uprooooted

Many times I’ve been pushed, smashed, or simply blocked in the streets or public transports of Lyon on the 8th of December, during the breathtaking “Fête des Lumières” (Festival of Lights). I therefore realised the event was widely acknowledged all around France.

But now that I’ve been abroad on that special night, I can see it’s quite famous here as well. This event is much more famous than I would have expected! Be it in Milan a couple of years ago or in Turin now, lots and lots of people are interested and speak about it, some even ask me if I’m going home for the occasion. I could, as the 8th is a bank holiday here in Italy (Immaculate Conception).

So much so I wonder if they done some special research because they know some frenchies from Lyon. But that would be giving us way too much credit…

Actually, Lyon’s Festival of Lights is famous in Italy, and especially in Turin, not only because Turin is close from Lyon, but because Turin also developed its own festival of lights: the “Luci d’Artista”. Bits of Christmas lights are in fact produced by artists, each artist taking over a street or a square and the Luci d’Artisa are now 10 years old (you can easily figure out who had the idea the first!).

With all due respect to our Italian cousins, the Fourvière cathedral is still much more and much better enlighted than the Mole Antonelliana. And I don’t say that because I’m French. At least not only!