In the Grande Synagogue, 13, quai Tilsitt,
where you can clearly see the Magen David in the window at the top:
I was surprised to see an organ built into the wall in the back, above the congregation:
Whether or not a synagogue could have an organ was a touchstone of one of the primary debates between the Refomers of the 19th century. From all other appearances, this synagogue (which was built in 1864) has all the earmarks of an orthodox synagogue. And yet, there's that organ.
In Lyon we found many chocolate stores. Many of them had made various sizes and shapes and colors of fish out of chocolate. With our limited French we could not learn the meaning of the fish
Then, about an hour north of Avignon we drove through Tain l'Hermitage and Debbie noticed a sign for Valrhona chocolates. It turns out that this is the town where they make all the chocolates that are sold in Trader Joe's stores! We bought a little something and they encouraged us to taste to our hearts content. Then as they said goodbye, the clerk dropped another handful of chocolates into the shopping bag. We still haven't finished all that chocolate.
