Lyon

I arrived last night after a beautiful TGV ride from Paris. The countryside is stunning, small towns, beautiful old farmhouses, fields and the ocassional herd of goats, sheep or cows. It almost feels like travelling back in time. Then you arrive in Lyon. It is the second largest city in France, but it is really a world away. I am in an area called the Perrache. And the station is appropriately called "Lyon Perrache" and is about 2 and half minutes from Lyon Part Dieux.

(note: when talking to the SNCF agent, even if he has the little British Flag over his head that indicates that he speaks English well enough to sell you a ticket, you will have to say "Lyon Perrache" at least three times. "Lay-ohn Pear esh" you say. "What?" he replies. You repeat, he repeats, you repeat and a light bulb goes on and he says "Ah! Lay-ohn Pear esh, Yes." Seriously. It happened just like that.)

But you cross the Rhone and arrive in this pretty little part of town. Broad pedestrian only walks, little back streets, incredibly expensive designer shops and a restaurant, cafe, tabac, bar, pub or sandwich shop about every 4 feet. Lyon is known as the- THE - place for cuisine in France. Celebrity chefs reign supreme here, and eating out seems not to be a passion as much as an imperative.

This morning I wandered the St. George district, thinking I would take the funicular up to the Basilica Notre-Dame de Fourviere, which sits like a gem high up the hillside. There are Roman ruins nearby and the view from either is said to be spectacular. Today the funicular was not functioning. Not to be deterred, I thought hey, there are streets and such here on my map that lead right there. Here is another tip - if something is high up a hill and has a funicular dedicated to getting people to and from it, those probably aren't streets, the are most likely stairs. Lots and lots of stairs. Stairs that wind around building so about the time you think, surely - surely this is it, you come upon more stairs. I gave up. Tomorrow the funicular may be running.

So the day was spent browsing the streets below the Basilica. Lyon is full of art and artists. Studios of potters, metal sculptors, painters; galleries with everything from the spectacular to the profane; I think the only thing I didn't find was glass blowing. Then again it was unbearably hot and humid today and I imagine glass blowers would take the day off in such weather. It was also apparently field trip day. Herds of small children herded by adults randomly yelling names and "attende!" while busily marking off sights. It looked like a huge scavenger hunt. A shopkeeper tells me that school is out on July 1, and this is the tradition for the last couple of days of school.

So tomorrow the funicular. Maybe some shopping. Perhaps a boat trip on the Saone (the river that is on the other side of the Perrache), then again, I have decided to extend here for an extra day, so there is time to do both. And maybe a trip to Burgundy.

Itineraries

Beth reminds me that I owe her an itinerary. So, such as they are, here are my travel plans:

Today (Monday, June 29) I am on my way to Lyon in a few hours. I will be there until the 2nd of July. There is a bit of a haze between the 2nd and the 8th. I wanted to go to Reims, but apparently so does everyone else as I am not finding rooms. At least not rooms I am willing to stay in. A castle for $2k a night (wonder why they aren't full??), hovels that look frightening even in their website beauty shots, and stuff so far off the beaten path that a car would be a must. Which still may be an option. Need to think about that...

However, on the 8th I need to be in London so that I can catch my flight to Dublin. I will be there for a week, home base in a self catering apartment not far from the infamous Temple Bar, Trinity University (home of the illuminated copy of the Book of Kells), and the Writer's Museum. I plan on many side trips to various places throughout the country.

Then it is on to Scotland where I will start my return to London for the trip home. Still working out the logistics of that. Is it a ferry from Northern Ireland? Is it a flight from Dublin? And do I go far to the north (Skye?) or more centrally (Inverness?) or head to Edinburgh? These are questions yet to be answered. I hope to make a stop in York as I am told that it is wonderful - Betty's for tea is supposed to be a must. Finally I will most likely spend my last two to three nights in London before heading to New York to partake in the hospitality of a good friend for a few days, and finally back to Portland to crash with Beth and George while I re-start the job hunt.

This is a new adventure for me in that I am normally much more organized on my trips. While I have been known to make last minute changes during the trip, I have never been this nebulous. It is somewhat liberating! Scary in a good way.

Impressions from a Sunday in Paris

Wandering Shakespeare and Co (amazing English bookshop across from Notre Dame) and hearing a woman genially harassing a poor Aussie student about what was wrong with his country. She sounded just like Francis McDormand in Fargo, and started with a rant about how “Obama is just ruining the economy. Next year we will all be huddled in our homes trying to figure out how to eat.” The young man was lovely, tolerant and patient.

Devouring a mushroom quiche and a small carafe of Chardonnay in an impossibly cute little place just around the corner from Notre Dame, but light years away from all the tourist oriented sandwich shops that crowd the area. Timbered ceiling, food arriving magically in a dumb waiter, tasty food and the New York Review of Books to browse. Life is good.

