As part of Cath’s recent birthday celebrations, my dad and sister bought her a voucher to do a day’s cookery training at a Paul Bocuse establishment.

Cath chose to do the day dedicated to working with one of Lyon’s favourite ingredient – praline rosé.

So she headed off for a day being taught by chef Charles Liets.

Cath said the chef was a great teacher and a real expert. The methods he used were almost scientific.

“We were able to take part in making the pralines. That was easy to prepare but required patience as we stirred the caramel and the roasted almonds, covering them in the pink food colouring (beetroot powder).

“This appeared to have ruined the pan with a sticky mass stuck to the pan. But Chef Charles showed us a great way to clean it using cling film and hot water.

After a lovely lunch where the chef talked about his time in London, we set to work finishing the Paris Brest and la Tarte praline rosé.

The pâte sucrée required a technique unknown to lay cake makers like me. You soften up the pastry by spreading bits of it over a board. A mousseline was prepared by using copious amounts of butter. Cholesterol shocker! Not satisfied with the consistency, Charles popped up with a blow torch to heat the bowl the mousseline was in.

“We then tried piping the mousseline which I actually got the hang of. It was a fantastic day enjoyed by all – especially Pat who gobbled down the delights I bought home.

“It’s now just a question of attempting all of these recipes at home! Thank you to Kate and Pat snr.”

I have heard so much about how AI is changing our lives I thought I would see how good copy.ai was a writing a blog post for http://www.throwntothelyon.fr.

I asked it what were the best things to do in Lyon – and here is what it came up with.

Lyon, France offers a variety of activities and attractions for visitors to enjoy. Here are some popular things to do in Lyon:

1. Take a Bus or Mountain Bike Tour through the city ¹
2. Visit Specialty Museums such as the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon or the Gallo-Roman Museum of Lyon-Fourvière ²³
3. Explore the city’s cultural heritage by taking a Cultural Tour or visiting historical landmarks such as the Theatres Romains de Fourvière or the Ancient Theatre of Fourvière ¹²
4. Enjoy a Wine Tasting or visit one of the many Churches & Cathedrals in the city ¹
5. Take a Photography Tour to capture the beauty of Lyon’s architecture and landscapes ¹
6. Walk around the Presqu’île, a peninsula between the Rhône and Saône rivers that offers shopping and dining experiences ³
7. Visit the Parc de la Tête d’Or, the largest urban park in France, which features a lake, gardens, a zoo, and more ³
8. Try Lyon’s famous cuisine on a Culinary Tour or dine at one of the city’s many restaurants ¹⁴
9. Attend a performance at one of Lyon’s Theaters ¹
10. Explore the city’s surrounding areas on a Private Day Trip or visit the nearby Basilique Notre Dame de Fourvière for stunning views of the city ²⁵

Lyon’s rich history, culture, and gastronomy make it a must-visit destination for travelers. ⁴

Sources:

1. THE 15 BEST Things to Do in Lyon – Tripadvisor https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g187265-Activities-Lyon_Rhone_Auvergne_Rhone_Alpes.html ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶
2. 10 Best Things To Do in Lyon – U.S. News & World Report https://travel.usnews.com/Lyon_France/Things_To_Do/ ↩ ↩² ↩³
3. 15 Best Things to Do in Lyon (France) – The Crazy Tourist https://www.thecrazytourist.com/15-best-things-lyon-france/ ↩ ↩² ↩³
4. The Top 13 THINGS TO DO in LYON in 2023 – The Tour Guy https://thetourguy.com/travel-blog/france/lyon/top-things-to-do-in-lyon-this-year/ ↩ ↩²
5. 17 UNIQUE Things to Do in Lyon [in 2022] – The Broke Backpacker https://www.thebrokebackpacker.com/things-to-do-in-lyon-france/ ↩

Not too bad.

Idioms are great aren’t they? Cath spotted this one on a billboard in town.

Euronews even wrote a piece celebrating some French idioms to mark Francophone week.

It features expressions like:

• Ça ne casse pas trois pattes à un canard

• On n’est pas sorti de l’auberge

• Tu me cours sur le haricot

Click on the link if you want to know more.

I also learnt some idioms during my French lesson.

• Avoir du pain sur la planche – to have a lot of work.

• J’ai d’autre chats à fouetter – I’ve got other cats to whip – a slightly more aggressive expression than other fish to fry.

Cath and I went to a new church that was offering a Mass in English – le grand hostel dieu.

It’s near Place Bellecour and the signs of recent protests were evident.

Easter is clearly close. The chocolate offers are impressive.

After quite a few months and several missteps look what arrived in the post today:

I can now drive with the proper documentation. Just need to get a car.

I saw this photo of demonstrations during France’s national strike today.

It made me think – for us language learners it would be useful if there was a little (f) at the bottom so you knew it was la grève and not le grève.

Just a thought.

An evening stroll around le voisinage and we came across les pompiers in action. They were breaking down a second floor window to gain access. I’m guessing someone inside was in difficulty.

It reminds me of a similar incident in the 6eme arrondissement last year near our old address. Actually looking at this post it was almost exactly a year ago.

I suppose with so many people living in flats if someone gets into trouble the best way in is through the windows.

I hope whoever it is is all right.

Judging by the displays in les vitrines of the chocolate shops.