Three weeks ago, thanks to Easyjet and good Italian trains, I got to go and visit Heather in France! The first excitement was the flight, and although it was under an hour (yes, I feel bad about my carbon emissions for such a short journey) it had some of the nicest views I’ve ever seen from a plane. Flying over the alps at sunset, not much can beat it! Having managed to use my limited French skills to get a ticket and find my way out of the airport to the tram link I arrived in Lyon Part-Dieu station, the location for the joyous reunion of two Love Manorettes, ie. Heather and I. We had a walk around the city centre and ended up near Bellecourt for tea, on the area between the two rivers that run through the city, the Rhône and the Saône. After missing the train we had intended to get to Villefranche where Heather lives, we decided to be sensible and look at a map to plan a route to the other train station in time for the next departure. Intentions were good but unfortunately we mistook a tram line for a metro line and consequently our plans were ruined, and we missed another train! Third time was lucky though, and eventually we got back to Villefranche. The high street looked really pretty with lots of lights along it, and a beautiful church in the middle.
Friday night was almost a night out but by the time we had gone out to look for a bar they had all closed, so it turned into to just a night in.
A breakfast of eggs on toast was served by the lovely Heather on Saturday morning followed by a great cappuccino in town. We’d planned to get the train into Lyon around three, but thanks to our brilliant luck, the only hour without a train to go at ten past was 3pm. Thankfully there was a bus setting off just after we got to the station so not all hope was lost! We spent a few hours visiting the old favourite, H&M, and some other shops in Lyon centre then ate at a really cool and quirky internet café/comic book shop/café.
There was more promise of partying on Saturday night, and after a few glasses of Calimocho (a Spanish drink made by mixing Coca-Cola and red wine…surprisingly tasty!) and a bit of coffee to try and re-energise slightly, we headed to the club, La Storia. The French clubbing experience is almost as strange as the Italian I’ve had…funny rules about leaving your bag in the cloakroom and having to take in money and phone in pockets or hands, very odd! Drinks were also hideously expensive, just like here, but the music was pretty good and it was great to have a good night out with Heather, like the old times in Newcastle!
Having learnt our lessons, we checked the train times before setting off on Sunday, and headed straight to Vieux Lyon. Like many old towns, there are lots of little streets with cute cafes, creperies, and places with rows upon rows of tiny little cakes and pastries in the windows, all very enticing and so pretty! Lyon Cathedral lies in the old town and has amazing stained glass windows with such bright colours in so many patterns. I could spend hours wandering round the old town, drinking tea and coffee here and there and taking so many photos…so I may well be inviting myself back Heather!
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