Parc de la Tete d’Or

Today I am very excited to walk to the ParcTete d’Or, a 105 hectare greenspace on the Rhone River, on the north end of Lyon. It includes a huge 16 hectare lake, botanical gardens, rose gardens, a wild bird sanctuary, a small zoo, and a reproduction “African Plain” that contains animals like giraffes and zebras roaming freely among the grasses... all free of charge.  The name Tete d’Or comes from the legend that the head of a golden statue of Jesus was once found in this park.

We will walk North through Vieux Lyon to Saint Paul, then across the river to Saint Vincent on Presqu’ile, at the foot of Croix Rousse.  We will cut across Croix Rousse to the park entrance at the Porte de la Tete D’Or on Boulevard des Belges.  After a tour of the park, we’ll exit at the Porte des Enfants du Rhone, and walk down the esplanade along the Rhone River to Pont Morand, where we’ll cross back into Vieux Lyon. It’s a round trip of just over 10km.  

We take a simple route along Rue du Boeuf to Rue Juiverie, and turn right onto Rue Octavio Mey to get to the Saone.  We take the Passerelle St Vincent, a walking bridge over the Saone connecting Saint Paul of Vieux Lyon with Saint Vincent of Presqu’ile.

We pass by the famous trompe d’oeuil La Frèsque des Lyonnais on our way down Rue du Sargent Blandan. There are images of 30 people both real and fictional, who are said to have "made" Lyon the city it is.  On our quick pass-through, I recognize Paul Bocuse and Le Petit Prince. 

We turn up Rue Place Sathonay at Place Sathonay, and take the stairs up pas the twin lion fountains to the Ampithéatre desTrois Gaules, a gladiator ring where the Romans famously fed Christians to the lions.  We also admire the Tunnel Rue Terme to the right of the amphitheatres. This was the first furnicular route in Lyon, opened in 1862, but in the late 1960s it was converted into a regular tunnel for cars.

Turning right on Rue Burdeau, we cut across the hill of Croix-Rousse (much easier on the knees than walking up the famed Montée de la Grande Coté, which we admire as we pass).  Colin and I had walked up the Montée on our first trip to Lyon in May.  Further along Rue Burdeau, we encounter the Jardin Publique of Place Croix Paquet.  

We cut directly through it to the Rhone River, and cross the Pont de Lattre de Tassigny.  There are some really neat ruins amidst the more modern-looking buildings lining the shore.

We walk down the very broad Rue Duquesne, which has several modern features, like the Residence Duquesne building.  We also stop for cold waters at the grocery, since the heat is making the 3km to the park seem much more long and difficult than it should be.

Finally, we arrive at the Porte de la Tete D’Or. Through its iron gates, the park is a green oasis of grass and trees. We revel in the shade as we stroll along the Allée du Parc aux Daims towards Place du Guignol. Suddenly I notice movement on the grass to our right.  There is a herd of deer quietly grazing on the lawn between us and the Botannical Gardens. As we approach the children’s playground adjacent to the Place du Guignol, we notice there is also an emu/ostrich wandering among the deer!  Scanning the field, we notice another emu/ostrich on the far side, near the Botannical Garden.

The Place du Guignol appears to be a barren little square with a few food kiosks and some children’s rides. We pass through it quickly to get to the African Plain.

Arriving at the African Plain, the first thing we see is a family of giraffes!  I laugh when the sign claims this area is called the “girafferie.”  Now I’m sure you have heard of a few French words ending with “-erie”… perhaps the most famous being “boulangerie” (bakery).  The French have taken adding “-erie” to an art form. Where is the boulanger (baker)?  At the boulangerie!  Where do I get some tuiles (tiles)?  At the tuilerie! Where are the dechets (garbage)?  At the decheterie!  Apparently, if you add “-erie” to ANYTHING, it makes it the place associated with that thing. I digress. 

Giraffes!!!  A mother and baby are trying to get shade from a wooden structure.  One is spending the afternoon lolling his tongue about.  Another walks right up to the small string separating it from me and stares meaningfully into my eyes for two minutes, before slowly sauntering off to get a drink at the pond.

