Le weekend

 

Quite a busy weekend, hence the attempt to create a busy-looking photo collage ... not sure how convincing this idea is, especially as most of the pictures are your typical Lyonnaise view: the basilica at Fourviere, La Saone, la cathedrale Saint-Jean, coloured metal containers piled up high, crazy world-map murals in the metro etc etc etc. Amongst this slightly random selection of pictures, however, there are pictures of things that actually happened this weekend:

1. I attempted, not very succcesfully, to paint Van Gogh's Outdoor Cafe scene. Interesting exercise as you realise how detailed his paintings are, especially when trying to replicate his colours. Was feeling inspired to experiment though given Friday evening's excursion to

2. a VERNISSAGE. Or in other words, an opening night in a small art gallery in Vieux Lyon, in a road that is called "Rue Doree" on one side, and "Rue Marius Gonin" on the other. And the French think that the English are illogical?! The artist (in fact the art teacher of one of my flatmates which was the real reason for going) Jean Noel Delettre had painted thirty or so canvases in oils, including lots of scenes of Lyon. I was rather sad that the picture of the iconic Lyon velo-v feautred in the brochure didn't seem to be there, so I've included it here instead!

3. A life of culture continued on Saturday with a concert in Lyon's equivalent of London's Barbican centre, l'auditorium de Lyon. A kind of bowl shaped concrete building, almost like a space-ship,(or maybe a fan heater, I haven't decided) which is connected to the centre-commercial,Part-Dieu, the uncompromising exterior is in fact the outer shell of a fantastic inner auditorium. The concert was excellent: Messiaen, Gershwin and Ravel, with pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet, who was born, yes you've guessed it, in Lyon. And that's his rather illegible autograph you can see in the top and bottom rows of the photo collage.

4. And if that's not enough culture, add in English Afternoon Tea on Sunday (see cake below...) and string quartet playing (mmm....Beethoven and Schubert).

Phew, might have to be completely uncultured now in order to maintain a healthy balance ... rubbish tv here I come!