The path of water

The sun shone over the weekend and enticed us into springlike activity. Saturday started slowly, with a stroll down the river for lunch in one of the quayside cafés. After some separate shopping activity, we moved indoors for some gender typical work. La bienheureuse into the kitchen, where she produced a lamb and roast vegetable dinner, followed by a divinely delicious Tatin de poires with chocolate pastry. Taste bud heaven. Meanwhile I knocked up an extra shelf for the drinks cupboard. To hold glassware rather than more wine, I hasten to add.

Sunday we resolved to get up early to take advantage of the weather by heading out into the country. Resolution successfully kept, so much so that we managed to get to the déchetterie well before it closed at noon, and had to queue to get in. It seemed the whole of Lyon was dumping rubbish, mostly of the vegetation variety, because we were told by the man at the gate, once he'd deciphered my stuttering French, that there was no room for our Christmas tree. However, once in, all it took was a smile from la bienheureuse and her jolie accent anglais for one of the chaps to crack and take care of our tree.

From there we headed up into the hills, the Monts Lyonnais, to Collonges au Mont d'Or. The starting point took a little finding but thereafter we enjoyed a very pleasant walk along the sentier de l'eau. The route meandered through the village then up the hill and through the woods above, talking in several water features en route, which gave the theme to the walk - old village wash room, cisterns, water sources and the vestiges of the Roman viaduct that once brought water to Lugdunum.

Back at home we had time for more pear Tatin, then it was off to Stade Gerland once more. The early kick off induced us to cycle. It was a pleasant ride down the river on the way there, but rather harder work on the way home, into a very stiff northerly wind. In between, the match was a reasonably entertaining 1-1 draw, with a red card apiece for OL and Lille, which did little for either team's ambitions of the title, with Marseille confirming their position at the top with a win later in the evening.

In the wider world, the infamous floods following la tempête Xynthia are back in the news, with the local government drawing up zones noirs in the affected areas, within which all houses (some 1400 or so) will be torn down and further building banned. The list includes some houses which were unaffected by the recent flood and doesn't include some which were. Understandably a good proportion of the proprietors are up in arms, despite the average quarter of million Euros compensation being promised…