Spoiled rotten. Friday 17th April 2009.

Alex opted for some down time for a while today and Fran and I cycled over to the food mecca of Les Halles marketplace. I knew she would love it and she did. We weren't there long before our tummies responded to the eye-popping displays of all things gourmet around us.

We propped ourselves up the bar at Maison Rousseau http://www.maison-rousseau.com/ for a feast of oysters from Bretagne (near to where we will be staying in Nantes later this year) and Normandy. The crevettes (prawns) were from Madagascar and were sweeter than normal. The house vinaigrette and mayonnaise were sublime. We sipped an appropriate vin blanc with a slightly dry finish from nearby Macon. David, our waiter, pulled up a bar stool and chatted to us over lunch. He prepared us each a snail from the Bourgogne region which arrived bubbling with garlic and parsley butter and showed us how to clamp the shell while prying out the meat. David made it the total experience as we sat at the bar happily eating, drinking and chatting.

We wandered the aisles of Les Halles, stopping in on Romuald at Bellota-Bellota. Romuald gave us both a sliver of his jambon, we swooned. I will never forget how delicate this jambon is. It is vastly different to any other I have ever tasted, nothing comes even close. We said hello to Pierre Bastin, the lovely purveyor of the Bresse chickens, we drooled at the cheese displays, foie gras, charcuterie, quenelles etc. I booked in for a cooking class at 'Atelier de cuisine Philippe Lechat' at Les Halles for next Thursday morning, should be delightful!

Leaving Les Halles behind I took Fran to see the Place des Terreaux surrounded by the beautiful Hotel de Ville, its crown glistening in shinning gold, and the Musee des Beaux Arts with its inner couryard that is home to my favourite little garden.

AJ, Fran and I dolled ourselves up to go to Le Cintra Piano Bar/Restaurant where Fran was playing piano and singing. We had a dinner booking at 7, allowing Fran time to eat before her set. My entree was the highlight for me. A 'tartare d'ecrivisses et sa chiffonnade d'herbes' which was a tartare of crustacean brought together with a delicalte mayonnaise, served with a little crustacean on top. Alex was in heaven with 'ravioles au basilic', tiny raviolli like pillows served with a pale basil-green cream sauce with a perfume to match, they are a speciality nearby to Lyon. Fran shared her escargot and I shared my tartare, the escargot was not a patch on our lunch time treat from David at Les Halles, but they were nice all the same.

Fran lit up the room with the heartfelt lyrics of her songs. The piano's sweet notes danced around the restaurant, she shone her bright light in Lyon and we were so happy to be part of it. My dear friend Isabelle joined us in time for Fran's first song, and not long after, David, (our lunch time waiter and escargot eating coach) arrived with a friend. We all listened to Fran's vocals, chatted and drank. Alex got through a few hot chocolates while I was introduced to my new favourite digestive called 'Jet', it shimmered bright emerald green, hypnotic as it became illiminated by the lamplight.

It was fun riding home on the velov's late at night, the city lights twinkled as they reflected playfully on the Rhone, the sound of gravel under our tyres was a good sound and I smiled a big smile at the thought of how happy I was... again.