One thing I noticed while in the south was the serious attitude to boules among Provençal players.

It was a very serious business and they also used a little addition that I haven’t seen in Lyon.

It was a magnet on the end of a lead that made picking up the boules much easier.

You can buy yours here.

We spotted a boules tournament going on in Place Maréchal Lyautey.

There were plenty of matches going on. And the rain largely held off.

As ever, if you are unsure what time of year it is, a quick look in the windows of the chocolate shops around Lyon will give you a good idea.

This year both 1 April – le poisson d’Avril – and Easter come at the same time.

So therefore lots of chocolate fish and Easter chicks, hens and eggs are the order of the day.

During a walk around Parc de la Tête d’Or we came across this lovely initiative – tulips to fight cancer.

So we obviously bought some.

Quand tu penses qu’il n’y a vraiment plus aucun espoir….

As I was cycling home I stopped at a red light and a fellow cyclist said something to me that I didn’t hear.

Comment? Je n’ai pas entendu?

Quelles jolies chaussettes, elle m’a dit.

The good news is, I have another pair.

When I first agreed to come to Lyon, Euronews told me I would benefit from a type of visa called a passeport talent.

I applied, was rejected, applied again and got it with a few months delay.

Anyway here is an explainer as to what they are – not commissioned by me I hasten to add.

Ahhh, Valentines Day.