On Friday, with the rain pouring down, we decided any sightseeing would have to be indoors. We thus decided to try a trip to Euroexpo, Lyon's version of the NEC, to experience the Foire de Lyon, a sort of Ideal Home Exhibition and wine & food fair rolled into one. Purchases were limited to a saucisson package deal, patisseries and a mint aromatherapy massage oil strong enough to clear sinuses at twenty paces, but it was an enjoyable day and we stayed mostly dry.
The Easter weekend itself was taken up with a belated birthday present to la belle-mére, a trip to the Vaucluse. Centrepiece was an overnight stay in the Château de Mazan, a former haunt of the Marquis de Sade. Say no more.
We set off on Saturday morning in the Lyonnais rain, but the further south we went, the drier and more sunny it became. The afternoon was taken up by a pleasant walk around Isle sur la Sorgue, a Provençal version of Venice, and a visit to Fontaine de Vaucluse, a closed valley from the depths of which springs the river Sorgue.
The following morning, after wining & dining in suitable style at the château, we drove via an impressive gorge in the shadow of Mont Ventoux to Roussillon, yet another picturesque, hilltop Provençal village, and home to some rather impressive ochre formations. The sun shone brilliantly all through what was perversely a freezing cold day, due to the bitingly chilly Mistral shrieking down the Rhone valley. Wending our way back north to Lyon felt a bit like driving uphill all the way, so strong was the wind.
On Easter Monday we awoke to snow covering the Lyon rooftops. An amble around the St Georges quarter of Vieux Lyon in the freezing cold was thus la belle-mère's last tourist duty. Photos from the trip to the Vaucluse can be found on here on noonadek.com.
