The good news is that Chris arrived in Lyon as planned then we caught the plane and got here mid afternoon, by the time we taxi'd from the airport. The other good news is that the hotel is gorgeous, old , beautifully restored has roof top terrases from which you can see over the old city. Also Chris got a hair cut and shave from a barber in the medina who had worked in the same shop for 40 years. It was a work of art!
The bad news is that Kate 's flight from Melbourne was delayed for 4 hours, she got rerouted and the last time I spoke to her , she was still in Paris ready to board at 6.30 pm. Its 10.40 and I am still waiting to get a phone call so I can nip up to the Place de Kasbah and guide her into the hotel which is just inside the Medina.
While waiting we had a good look round the medina or old city. It is a hive of small alleys with lots of souvenirs and clothes and those pointy slippers for sale. Residences are interspersed and have yellow painted studded doors leading into tiled courtyards. I know whats behind the doors because from the roof top I can see into next door. They have blue patterned tile and blur doors.
I asked the hotel manager if he could recommend a restaurant. I'm glad I did because I would never have found this one. It was down an unlit alley behind a closed door but as we were struggling to find it a man in traditional dress with a candle lamp who heard us trying to figure out where to go guided us to the door and rapped very hard. Inside it was a "thousand and one knights". Ornate columns around a courtyard with a dome...I think it was perspex...gorgeous tiling and cornices and a man who played a fretless guitar like instrument mandolin looking thing. He puffed on his cigarette between stanzas and sang songs with lots of long notes . Couscous was great according to Chris. I had lamb stew with chesnuts, prunes, raisons and liberal quantities of almonds. No alcohol was served making it a very economical meal. Got to go now to search for Kate.
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