Well, Paris left me totally wiped out. Mentally, Emotionally, Physically and Financially. When I left, I have to say, I wasn't sorry to go. I know it's one of the most fabulous cities in the world, but I can comfortably own....it's just not really for me. Too much of everything....too many people, too much attitude, too many tourists (yes, I know I am one) and everything costs too much!
My hostel, Oops, billed itself as Paris's first "Boutique" hostel. In Paris, this means that they have slapped some "funky" bright green Ikea wallpaper up on the walls, contrasted it with a geometrical black and white design of sorts, hung a wavy mirror in the room and put up a "colored" light fixture. The rooms are still small, they are still populated by bunk-beds (yes, I was unfortunate enough to finally be stuck on the top bunk....with no ladder), the bathrooms - which are en suite - still smell of mold and mildew and the keys frequently do not work (which happened to me at least 4 or 5 different times). AND - you are NOT ALLOWED to enter the room you are paying precious money for during the hours of 1100 - 1600....yep, 5 hours. Ridiculous in my opinion. I totally realize I'm in Paris....and shouldn't be in the room during that time, I should be out exploring the city.....but, it's the principle. I'm paying for the room...I should be able to enter it to change clothes, grab a quick cat-nap, use the bathroom or do any of the other multitudes of things one can do within a 5 hour period of time in the middle of the day on vacation!! And, since it's Paris - the front desk people can be as rude as they like....which they were to both me and my roommate - whose reservation they screwed up and then tried to blame on him. So, despite some of the good times I had while there - champagne on the Champ du Mars and meeting some nice people....I was happy to arrive at the Gare de Lyon en route to Lyon.
Lyon was not originally on my "list". I had given it no attention, knew nothing about it and probably could not have immediately pointed it out on a map. However, I was not really due to go to Switzerland until the weekend b/c my Swiss buddy, Sylvain, like most other people right now....has a jobbie-job. Hmmmm....stay in Paris another 2 days or find another place to perch until it was Switzerland time. Yeah, not a hard decision there. Found a hostel (the only one in Lyon), booked it and handled the train there. Look out, Lyon!!
Turns out - Lyon is quite the place and could not have been more diametrically opposed to Paris!! My cab driver to the hostel - instead of being silent and sullen - was chatty, friendly and an un-official tour guide of sorts. He gave me a quick run-down on the layout of the city, suggested some nice things to do, gave me some $$-saving tips, pointed out places of interest along the way and provided some history of the city. Where was I?? Surely not France!!
I arrived at the hostel....up on top of a freaking mountain....said "au revoir" to the cab driver and entered the domicile to check-in. Once again...totally different from Paris - I got a genuine welcome, a friendly and informative check-in (in Paris, I had a piece of paper slapped in front of me and was told to "Read"), was showed where I could fill up my water bottle with FREE chilled water, was directed to the kitchen which "I should feel free to use...and here is some complimentary rice and pasta if you would like" - then.....the room. Still small, still bunk-beds (I took the lower one)....but French doors that opened out onto a deck with a view that genuinely stunned me. The entire city of Lyon was spread out beneath me for miles and miles!! Orange rooftops, 2 rivers - the Rhine and the Soame, Bridges, Church towers, Domed Monuments....I almost had to pinch myself that this was actually a HOSTEL. Views like this don't come cheap....or maybe they do in Lyon!! Mom must have "radioed" ahead and let Lyon know how shabbily Paris had treated me....and that France had some making up to do for its capital city. Message received!!
It was "too late" to really go see anything...and who needed to with the view?? Instead, I trudged up the rest of the mountain until I found a market - grabbed some bread, cheese, meat and fruit and made my way back to the hostel for an al fresco dinner. I got a cheap carafe of wine from the hostel and wrote the Paris blog that night. A good night's sleep set me to rights for the next day of exploring Lyon.
Coffee and baguette on the patio the next morning....Lyon just doesn't quit!
