Les Vacances

Do you think I'll go to Hell for touring a Church just to see if there were any cute boys? Does it count in my favor if there weren't, in fact, any cute boys? And what about this: if I mercy-chatted with a total creep for far too long, do I get a few "Get out of Hell free" cards? The way I see it is, if it's open to the public, it's fair game. Don't get me wrong, I'm not looking for a romantic comedy-esque run-in with my Romeo, I'm just keeping my eyes open...

I feel obligated to clarify for those of you who don't know me that I don't regularly tour churches in my free time. In fact, I fear being struck down by the almighty hand of God/a karmic bolt of lightning upon entering such a holy establishment. Who/whatever is out there will surely catch up with me some day, and whichever way he/she/it decides to smite me, I'm sure it will be well-deserved on my part, and not just for trying to pick up men in Church.

So yes, I was in a Church. I was actually in Lyon this week. In France it's Les Vacances de la Toussaint which means I have two weeks off of work. With our month of 100 free cable channels expired, I realized that my entertainment options in Chaumes-en-Brie were very limited. That fact being established, I weighed my options: a week at home alone and nothing to do or travel. Also alone. Travel it was. I opened my France travel guide (Thanks Shelby!) and started checking out destinations. I found Lyon through process of elimination; every other city/region was either a.) too expensive to get to, b.) too depressing to visit alone (Bordeaux wine country...alone? Pathetic.) or c.) was touted for having some really cool thing to see in another month of the year. So I decided on Lyon.

Tickets bought, hotel reserved and itinerary arranged, I arrived at the gare a little bundle of happiness. I have to plug France's train system here. It is amazing. You can get anywhere in France and even other parts of Europe quickly, conveniently, and relatively cheaply. The trains are clean, comfortable and actually pretty enjoyable. So back to the story. Everyone was buzzing with the excitement of vacation and even if I couldn't understand the bulk of conversations around me, I couldn't help but get caught up in the spirit. Vive les vacances! I boarded the train (window seat, cha ching!) and got out my book, ready to really kick back and relax during the scenic two hour ride. But (isn't their always a "but" in my stories..?) naturally, that wasn't going to be allowed. The person I was sharing my row with--a guy about my age--arrived shortly after me with his music blaring. As he sat down, I rapidly discerned that he was listening to french-canadian punk-pop wonder, Avril Lavigne. He must have had every CD ever put out because that crap lasted THE ENTIRE TRAIN RIDE. I was seething in my seat, trying to work up clever things I could say to him in French. Unfortunately, "do you have no dignity?" sounds better in English. So much for concentrating on my new book....

Despite the cruel and unusual punishment unknowingly inflicted upon me by my neighbor, I managed to arrive in Lyon safe and sound. I couldn't have been luckier really; the weather was incredible, my hotel was in a super location, and I was really looking forward to exploring Lyon. I devoted my first day to seeing the extremely impressive Notre Dame de Fourvière, an impressive 19th century church set on the hillside, as well as the part of the city known as Vieux Lyon. Here are a few photos (the big extravagant church on the left is the Notre Dame; the older one is St. Jean's Cathedral; and finally there is the view from the top of Notre Dame):

Day two I headed to Croix-Rousse, a nice area of Lyon--to quote Rick Steves "Soho"-esque area not at all touristy--also high up on a hill (I took the Metro up and walked down...). The view from the top was stunning; I could see all of Lyon's churches, the Saone River (the Rhone is the other river running through Lyon), and the rest of the city's buildings. Photos can't really do it justice so I won't torture you with my amateur snapshots. I headed down the hill for lunch in a bouchon, a typical lyonnais style eatery known for serving hearty, traditional food. After walking miles (literally; I am often too stubborn to use public transportation and my feet have suffered the consequences) I had worked up a good appetite. I ordered the menu du jour which included some delicious sort of egg concoction cooked in a mouth-watering wine sauce, grilled lamb with roasted vegetables, and chocolate mousse. My heartburn was outrageous. Tant pis. Did I forget to mention wine? I polished of a hefty amount of wine. All of this, keep in mind, while being 100% alone. I'm shameless.

Somewhere along the course of lunch...I'd say about two glasses of wine in...I volunteered myself as a translator for the old English guys in the corner who couldn't read the menu. Turns out they were really friendly and we chatted for almost an hour. Relishing in the buzz of good wine and new (english speaking) friendship, I couldn't have felt happier. To top it all off, the cute french guys in the corner sent a free coffee to my table. Charmant.

Day three I took advantage of my french student ID and went to the art museum for free. They had an excellent 20th century art exhibit featuring over 200 paintings/sculptures by Picasso, Matisse, Bacon, Dubuffet. I am in no way an art history buff and will not pretend to have anything thoughtful to say except that I don't like cubism very much. I will say I thoroughly enjoyed the exhibit. I then moved onto the ancient roman theaters. By that point, my feet hurt so bad I think I was limping. And I was wearing tennis shoes! Not wanting to walk through the ruins (just seeing them suffices...) I walked down a massive hill. Limping and cursing around the corner, I came upon the most extraordinary view of the city. Everything sprawled out before me. Well worth the limping! Tired and hungry, I headed back to the train station.

And here I am, back in cozy little Chaumes. Today I did nothing, followed by watching a movie, followed by online shopping, and finished with a little more nothing. Ew, wait, I have to tell you this before I go. We had rabbit for dinner. That's not the gross part. I actually like rabbit despite having to suffer through dinners with my friend David where he whined about his poor pet Snoopy (kidding David). The rabbit we had was...burly. Rough and tough. He had done many years of hopping. I got served some kidney AND some liver. Now, I can eat a lot of things. But I don't love organs. There was a traumatic incident in Amsterdam once where my family didn't tell me I was eating liver and since then it's been downhill. I forked the little grape-sized kidney, gave it a few quick chews and washed it down with a generous gulp of wine. Not terrible. Not good.

And a final housekeeping note. I changed a few things with the blog. I'm finally mastering this damn thing. Now, anyone can make comments on the blog....it's more convenient than reading it and then switching to facebook to say stuff I guess. I also figured out how the "follow" thing works. You click "follow" at the top right and if you have a gmail/hotmail/aim you don't have to create a name or anything you just click whatever account you use and follow the steps. I also made a profile. The picture you see on the right hand side of the page was taking by the total creepster I mentioned in the opening...hence my awkward half-smile/half-grimace.

Gros Bisous.