The Rhône-Alpes region stretches from the river Rhône to the Alps. With us so far? It's hot in the summer and cold in the winter and they have some mountains, but then you probably knew that. What you may not know is that Danish artist Marco Evaristti was arrested last year whilst attempting to paint the peak of Mont Blanc red, and that twenty Swiss hot-tub enthusiasts successfully constructed and used a jacuzzi on the summit (there are pictures on the net if you really want to see.)
Rhône-Alpes is known in Franco-Proveçal as Rôno-Arpes and in Occitan as Ròse Aups, but since the last remaining speakers of Franco-Proveçal and Occitan are both over 100, you can probably get away without knowing that in most day-to-day situations.
The capital of Rhône-Alpes is France's third largest city Lyon. (We spell it Lyons, possibly through confusion with the tea-rooms.) Lyon's international airport is named after the writer and pilot Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, who hasn't been seen since he took off in his monoplane in 1944. Some consider this naming unfortunate for an airport - like "Titanic Cruises" or "The John Prescott Diet".
Which brings us on to food. When in Lyon you should eat at one of the local restaurants called bouchons (French for corks or stoppers.) The highlight of Lyonnaise cuisine is a sort of meat dumpling called the quenelle. Some experts suggest that the name comes from the Anglo-Saxon knyll, meaning 'to grind', though "Quenelle" may simply be what the Anglo-Saxons said when they first tasted one.
Lyon is the headquarters of Interpol. Famous Interpol agents include Thompson and Thomson from Tintin, Natalie Imbruglia's character from Johnny English and Inspector Gadget - which is reassuring.
La Résidence - THE French Property People
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