Friday 11 April 2014

Scratching the Surface of Shopping in Lyon

When I visited Lyon last month, of course I wanted to see what the boutiques looked like! Lyon is a city of artisans, and the support for an artisan culture is high, which means lot of choice.

I went up to the Croix Rousse and walked down (a possibility for our Thursday afternoon, since Thursday morning we will be visiting the silk industry on the Croix Rousse). Morfia, the very first boutique that caught my eye was filled with glass jewelry, probably the most gorgeous I have ever seen, and with prices to match, but a real feast for the eye.





I met the glass artist, who runs her own boutique. You can see more on her website, although it is not so easy to navigate ... but it is worth a look!

Another shop with unusual creations was Kolporteur. The ceramics were worth a second look, and the leather bags were also handsome.





There is a Village de Créateurs on the Croix Rousse, with a wide variety of offerings. And sometimes shops are open and sometimes they are not - you have to go with the flow!

For a lunch break in this area, I thought that Laureline's Corner Fairy Cakes looked appealing, not so much for the cupcakes, but for the soups and salads (although I could eat a cupcake, if push came to shove!). And for those who are big fans of Angelina's in Paris, there is now one in Lyon in the Galeries Lafayett at Part Dieu.. Apparently it is easier to get a table than in Paris, but the prices are in the same range, and the ladies room is on another floor. The on-line commentary from the Lyonnais(es) is mixed ...

There will be a number of opportunities to buy silk! I recommend a quick visit on Wednesday afternoon to a shop just south of the main square called Tousoie (I'll be going there myself). Their website is a little limited, but a friend of mine was wearing the most gorgeous silk mousseline scarf in dark sea green with a royal blue border that came from this shop. You can scope out the offerings before the silk workshop visit on Thursday! (And it is possible to buy other fabrics too - I came home with a scarf that was periwinkle/violet with bands of orange, hot pink, ocher, etc. at each end, and this one is cotton.)




In addition, Lyon has all the major French departments stores and chain shops, where shopping can be entertaining in a different way. I was in a clothing store during the lunch hour, and I saw a young woman with several hangers of clothes in one hand and a sandwich that she was eating in the other. Right down the aisle from her was a woman trying on jackets, and her dog waited patiently at her feet while its mistress dropped her sweater and other belongings on him! Only in France ?