There is still rubbish on the streets of Paris!

But le jardin des plantes looks lovely.

Today was the 11th day of pensions protests in France and also the day the demonstrations reached Chez Nous.

We went out for an evening walk to see the aftermath. It wasn’t pretty.

We even saw a Macron ordure sign.

Who is this that I spotted in the Rhône this morning? Un castor? Ou un ragondin?

I followed him/her for a bit though he/she was very camera shy. And ducked under the water if I got too close.

I asked some French newsroom colleagues and they all think it is a ragondin – a coypu.

I’ve never seen one before, I don’t think.

Not a-swimming, just a-chilling.

On Sunday we went south for a day trip to catch up with our French family.

It was meant to be a trip by train but the strikes meant our return trip was cancelled so we went by car instead.

When we got to Fuveau for lunch there was a strange orange ball in the sky – le soleil – and it was warm.

We got to catch up with our petite niece Alma. She now walks, talks and is a lot of fun.

We ate at a restaurant run by friends of Sally and Hanna. We even gatecrashed a birthday party.

Afterwards we went for a walk at the foot of Mont St Victoire.

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.