My Magical Trip To Lyon, France With Boiron!

Where do I begin? That I took a magical trip to lovely Lyon, France?

That I was INVITED to attend this adventure to see how my longtime favorite homeopathic medicine, Boiron is made from medicinal flowers that grow at a gorgeous farm in France?

That I got to experience a rare behind the scenes look at the pristine Boiron headquarters facility in Messimy, France? This is where a passionate team of Boiron pros turn farm flowers into beneficial pharmaceuticals that equate to the homeopathic medicines that myself, my mom and my daughter all use and love!

That getting to Lyon, France from Phoenix is easier than I thought it would be? Lyon is the 3rd largest city in France and is located 243 miles southeast of Paris. This beautiful town sits where the Rhône and Saône rivers join.

Should I start with the fact that Lyon is one of the food capitals of the world?

That the stunning French Countryside is easily accessible from Lyon and also includes the famous Burgundy region…can you say the words best wine ever?!

That the rich history found in this part of France is eye opening and breathtaking?

Yep…hard to know where to begin because it was ALL so incredible!

And the absolute best part is the team of pros I traveled with, who I now call friends. We’re all staying in touch and the Boiron team that hosted us…wow…a wonderful, genuine bunch that are humbled to be a part of the family-owned Boiron team!

Read on for my experience and why Lyon, France should most definitely be on your bucket list!

Here’s my morning show segment all about my trip to Lyon, France and all the details and links are in this article below the segment.

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First Things First – Getting There 

From Phoenix Air France offers nonstop service to Paris five days a week! It’s a ten hour nonstop flight to Paris from Phoenix. From there connect to a quick 45-minute flight to Lyon or take the train! If you’re a Delta frequent flyer, check your miles as Delta partners with Air France.

Where I Stayed In Lyon – I Highly Recommend This Hotel

Once a hospital that functioned for eight centuries until ceasing operations in 2010, The InterContinental Hotel Dieu is where I got to stay in Lyon! I highly recommend this elegant property that’s also a popular spot for the locals to gather for drinks and meals. My room actually had stairs (very cool) and a charming window (no screen like so many windows in France) that peeked out to give me a view of the pretty courtyard. Don’t miss the delicious daily breakfast buffet at this hotel.

My Incredible Itinerary & A Little Background About My Relationship With Boiron

20 years ago (time flies!), I shared with viewers in my wellness morning show segment that Arnica is an ingredient I look for in homeopathic products. Boiron saw my segment and reached out to me to work together to spread the word about the benefits of the medicines they create. My mom raised me using a combination of traditional medicines and homeopathic remedies so that stuck with me as an adult. All these years later, my adult daughter also now swears by several Boiron products. So, when Boiron invited me to join an influencers/creators trip to Lyon, France to experience firsthand how medicinal flowers that include Arnica Montana and Calendula are converted into the medicines that my family benefit from, I jumped at the chance!

I knew I would enjoy seeing this part of France, but what I didn’t realize is just how much I would love seeing the Boiron farm to pharma process that took me from the colorful fields of Burgundy (wine anyone?!) to the labs of Messimy that houses Boiron’s pristine headquarters. The place is filled with the loveliest group of passionate employees! And the bunch of expert influencers, journalists, a pharmacist and digital creators I traveled with are now friends. We are keeping in touch, so our camaraderie continues! We bonded over this journey and our Boiron hosting team and executives were just as lovely and cultivated an experience none of us will ever forget!

I’m so excited to share it with you, so read on as I take you through our action-packed itinerary!

Day 1 – Pictured above – meeting this lovely group at a wonderful reception hosted by Boiron in our incredible hotel!

Day 2 – Off To The Stunning French Countryside! 

In addition to the breathtaking views we enjoyed gazing out of our group shuttle bus, we truly had a collective gasp three hours later when we exited our vehicle onto the picturesque LeDuc Family Farm! I felt as though I had just been placed on a faraway movie set…but this was real and we were all really intrigued. Look at the enchanting blue shuttered country home behind us in this picture we snapped!

