Avignon

I'm meeting Kerry, Nigel and Britt in Avignon today for lunch.

Getting to Avignon has not been as straightforward as I thought. There has been a transport strike in Lyon so walking is my only option through the city, and the walk from my host's house to the train station is a 1 hour without stops or dead-ends. This walk is right through the city and old town, so it is a very lovely walk. I pick up a chocolate croissant on the way.

Due to having to walk to the station I've had to take the fast train to avoid leaving the house at crack of dawn and getting the slow train. This meant that I had to pay for a reservation, which I thought would've been a few euros, not the €18 rip-off I was charged. This was most annoying, especially as I waited in line for almost 40 mins to be served!

I then got off the train to be told that I needed to catch a shuttle train for an additional €3, but due to the slow nature of the train staff (a common theme I'm finding across Europe) I missed the train which was leaving in 10 mins and had to wait an additional half an hour to reach the town. So my start was not a good one.

But finally I found them!! And we enjoy a lovely lunch at a small restaurant. The centre of Avignon, known as the city of Popes, is a UNESCO protected area. It's like stepping back into a different time. We walk all around the centre, up to the highest point fit a fantastic view and down into the little street markets. We stop for a final drink before waving goodbye. It's situations like this that make living here not a big deal. My family are here and it's the south of France, it could be home.

My journey back is almost as eventful as the arrival. This time I took the slow train, but not before travelling on the shuttle bus twice because I didn't read the departure point properly!

Tonight, I walked back through the city towards my host's house. It was on dusk and beautiful to travel the same path as this morning and see a different Lyon. As I neared the the square Bellecoure I saw a little side street that was full of restaurants and stopped in for a meal. I had a cheese and toast salad for entrée, meaty dish for mains and crème Brule tart for dessert.

After dinner I wandered back to my accommodation, stopping to take photos of beautiful Lyon lit up at night.Read more