May 4
Dear Liza,
If food were the religion of Lyon, (and it kind of is) the high priest would Paul Bocuse. A famous, popular chef born here in Lyon, Monsieur Bocuse was the model for the chef Gousteau in the movie “Ratatouille”.
And today we visited a giant foodie mall named for him! Although he died in 2018, an entire industry uses him as their touchstone.
Dozens of shops and counters, filled edge to edge with beautiful, aromatic food, were staffed by people just aching to show you what they had.
From delicate, perfect pattisserie to organic chickens with their heads still attached, to tidy lines of frog’s legs, if you can eat it, it is here. The smell of sausage and spices was intoxicating, and Grandpa Nelson got a little dizzy and stepped outside.
We saw some old favorites, like the tiny Callisons d’Aix, biscuits made exclusively in the town of Aix. We also found zaatar, a spice blend we enjoyed at Le Rendez-vous in Portland.
And you know we will go back when it’s time to buy souvenirs. What looks good to you?
Love,
Grandma Judy
Dear Liza 