This is the lovely Le Ferme du Patuet or as Americans call it, the Leduc Family Farm located in the French countryside town of Ménessaire. Farm owner and organic medicinal expert, Nadine Leduc is pictured above in the yellow shirt. She’s as gracious as she appears in the photo with her warm inviting smile. Speaking of warm invitations, we were thrilled to be invited inside the quaint and charming home. Venturing inside a true blue (literally) working country farm home is something not typically offered on a booked tour, so we counted our lucky stars, said thank you and excitedly walked inside. I adore this picture of the French kitchen! What really took our breath away was what came next…a quick walk to the vibrant flower fields that had us feeling as though we just walked into an international travel magazine or as one of my colleagues stated, a watercolor painting!

Our group was truly enthralled to see up close and roam around the bright orange calendula flowers. We knew that the following day we would visit the Boiron facility to see these petals perform their magic conversion into Boiron remedies! How cool! This farm also grows the star of the show, the Arnica Montana flower that powers a variety of Boiron remedies. Those had been harvested prior to our visit due to seasonal requirements. As our time at this magical farm wound down, we were escorted back to our van by the family farm’s awesome humans and cutie pie dogs. It truly was an exceptional afternoon that I will never forget!

But the fun wasn’t over yet! Our next stop had my taste buds dancing and I yearn to return to  Le Bistrot Lucenay restaurant where I enjoyed one of my favorite entrees ever! And the bread, wine and absolute delectable desserts…oh my…take me back!

Next Stop: Beautiful Beaune, France!

With this charming French village being located smack dab in the middle of the Burgundy region, Beaune offers exquisite wine tasting, shopping and delicious eateries along the inviting cobblestone streets. But the main attraction here is the famous Les Hospices de Beaune, a treasured historical museum that was a working hospital for the poor that opened in 1443. It’s extraordinary to think that this place was fully functional until 1971! And the founding of this hospital comes straight out of a love story with the Chancellor of Burgundy and his wife deciding to open a care center for the poor and disadvantaged…hence the Les Hospices de Beaune was born. Now a museum, visitors are able to eye the majestic red-tiled roof structure on the outside (truly a marvel to behold) to then venture inside to get a glimpse of just how different hospital care was back in the 15th century. Many would stop and ponder, almost silently, paying homage to the poor souls who were cared for in this hospital. A medieval kitchen and a stocked pharmacy are also very cool to view. Don’t miss this incredible historical experience if you plan to visit the central French countryside.

Just when we thought our magical day couldn’t get any better, we were back at the hotel getting ready to go to Lyon’s prized restaurant, Monsieur P...which by the way, my Air France flight attendant had recommended to me. Yay! What were the odds? Lucky me! This place did not disappoint! I had also been told that Lyon is a gastronomic capital of the world, so I was especially eager to sink my American teeth into one of Lyon’s finest. You can see by the pictures that the fare was absolutely fabulous!

 

After that dreamy meal, I slept well waking very excited for Day 3!

Day 3-Off To Boiron’s Beautiful Global Headquarters in Messimy, France

Our group was especially anxious to arrive to Boiron’s inviting campus filled with a passionate team of cohesive employees who love what they do…marrying innovation with tradition to create the organic healing homeopathic medicines that our group all swear by. We were especially intrigued because of our farm visit the day before. The minute we stepped foot off the bus and onto the Boiron campus, we could all feel that this is a special place. Yep, to see the stunning gold lively calendula flowers in person at the farm the day before now being delivered to the Boiron facility was a well timed bonus for our visit. We were ready to see firsthand how Boiron crafts their medicines from farm to pharma. But we couldn’t just walk in as the standards are set high to ensure that the labs remain sterile and that the integrity of the medicinal ingredients are protected. So we donned head-to-toe white protective coverings as special guests getting a rare behind-the-scenes view. It was so cool!

With our wonderful interpreter, Rebecca on hand, we experienced it all from the magical flowers delivery to the tinctures process (this process extracts juices from the flowers that have been soaked in alcohol and is carefully observed and timed) to the formation of the pills and creams to the labeling and the packaging. Seeing this intricate process come alive with a proud team of homeopathic experts was nothing short of extraordinary.

Not many get to fly to France to exclusively witness the delicate process of birthing homeopathic remedies from botanical fields of gold. We were all truly in awe! We were also in awe of the people! Let me share! You see Boiron is family owned and you don’t see that everyday. Created in 1932, by twin brothers and pharmacists, Jean and Henri Boiron, the reputable brand is alive and well. We met the group of leaders who ensure that the spirit, longevity, superior quality and company culture thrives.

Starting with the founder’s daughter, Michele Boiron, who is a pharmacist and author in her own right, we listened to her share the history of the company as well as the fascinating story of the beginnings of the homeopathy origins.