We head over to the pond and are astounded by the number of exotic birds milling about in this open area. I can’t even name them all, but I recognized pink flamingos, white pelicans, ibis, Egyptian geese, and of course many ducks.  

As we stood admiring the flamingos, a Great Blue heron flew in right over our heads to land on the opposite bank. Three white pelicans performed a synchronized water ballet for us, swimming in graceful circles, right up near our feet and then around to the other side of the pond.  It’s amazing these birds all stay here, when they could simply fly off.  Perhaps the park is truly a refuge for them, and they recognize that on some level.  Perhaps it means that we will continue to encounter these huge birds as we walk throughout the park.  

That is when we notice the antelopes and Ankole-Watusi cattle on the other side of the pond.  Closer to us is a turtle sunning itself on a rock.  A little farther are a pair of zebras!  A sleepy fox seems to be enjoying the sun.  There are also three crocodiles, but fortunately, the park had the sense to put those in an enclosure.  

We turn left onto Allée du Parc aux Moutons, where there are several zoo enclosures.  Most of them contain various types of monkeys.  A couple of White faced Sakis mugg on cue, whenever I raise my camera.  One tamarin seems really angry with Colin, while another doesn’t seem to care that we are there. A red koala rests high above us in a tree.  A bamboo lemur rests immobile on his perch, perhaps thinking, perhaps depressed that he has to be in this glass cage when the other animals seem to be able to roam free in the park.

Further along, we encounter another animal I am happy is not wandering free in the park: an amur leopard.  A sign says that this is the most threatened type of leopard, with only 30 individuals alive in the world.  This captivity program is an attempt to increase the population to a more stable 200.  

I’m melting in the heat, and suggest we find a brasserie in the park. We turn left onto Allée de l’Orangerie and walk towards the big lake.  We encounter the Café Restaurant du Tete d’Or, which has a lovely shaded patio in a grove of trees and offers giant salads.  Sold. This is probably the best salad I’ve had so far in France!

Feeling refreshed after our lunch, we decide to walk around the park’s big lake.  As I surmised earlier, there are also many birds around the lake, including herons, egrets, geese, ducks (including a Peking duck!), and a tawny-colored raptor who soars over the lake and alights in a tree.   

Nearing the Porte des Enfants du Rhone, there is a boat rental place, with dinghys and paddleboats. We are tempted, as I think back to the fun I had with Alex at Lac Des Sapins.

We pass through the Ile Gandhi Memorial garden, whose style seems more in tune with a Chinese garden than an Indian one, where we see a tunnel heading under the lake.  It is the access to Ile du Souvenir, a tiny island with a giant war memorial statue.  We follow a young man carrying two cases of beer, who joins up with a “cheerful” group of young men who have replaced the young teens who were swimming here earlier.  While we look at the giant statue, one of the men puts on a lady friend’s bathing suit, stuffs it appropriately and “Yoohoos” at us as we walk past.  He is having a VERY good time today.  lol.  Heading out the tunnel, uniformed police officers pass us heading the other way.  Unfortunately for the young men, I think that party will soon be over.

Back on the mainland, we turn right onto Allée du Lac and continue onward around the lake.  At the rose garden, there is a couple getting wedding photos.  We’re already hot again, and so we sit near a fountain under a pergola (thank you Paul Lafrance for teaching me that word).

After the rose garden, we abandon our trip around the lake, and head back the way we came.  We pass a statue of some people trying to “move the world”;  However, “the world” appears to only include Britain, France, and Italy.

Even though there is some shade on the way back, and we don’t have far to go, we still consider taking the little mini-train back to the Porte des Enfants du Rhone.  This heat can’t be normal. 

Outside the gates, a bronze statue of a woman draped in a flag points us back inside, but we must head out.  The owner of our gite, Patrick, has invited us to his place in Saint-Just for drinks before supper.  Originally, we had planned to walk there too, but now the growing consensus seems to be taking the furnicular up the Fourvière hill.

