On Monday afternoon we took the high speed train to Lyon, only about two hours nonstop from Paris. The French rail system is excellent, far superior to Amtrak. It is fast, smooth, quiet, and comfortable, and trains run regularly throughout the day.
We were met at our apartment in Lyon by our host, Elisabeth, who showed us how to operate the appliances and gave us tips on where to buy groceries and such. The apartment was in a quiet neighborhood away from the hustle and bustle of tourist centers, but it was also just a short walk or bus ride from all of Lyon’s attractions. The apartment was spacious and comfortable and met our needs perfectly.
One of the first things we purchased was a 30-day transportation pass, good for trips on Lyon’s convenient buses, the metro and the trolley. We were assisted by a friendly young college student whose English was very good. He opened our passports and said that the picture of the American flag and the eagle were the most beautiful things he had ever seen, smiling broadly. He said he would like to continue his studies in America when he has a better mastery of English. But, above all, he wanted to visit New Orleans and Seattle.
He then asked us where we were from. Puzzled, we answered “the United States”. He said, no, what are your origins. He guessed that Charlie’s heritage was the British Isles because of his last name. Carrie told him she had mostly German roots. Asking him the same question, he answered that he was from France, with a grin. He looked Middle Eastern, so we said, no! what is your origin. He laughed and said his mom was from Lebanon and his dad was from Morocco.
We grew to love Lyon during our month there. It is a beautiful city at the confluence of two major rivers, the Rhone and the Saone. It has been occupied since around the time of Christ, first by the Romans, but it is also modern in many ways. We especially enjoyed being away from the tourist frenzy of Paris. We rarely encountered other Americans during our wanderings about the city.
