it wasn't too bad. especially if you wash it down with a nice rose.

Note the dodgy bottle measure. Apparently the silk workers were given a pink stuff allowance and the bosses short changed them with these bottles. 

Outrageous, now I understand the revolution.

Immediately after this meal we decided to walk up to the Notre Dame Cathedral at the top of the hill.

We groaned and moaned all the way. We knew we should have done this before lunch but food got the better of us.

Notra Dame sits at the top of the hill and is called the upside down elephant by the locals. 

You can't quite see it here but next to it is an Eiffel tower not quite as grand as the Paris one and it is now just a phone mast. The Cathedral was worth the walk which is through a nice park.

My very supportive children will tell you that I have become a bit of a plaque reading bore over the years but I was pleased to come across this one in the old town section of Lyon.

The first police forensic science lab created by Dr Edmond Locard. I think he is famous for saying every contact leaves a mess. He must have had children.

They go in for strange buildings in Lyon. Artists paint all over them. Some are really odd colours and this one took the biscuit. Is it a space ship?

Would you believe it it's a museum although a bit modern. 

It had a shoe section, a society section, a dance section, an afterlife section and an African pot section. I didn't grumble once. Great for families I know my two would love it.

Well that's it, done the Soane now heading into the mighty Rhone for our last leg.

Here is the join. Soane coming in from the right. Taken from the bridge of the Enterprise.