19/07/2009
Sunday and we headed out to ‘Le Puce’ (the big Flea market) out of town a little, so caught the metro and hoped to catch a bus the rest of the way, but were told by Veronica (a Spanish girl we met) that there was only one bus an hour, se we walked and chatted (she’s working in Lyon translating old french texts into Spanish) After a 40 minute walk we wandered around the market for a couple of hours. It had a permanent section with stall holders all set up with their wares, as well as a car park full of car-boot sellers. We found some things that were interesting (weaving machine bobbins, old cheese knife, postcard printing plates, and an iron pinecone (finial) All a bit of fun, but no old coffee pots. 
We ended up catching a bus back to the metro and then found our way to the vege market in Croix Ruse. We scored some free apricots & a melon as things were winding up and old & damaged fruit was being discarded. Also bought a bbq chicken for a picnic tomorrow.
Ash & Pippa rendezvoused with us and after some fruit we wandered around the area checking out the huge building mural (painted on a flat building facade but done to look 3D) dedicated to the local weavers (know as Canut – with a silent T). Amazing! Slowly walked our way down (stopping at the leftovers of a Roman amphitheatre) before ending up back in the square near the City Hall (Hotel de Ville). There’s a fountain there with horses leaping out of it and when the water’s on, a fine mist comes out of their nostrils. Cool! (designed by the guy who did the Statue of Liberty).
Up to the apartment for a coffee and organised a trip for tomorrow. Then out on the bikes (yep we had four bikes) for a ride to the gardens with huge ornate gates, which were wonderful. they are huge and feature a rose garden, paths, lake, and a zoo in which we saw deer, tortoises, porcupines, and meerkats. Found a park bench to sit on while we had a cup of tea (from the thermos) and then rode the bikes back to the river and along the water side. A very nice riverside with playgrounds for kids, swimming pools, and restaurant barges tied up alongside the boulevard.
Had fun struggling with the bikes back up in the lift to the apartment (one with one person at a time – unless your Ash & Pippa who can both fit in with their racing bikes – but at a squeeze) and decided to have dinner (set menu for 10:50 Euros each) at 203 (a small cafe/pub with an interesting history that’s got to do with smoking/or not) and went to bed late (again).