Canyon Hikes with some Nougat Delights.
The view we’ve been able to enjoy from our apartment in Crémieu: Veterans Rampart Crémieu.
Crémieu is a small medieval village with 3,375 inhabitants - and for now, the two of us.
This beautiful and characteristic village hosts an annual event in September called Les Médiévales, which recreates the lifestyle of the Middle Ages. Today is Friday, September 13th, and the festival will take place this weekend, from the 14th to the 15th. We’ll have the chance to experience it as well. Preparations have been visibly underway for a few weeks, and today I moved our car outside the town limits, as parking within the city, intra muros, is prohibited during the event.
Our apartment in Crémieu is right in the heart of the village, giving us a front-row view of the festivities from our window overlooking the main street. However, we’ll be leaving on Sunday, the second day of the event, and heading to our next destination - the Alps, to Ugine, near Albertville and close to Mont Blanc, where we plan to hike as much as possible.
Our time in Crémieu has flown by. After our European road trip ended here in late July, we quickly settled into a comfortable routine. I swam regularly at the outdoor pool with its 50-meter lanes until it closed in early September. Swimming became a real focus for me, and I worked on my technique, swimming 2 kilometers each session once I found my rhythm. It was disappointing when the pool closed for autumn, but there’s an indoor pool in Ugine that I plan to check out when we get there. Kimmo joined a fitness club, and if my swimming plans don’t work out, I might join too. Even though I already teach four strength-focused online fitness classes a week, adding something more aerobic would be a great complement.
Lyon is just a 30-minute drive away, so we’ve visited several times. One place that has really fascinated me there, especially from a visual perspective, is the Cour des Voraces - a symbol of Lyon’s history and resistance. This six-story staircase, located within a traditional traboule, a covered passageway, is one of the city’s iconic landmarks. Built in 1840 in the Croix-Rousse district, the Cour des Voraces stands as a monument to the lives and struggles of Lyon’s silk weavers, the canuts, particularly during the Voraces weavers' uprisings of 1848 and 1849. This historic site also played a crucial role during World War II, when its hidden passageways helped the French Resistance escape the surveillance of the German occupiers.
Another place in Lyon that has deeply impacted me is the Cinema & Miniature Museum, particularly the miniature exhibit on the top floor. Artist Dan Ohlmann’s works are incredibly realistic and filled with poetic detail. His hyper-realistic miniatures must be seen in person to truly appreciate the lifelike atmosphere of these meticulously crafted tiny rooms and spaces, complete with realistic lighting. The collection includes stunning pieces, like a perfectly detailed main hall of a natural history museum and an abandoned theater. If you visit Lyon, be sure to take the time to be mesmerized by this private museum - admission may be a bit pricey, but it helps support the preservation and continued operation of this unique space.
Natural history museum. Photo from: Cinema & Miniature Museum of Lyon
Another fascinating permanent exhibit at this museum is The Art of Cinema through the Lens of Wes Anderson, created in direct collaboration with the legendary director and his teams. If you’ve ever been captivated by the worlds of The Grand Budapest Hotel, Isle of Dogs, or Asteroid City, this is the place for you!
And we discovered nougat along the way. One day we visited Montélimar, about two hours from Crémieu, somewhat by accident as we stopped there en route to an urbex location. Montélimar is famous for its nougat, a delicacy that's been a staple in the South of France and throughout Provence since the Middle Ages. We only just stumbled upon it, but better late than never!
Even though there are several interesting places in the area and we've done a variety of things here, nature remains the most captivating environment for me. My favorite spot has definitely been Canyon Trefond Pernaz - breathtakingly beautiful and endlessly fascinating. We've spent hours hiking, photographing, and exploring its unique ecosystem. Along the canyon, you can see limestone deposits mixed with plants characteristic of the region, especially the limestone tuff formed by the river over the years. At this time of year, the rivers are low, so the canyon is likely a very different experience in the spring - it would be interesting to visit then. Maybe one day.
