While visiting my girlfriend in Lyon, France for the annual festival of lights, I came across some very amazing sights.

Firstly, something I’ve never seen posted elsewhere. A giant mechanical globe that rotates weighing in at 350kg, taking 5 hours to construct from pre-made pieces and costing a hefty sum of around 30,000 Euros (If my memory serves me well).

The piece is made by an alternative art shop in Lyon called Symbialys.

Here’s some links:

The globe itself: http://www.symbialys.com/product.php?id=153

A stunning (photoshopped) photo: http://www.symbialys.com/pics/67_2.jpg

A brilliant (if slightly disturbing) video showing some more of their similar work: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xbqqze_symbialys_creation

The other amazing sights I saw were the light festival itself but more so this year because the theme was heavily horological.

Here’s an example:

Lyon Festival of Lights Website: http://www.lumieres.lyon.fr/lumieres/sections/en

Video: Lyon Light Festival

Set against old lyon, a place with long cobbled street filled with people merrily drinking warm wine it’s a stunning sight. There’s also a brilliant old book shop in the old quarter with some amazing finds, here’s one of mine:

(Because I’ve had to reduce the picture you can’t see it very well but the books have a warm clean yellow antique glow to them and have been printed in elegant French hand writing with beautiful mechanical illustrations)

Combine this with France’s old architecture, one of the best light displays in the world and it’s simply breathtaking. I think what I’m trying to say is that it’s brilliant for anybody interested in Steampunk because you’re surrounded by everything that was there during the victorian age and before.

After living there for just under a year, I can’t recommend it enough!