France
Bellecour Cordeliers

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    • Day 4

      First Day in Lyon

      June 14, 2023 in France ⋅ ⛅ 64 °F

      We needed to go to the tourist office first thing to get oriented and get our city tour and boat rides scheduled. While we were there, there was a big French military event going on. We just happened to be there when their military band was doing a show on the square. They were quite good.
      From there, we went to the Roman ruins, which included a trip up the funicular. That is part of the city's public transportation system, so included in the price of our public trans card. There are two Roman amphitheaters there next to each other. There's also an incredible museum that houses many things extracted during construction projects from around Lyon. I think the ,out amazing things there were the large mosaic floors, many nearly complete.
      After that, we had lunch at the Brasserie Le Five. We enjoyed our selections from the menu du jour and welcomed the chance to speak a little French in a forgiving environment.
      Made our way back to the apartment and then went out for our cruise on the Saone. It was a beautiful late afternoon for this, and we had a great ti,e. Luckily, our tour guide also presented in English, so we didn't miss out on the explanations of what we were seeing. Everywhere in Lyon, if you aren't hemmed in by tall buildings, you can see the Basilica on top of the hill. Check out the 10th pic with the yellow building. The windows facing you are actually paintings that include portaits of some famous people from Lyon. Our ride lasted about an hour. Then we found some ice cream and ate that at the Place des Jacobins. On the way home, we made a stop at the Saint Nizier church with two very different steeples from different centuries to end a great day
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    • Day 4

      Lyon

      April 21, 2023 in France ⋅ 🌬 19 °C

      I didn't do much in Lyon. Just spent 2 days with my friend Margaux. She took me to her friend's house where we stayed the first night. She didn't have her apartment cloae to the center so she asked to her friends to host us.
      We went out to a bar next to the river, we drank for some hours and then we back to her friends' place.
      Next day we walked a little bit to this viewpoint, it was similar to the one in Paris. There was a church and from there you could see the city.
      It was rainy and cold. We went down to downtown and entered to a bar where her other friend works. They gave us coffee and we spent few hours there.
      That day we were basically jumping from one bar to another. We stayed with other friend of my friend.
      Next day Margaux took me to the bus station and we said bye.
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    • Day 14

      Lyon

      February 17, 2023 in France

      Really starting to feel homely in Lyon. Took the 5.53 am train from Lille, and, again, just loved it getting up early. It's not even that painful or freezing anymore to turn on the blinding light first and swing my body out of the bed. Even after only 5 hours or sleep

      Had a very productive train journey and finished, finally, up on some long overdue work. The restaurant of the TGV was closed but they had put out free water to drink, which I found to be the least German thing anyone can do. Another mosaic in France growing on me. Guess I am entering the phase where idealizing every aspect of the country I am.

      After arriving in Lyon at 9 am instead of going straight home, I decided to continue my work streak in a local cafe. Kept working till 1 and headed out for Eritrean lunch. Which, for the record, was very delicious but also mysteriously bland at the same time.

      On the way home I saw a village worth visiting before we move away from Bellegarde: Virieu-le-Grand-Belley.

      Medieval farm stays surrounding a castle or monestry against he backdrop of an mountain that looks like a fossilized penis.

      💯 Don't forget.
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    • Day 38

      To scoot or not to scoot?

      August 28, 2019 in France ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

      Time to discuss the elephant in the room, or on the continent to be more accurate - Electric scooters. These are whizzing around all over Europe. Is it a good thing or not and why?

      Clearly, they are an easy and convenient way to travel short distances around town, more environment friendly than by car but less friendly than by public transport, cycling or walking.

      As was found with dockless shared bike schemes, cities are being flooded with dockless e-scooters and, people being idiots, they get left all over the place and bigger idiots consider it art to steal and vandalize them, often with public support through friendly publicity.

      But let's put aside the issues of share schemes that also relate to bicycles, let's focus on some issues specifically about scooters.

      The main problems I see with them are:

      1. They are too fast. They are not motor bikes. Motor scooters should have the motor capped at, I think, 15kph. If you want to go faster, get a motor bike, even if it's just one of those cute little ones.

      2. They are ridden mostly by joy riders and thrill seekers. They don't appreciate the importance of safety, the safety of themselves and, more importantly, the safety of everyone else. They don't have two-wheeled road sense - awareness and anticipation of what's going on around them.

      I saw a scooter rider ride through a red light into a cyclist in Copenhagen. "Sorry" he said but i doubt he meant it nor cared while the cyclist was left to deal with the damage to self and bike.
      I was almost wiped out by a scooter rider running a red light while I was walking across with the green. Cars had stopped but the scooter rider was looking to the other side. Not only did he run the red, he wasn't even watching where he was going nor looking to see what's coming. Idiot.

      Point 2 above is the product of being too fast and too readily available to those ill prepared. The role of electric scooters on roads and paths should be as a means to commute, more in harmony with leisure cyclists.

      My conclusions are that
      there is a place for them,
      Speed should be capped at about 15,
      Shared schemes should use docking stations, which is still not the ideal solution but necessary until someone can work out a way to solve the littering and vandalism problems, and
      They should be treated as per leisure/commute cycling.

      At the moment, they are a nuisance due to too many inconsiderate idiots using them. As is so often the case, the brainless few ruin good things for everyone else.
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    • Day 37

      Lyon - part two, Part Dieu

      August 27, 2019 in France ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

      No, Part Dieu does not mean part two. It is a part of Lyon, on the eastern side of the River Rhone. most famous to travellers for its railway station. Literally, it means For God. Time for us to explore this half of Lyon.

      Our main objective of the day is Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse - an indoor market (halls) established by Paul Bocuse. We arrived by electric bus, some sort of hybrid between a bus and a tram.

      The market has fresh fruit & veg, meat, fish, cheese, etc like most markets. What this has that is different to those at home are the range and shape of breads - very rare to see a rectangular loaf like ours, the cakes and pastries and, most importantly, the chocolates. It would be very easy not to fit through the door when you've finished here. I controlled myself very well, I don't want to sink the boat next week.

      As we headed down the street from Les Halles, we found a barber shop not too busy so this was to become the first time I have had my hair cut by someone with whom I don't share a common language. I can count at least to 10 in French so it shouldn't be too hard to get the message across regarding what number clippers to use, should it? Let's just say that I will save money on shampoo for the rest of the trip. The next day, while wandering through another part of town, we noticed several barber shops, all with more attractive barbers. It was almost worth another haircut, if only I had any hair left.

      As we travelled further east towards Part Dieu railway station, we reached a shopping centre more like Eastland at home and a supermarket more like Coles than the 7eleven look alike we've had to settle for lately. This Carrefour was more like Coles and Kmart combined.

      We finally reached the Part Dieu station to catch the Metro back. We be back here in a few days to catch our train to Avignon where a bicycle awaits.
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    • Day 6

      Lyon Night Lights

      June 1, 2023 in France ⋅ 🌙 70 °F

      Lyon is famous for its artistic floodlighting of monuments & buildings at night. We took an after dinner stroll down the Saone River and back to our hotel.

    • Day 7

      Saône River, Lyon

      September 10, 2023 in France ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C

      ⛴️ # 1

      Making the most of my Lyon City Pass, I took advantage of the River Cruise included. It was a lovely way to end my first week... all aboard!

      Week 1 🚶‍♀️ 121, 985

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