We walk along the Quai Saint Vincent esplanade back towards Vieux Lyon.  At first the trees offer us some shade, but soon the sun is beating down on us mercilessly.  “Winter is coming” announces the graffiti on the cement, but it feels very far off at this moment.  (Didn’t I mention how this place seems just as obsessed with Game of Thrones as I am?)  

I don’t think I’ve mentioned how much the French seem to love graffiti.  If there is a blank space, there will be graffiti on it.  I’ve seen graffiti on just about everything: walls, sidewalks, signposts, houses, trains, cars… you name it!  

All along the Rhone, large boats are permanently moored.  These used to be the commercial transport boats of the region, and as they become obsolete, they have been converted into homes and restaurants. Some are pretty fancy, like this one below, whose cargo hold has been converted into a swimming pool.  Other owners have filled their holds with dirt and planted full sized trees in them!

We cross back to Presqu’ile at Pont Morand, which takes us next to the Hotel de Ville and the Opera House (the domed building on the left).  

On the other side of the Hotel de Ville is the Place des Terreaux, which contains the Fontaine Bartholdi, created by the same artist who sculpted the Statue of Liberty in New York.  Bartholdi designed this fountain when he was 23... what were YOU doing when you were 23?  ;)  

On the South side of the square is the Musée des Beaux Arts, also known as the Palais Saint-Pierre, because it used to be an Abbey-Convent of the order of Saint Pierre before they were ejected in the French Revolution.

At the banks of the Saone, the book market is in full swing, but we don’t have time to stop. We cross the Pont de la Feuille back into Vieux Lyon. We walk down Rue Lainerie, past the lovely façade on Le Royal Indien restaurant, and famous tilted door of #3 Place du Change.

On the way down Rue Saint Jean to the furnicular station, we pass a group of clowns singing and acting silly in front of the Salle Léo Ferré.  This could not be more French.  

We head up the furnicular to the Minimes station, and wait in the adjacent Place des Minimes park for Patrick’s son Tom to come collect us. We head up Place des Minimes towards the Lycée Saint-Just that Colin and I visited on our evening walk last night. Here Place des Minimes merges with Rue des Fargues.  Then we turn left down Rue des Tourelles to his family house. An ancient wall runs down the right side of this street, and in fact, has been incorporated into the construction of their family house!  I really thought I got a photo of this wall as we walked down the hill, but it seems I took my photo too early: the wall starts after this yellow building, and from this angle is obscured by trees.

Patrick’s family receives us very graciously, with champagne and nibbles in their lovely garden courtyard.  Our group conversation is mostly in French, peppered with the occasional English, particularly to help out Betty.  We all do pretty well, if I do say so myself!  :D   As Patrick’s family is friends with our Chamelet host Alban’s family, and it was Patrick who recommended we stay at Alban’s gite this summer, they want to know how we are faring at La Muzetière, and all the updates about the sheep situation.  The evening is a real treat for us, and makes us feel like locals.

While we had been prepared to walk down the Rue de Gourguillon back to Vieux Lyon, Patrick insists on driving us back, as he is heading out to a rehearsal with his theatre group.  He drops us at the bottom of Rue de Barthelemy, and we walk the rest of the way through Vieux Lyon.  By now we are peckish for supper, so we try Restaurant Le Boucan Canot, which offers cuisine from the L’Ile de la Réunion, a French overseas department in the Indian Ocean, about 700km off Madagascar. Reading the history of the island on the back of the menu, I seem to remember watching an episode of House Hunters or Island Hunters about this island! Or was it on Island Life?  Man, HGTV has a lot of house shows... 

  

I order a spicy shredded cabbage salad and sautéed mixed seafood, while Colin gets samosas and poitrine de porc, which Colin says is a fancy way of saying "ribs." Betty orders the appy platter, which gives her a sample of many different dishes, and comes with a tasty assortment of dips. After dinner, we head to our own gites and turn in.