Monday, January 28, 2008
Little Lyon in Dubai?
Surreal story in today's New York Times about an entrepreneur in the United Arab Emirates who's so smitten with the French city of Lyon that he wants to build a small version of Lyon in Dubai. Among the points of interest:
I, too, love Lyon. It's the home of our dear friend Hélène and the setting of many wonderful memories. It's a superb walking town -- the Castro Valley Boulevardier would appreciate it. Its festival of lights is breathtaking -- do a Google image search for "Lyon 'Fete des Lumieres'" to see some examples. Lyon has the finest farmer's market in France, which says a lot. (Interpol headquarters is there, too -- what could be cooler than that?)
But loving Lyon is one thing; trying to re-create it under a dome in the Middle East is something else entirely.
The Paul Bocuse Institute is hoping to set up a branch to train young chefs and restaurant and hotel managers. The Museum of Textiles is poised to open a silk museum and lend select treasures from its vast silk collection. Lyon’s soccer team has signed up to operate a center to train a Dubai team. Research is under way to cool outdoor spaces naturally to make strolling bearable during dust storms and 105-degree heat. [Emphasis mine.]
I, too, love Lyon. It's the home of our dear friend Hélène and the setting of many wonderful memories. It's a superb walking town -- the Castro Valley Boulevardier would appreciate it. Its festival of lights is breathtaking -- do a Google image search for "Lyon 'Fete des Lumieres'" to see some examples. Lyon has the finest farmer's market in France, which says a lot. (Interpol headquarters is there, too -- what could be cooler than that?)
But loving Lyon is one thing; trying to re-create it under a dome in the Middle East is something else entirely.
Labels: food, France, friends, science, weather