Sun worshipping Parisians crowded into a park near the Place de Vosges; lying on blankets, sitting in groups, munching on sandwiches or consuming glaces. Dosing, reading, chatting; couples, large gatherings of friends all out in the hot, muggy weather while children splash each other (and passersby) in the fountains and older people sit on benches in the shade of ancient trees that surround the place. There is an easy symmetry to the place.

Feeling competent enough to order “deaux boules a citron” at the ice cream (glace) stop just outside the park. Winning a smile and a “ma oui!” for the attempt.

Coming across a group of young people in a string octet (there were at least 8 of them) playing, appropriately enough, Flight of Bumble Bee at the hectic junction of 4 metro lines. Hordes of people stopping to listen and tossing coins in the open violin case.

Watching two dogs confidently board the metro with their people, politely sitting down for the ride and then trotting happily off at their stop.

An American in Paris

Wow, what a great couple of days it has been. First off, when travelling by, Eurostar from London to Paris, pay the extra to upgrade to "Liesure" class. Seriously. They bring you wine, they bring you food, they bring you coffee and you arrive in Paris sated and happy. It was glorious.

Secondly, when travelling from the US to Paris, try to get there without 45 intermediate steps. Like I did. Wow. I felt like I had circumnavigated the world when I finally got here. I arrived in Paris tired after two days of little sleep (but well fed) and then dragged my bag, computer, purse and self halfway across the northern section of the city to this charming little hotel. I was dirty, I felt gross, and yet still I was hit on. Granted, it wasn't the most flattering line ("no, it's okay, I am not faithful..." doesn't exactly engender trust, now does it?), but what it lacked in well, everything, it made up for in bad timing and bad directions.

After a good night's sleep I was up and at em the next morning, trekking (walking) from Gare St. Lazare to Place de Concord, La Petite Palace (amazing architecture), Musee d'Orsee; and eventually La Halles. Gathered my courage and went to what was a very popular local lunch place (yikes! no English spoken!) and managed to walk away with a lovely salad, a bottle of water and fabulous bread to be consummed in a park while watching a group of men play boules. By late afternoon I was again dog tired and dragged myself to the Metro and then back to the hotel.

This morning was another surprise. St. Chappelle and the Concierge (both interesting and beautiful sites, added to by the fact that there are some very handsome Gendarmes in this city and that just happens to be their headquarters...) started the morning, and then a quick walk over to Notre Dame. My last trip to Paris, we arrived too late to see the inside of the Cathedral. My plan was to get there early, avoid some of the crowds. What I didn't plan on was this was the annual ordination of new priests. Which explained the large screen outside and the massive crowds of people, police and tourists. I found a spot along the side, next to some very sweet teenage scouts who called me Madame and gave me a program, and watched it all unfold on the screen. Gorgeous music, much page\antry, and the usual Catholic aerobics (talk about dedicated, a group of nuns kneeled on the stone outside the Cathedral. It made my knees hurt to watch them).

So the Cathedral itself was closed until 4 pm, which allowed me to strike off and investigate new areas. I went through Ile St. Louis, the island directly east of Ile de Cite where the Notre Dame presides. Then on to Place de Vosges and a jaunt around the Marais. Fun, funky, colorful neighborhood with lots of little shops and galleries. It is also the center of Gay Paris, and this was their version of Pride Weekend - Solidays. So it was more colorful than usual! There was a wonderful air of fun and excitement that permeated the area.

All in all a good day! Now to rest my tired, aching feet and plan my attack for tomorrow. And maybe slip out for a bite here in a moment...

A Travelling I Shall Go

I am sitting here in a hotel room in Seattle, downloading Skype to my laptop, taking deep calming breaths and ready to collapse into bed. Tomorrow morning, bright and early I am off to London. And then to Paris. A week and a half or so in France. Four nights in Paris, three nights in Lyon, three or four in Reims (champagne - YUM), then back across the Channel for a couple of days in Dover and on to Dublin for a week in a nice little apartment just off Temple Bar.

Then to... well I don't know. Scotland probably. This thing has changed and changed and changed again. But it has truly become my trip. Mine and mine alone. Lots of angst and second thoughts (and third and fourth), but now it is time to just go and wing it. I will try to update here a couple of times a week. Don't count on pictures, because I realized on the train today that I left the cable for the camera at Beth's.

Please feel free to comment, cajole, mock, or whatever. I would love to hear from you all. It is really another part of this journey. It is not that I am looking for answers on this trip, but more like a vacation from all the questions. A chance to just have some fun, drink some good wine, eat some good food and see the world a bit. And a little research on the side - for me.

See you in Paris...