We listened intently to the insightful remarks about the future goals of Boiron from Thierry Boiron, currently the Deputy CEO of the company.

We also thoroughly enjoyed the passionate and energetic insights that Boiron’s USA President and CEO, Janick Boudazin shared with us about the company’s contributions to consumer wellness trends in tandem with the innovation and sustainability of the brand.

We also got to meet Boiron’s Global CEO Pascal Houdayer. His extensive wellness brand experience coupled with his longtime love of homeopathic remedies equals a passionate look forward to ensure the continued international excellence that Boiron provides to so many. His vision coupled with Janick’s drive makes for a phenomenal leadership team and our group enjoyed the two of them immensely!

Following that very cool Boiron headquarters visit, we had some free time to roam Lyon. I truly can’t recommend Lyon enough! To me Lyon to Paris is like San Diego to LA meaning both are meant to be visited, but Lyon (like San Diego) is meant to be enjoyed at a slower pace with intent and pure relaxation. And the food is out of this world, as I mentioned earlier! Here are a few of my Lyon picks if you visit…

*Stay at  The InterContinental Hotel Dieu as I described earlier in this article. Such a fantastic property that’s also a favorite dining establishment for the locals.

*A must – have dinner at the critically acclaimed famous restaurant, Monsieur P – also described above.

*Visit the silk passageways! I didn’t get to do this but I learned prior to my trip that Lyon is famous for their centuries long fine silk production. Back in the day to protect the transfer of the hand-spun silks from the weather as the finished products were carried from machines to ships, tunnels were built. Historically preserved, this is supposed to be a fun attraction to visit and walk through. I’m hoping to return to Lyon to do it! But in the meantime, I found a wonderful silk shop…

*Shop at Soierie Saint-Georges to purchase stunning silk scarves, hair ties and more. The shop employee who helped me even provided a quick lesson on how to properly tie a silk French neck square scarf. To my delight, he then invited me to see the historic silk making machines that are housed in the back room! I left fulfilled with a bag full of first rate silk scarves, my favorite being the one I gifted to my France-loving mother!

*Visit the Place des Jacobins in the famous square in Lyon that’s located in the 2nd arrondissement.

Great photo ops and our team stumbled upon a group of people dancing nearby. The vibe is perfect!

And my next recommendation is what we did after we returned from our free time…visiting this historic icon is a must…

*Notre-Dame de Fourvière is a worldwide famous marvel of a church built between 1872-96 to pay tribute to the Virgin Mary. Step outside to walk behind the iconic building for breathtaking sweeping views of Lyon below. A bonus is that the intersecting Rhône and Saône Rivers can be seen and captured in photos.Both rivers intertwine with the waterways of eastern and central France.

Closing out our evening and the conclusion of our incredible trip was another delectable dinner at the Fourvière Hôtel Les Téléphones Restaurant that proved to be the perfect ending to our perfect trip! The Vino and food was terrific and take a look at the romantic above ground hotel pool that we spied just outside the restaurant. So cool! But the most memorable part of this trip is captured in the photo above that I just have to show again! Taken just minutes after meeting each other, four days later a bond was formed! I adore every one of these talented genuine souls and the magic of Lyon took hold and lives forever in our hearts! Proof – we are all still in touch sharing that exact same sentiment! Stay tuned for my next article with more about this group of rock stars who many of my readers will want to follow, I’m sure! Sharing that soon and I can’t wait! I was blown away when I read the bios of my fellow travelers…and then when we met…truly a very special kinship was formed!

And I can’t close this piece without extending an absolute heartfelt 100% thank you to the woman who made this all possible…my longtime contact, Deborah Kelly, Boiron’s Director of Public Relations who knows the brand inside out. Deborah works with myself and the people I met on this trip to keep our readers and viewers up to date on Boiron developments and the benefits of homeopathic remedies. Alongside Deborah, is also MaryKate Ott, Boiron’s Public Relations Specialist, who did a fantastic job rounding out the Boiron team to absolutely spoil our group and teach us so much!

I highly recommend a visit to Lyon! If you go to Paris, don’t leave France without taking a train or hopping on a 45-minute flight to lovely Lyon!

 

 

 

This trip was made possible by Boiron. A big huge thanks to my longtime partner, Boiron for providing this trip to myself and my colleagues. We are forever enriched!