Here’s how I spent my lazy Sunday in Lyon.

A late breakfast at the hotel (I tend to really love European breakfast buffets and this one was no exception) then I headed back to Vieux Lyon to see a movie and miniatures museum I noticed yesterday.

Soon after walking in the door, I was greeted with this and knew it’d be a place I’d enjoy:

A life-size model of a Triceratops head in a lush garden with plants, positioned in front of an arched doorway draped with a curtain.

They had a whole room of Ghostbusters paraphernalia. This is a childhood favorite franchise of mine. They had a case of vintage toys and I spotted a few I had as a kid.

A Ghostbusters-themed display featuring a Proton Pack, ghost traps, a PKE Meter, lockers with jumpsuits, and themed collectibles.

One of my favorite exhibits was on movie posters by the artist Drew Struzan. I was definitely familiar with his work, but never knew about the artist behind these posters.

Three large posters depicting characters and spacecraft from the Star Wars franchise displayed on a black wall beneath wooden beams, with spotlights shining on them.

Three framed movie posters depicting the original Indiana Jones films, displayed in an exhibition with spot lighting and wooden beams in the background.

The miniature displays were something to see. So many small, painstaking details. I really liked the interior of this vintage New York subway car.

Interior of an empty subway car with benches, handrails, advertisements, and overhead lighting.

Next, I decided to take a river boat cruise along the Saône river.

A river with a tour boat, people sitting on the quay, and a backdrop of European-style buildings under a cloudy sky.

It was very relaxing. One aspect I enjoyed was seeing the contrasting architecture of the Renaissance era buildings of Vieux Lyon with the modern architecture of the Confluence district (so called because it’s the confluence of the Rhône and Saône rivers).

A river in the foreground with a pedestrian bridge to the left. Colorful buildings line the riverbank, backed by a hill with greenery and a large building on top. A tower is visible behind the hill.

The image shows a riverside view with modern buildings, including a distinctive orange building with a unique perforated facade and a spiral staircase on its exterior. Behind it is a building with an intricate geometric glass structure on its top. There are boats moored.

After the boat, I had an ice cream Sunday for lunch. There was a place that every time I’ve walked past it’s had a giant line. Today was no exception. But I saw they had an area with some tables and waiter service that somehow had no wait. So that’s where I went.

After this, I rented an e-bike. I’ve seen so many people on bikes both in Paris and here, I definitely wanted to experience it for myself. Speaking of the Confluence, I decided to head back to that area on bike and explore the bike paths along the rivers a little more.

A bicycle parked on a grassy riverbank with personal belongings scattered nearby and people walking in the background. In the background, the confluence of the Saône and Rhône rivers

A quick break at the hotel and I ventured back into Vieux Lyon for dinner. I keep returning to this neighborhood for a few reasons. One, it’s super charming and I love the Renaissance era streets and buildings. Two, it’s a short (and beautiful) walk from my hotel. I learned on the boat tour that Vieux Lyon is a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the largest remaining districts of Renaissance buildings.

Another quick aside on language. I’m surprised how many little bits of French I understand. (When written! Spoken, I have no clue.) It’s mostly food related terms that I’ve learned from restaurants in the US. Sometimes, the French description of food is more illuminating to me than the English description. For instance, my meal last night was described as sausage, but in French it was boudin noir (which I know to be a type of blood sausage). Tonight, I had steak with “pepper sauce”. In French, it was sauce au poivre, which I’ve even cooked myself sonI knew exactly what to expect. There’s also other non-food related terms that have entered the English language from French, so there’s no translation needed. Like “confluence”!

After dinner, it was back to the hotel to get some sleep. It’s another early day tomorrow. I’m headed to Zermatt, Switzerland via Geneva. It’ll be a long day on multiple trains, but it should be fairly relaxed, so I’m looking forward to it.

Goodnight!