(Lyon, France)

I hadn’t planned to visit Lyon on this trip. But, as you may recall, I found a great flight deal here from Montreal. I suspect that late February is not a particularly high-demand time for that route. And that came in handy a second time!

Many airlines now allow you to bid for an upgrade to a higher class, if there are empty seats in their premium economy or business classes. I was booked into economy on this trip, although I had selected an exit row seat for the extra leg room. Even so, I still find the ever-shrinking seats in economy class to be very uncomfortable (especially if the flight is full). It’s not just the leg room: shoulder room is scarce too! Add to that the loss of a night’s sleep, and it’s not the best way to start off a European trip…especially one that is going to be very active.

All this means that I was particularly interested in bidding for an upgrade to business class on this trip. The lie-flat seats can accommodate someone who is 6’6″, so even I can fully stretch out in them. There usually is a minimum bid for such an upgrade, but even that was reduced by 25% on this flight. I figured that was a good sign too. I decided to bid just a tiny bit more than the revised minimum, and was fairly confident I would succeed. And I did!

Some things to remember: while you get access to the business lounge before departure (with all the free food and drinks you can handle), they don’t let you in until 3 hours before departure. Also: my flight to Lyon arrived earlier than expected. It was barely 7 hours. That cuts down on sleeping time, as meals are served at the beginning and end of the flight. Business class travel actually makes a longer flight more desirable!

Anyway, here I am in Lyon. Given Lyon’s culinary reputation, I stopped by Les Halles de Lyon – Paul Bocuse. It is an indoor food market named after Lyon’s most famous chef, and quite close to my hotel. As you can imagine, the offerings tend to toward the swankier end of the decadence spectrum. And regardless of the product, the displays are spectacular too. Take my word for it – you will know when you are near a cheese vendor.

From there, I crossed the Rhône river to what I’m going to call the “Belle Epoque” part of Lyon. Not the truly ancient Vieux-Lyon, but the prosperous Presqu’île district. It’s full of grand boulevards and grand buildings, with a lot of luxury brands from all over the world. From a shopping perspective, it’s certainly not what I was looking for. But I managed to find a FNAC record shop in a suitably attractive building, and I now have a musical souvenir from the trip!

As I really only have one “discretionary” meal here in France’s food capital, I wanted to make it worthwhile. So, I did some research on special options that I could walk to from my hotel. I found something that ticked all the boxes for me: a family-run restaurant that has developed an outstanding reputation for quality food from the “old country”…in this case, Lebanon and Syria. The reviews were gushing, to say the least. Perhaps more importantly, I didn’t see any bad reviews either.

Watch for my next blog, when you’ll find out whether this local favourite lived up to its fabulous reputation!