The highest compliment I can pay Lyon is that it gave me the same feeling Portland does....smaller than its neighbors of Seattle and San Francisco, but more accessible, comfortable with its status of "2nd tier", clean, walkable, rife with little hidden gems around each corner and filled with flowers. Before I could really get down to enjoying Lyon, though...I had some business to take care of first. Business that should NOT have eaten into my wonderful day.
Ahem, readers.....Should any of you decide to go to Europe for an extended amount of time....DO NOT be taken in by Rail Europe and their clever marketing of the Eurail Pass. I know some of you have already come over here and successfully navigated the trains with the Pass...BUT, it is no longer as easy as that. There are supplements to pay, restrictions to be aware of, reservations that have to be made well in advance, a website that constantly won't give you the information you need and misinformation out there designed to strip you of your hard-earned $$. I could go on and on about the nonsense that is this company, website and service; but, I know you would much prefer to hear about Lyon - in just a second. Thankfully, seeking out humans and asking them for help is still the best way to go about fixing issues. Instead of being forced to pay an additional 96Euro for supplemental reservations through Rail Europe, I found a human who used her "magic box" - i.e. a computer - to find me an alternate route to Amsterdam for only 6Euro which would get me into Amsterdam only 2 hours later. Hmmmmm....which one should I go with?? Backtrack to Paris, have to change STATIONS...not platforms, mind you....STATIONS, and pay 96Euro. OR, take an alternate route (and more scenic) through Basel and Frankfurt for 6? Considering this is being written from Basel, I think you can figure out which option I selected. This route did not exist on their website. Rail Europe is bullshit. I will do everything I can to keep people from wasting $$ with them like I did.
And back to Lyon we go....
I meandered around Lyon for an hour or so - grabbing some fruit, salami and cheese from a market I passed and having a little picnic by the river. Then set out to find the art museum...which I did with no difficulty whatsoever (a miracle for me considering how directionally challenged I am!). Nice museum - had some good paintings and sculptures - along with a small but quality Egyptian and Greek/Roman section. I saw what I wanted and then headed across the plaza to a gelato shop I had been given a coupon for. Had to use the coupon, right?? Well - as some of you know from Facebook, I was handed the sobering news that one of my favorite singers had died in the past week. Sigh. Sigh. Sigh. Madame Amy Winehouse just found life to difficult to live. She was a genius and a train-wreck all at the same time. I discovered her in Portland before she blew up....loved, loved, loved her....and feel quite sad that the world has lost such a talent at the young age of 27...just like Jimi, Janis, Jim and Kurt. Yes - I do put her in the same league as those revered individuals...she had a voice set apart from most today. I pulled out my iPod, put her on and continued to walk the streets eating my Rose and Violet gelato....also in search of a place to get my French haircut. This turned out to be a big mistake.
My hair had gotten "long" for me, but I had wanted to wait until I got to France to get it cut. Knowing Paris would just turn out to be a disaster, I decided Lyon was the place to make this happen. A haircut is an important thing - it affects how you feel each day about yourself. I am sorry to say....I am officially sporting the WORST haircut in recent memory. Some of you have seen pictures of me at my house - as a kid with a haircut my dad gave me....horrific, yes. But one can get away with such travesties as a child - one cannot as an adult b/c it looks as though this is the look you were going for. I have never had my hair attacked with clippers - I have now. Despite asking the guy to "Stop!"....and having an American hairdresser overseeing him....I now have a "freshly shorn" look and I HATE IT!! It sticks out in the wrong places, is too blunt in others, shows the "lines" instead of them blending and being texturized....It just all around looks bad. I'm not afraid to go short...I'm afraid to go "bad"....and this is B-A-D. Still - it's just hair and it will grow (not fast enough, though!!)
It had gotten into the early evening at this point and I was feeling ambitious to climb the mountain my hostel was located upon. Up I went...and up....and up....and up. When I finally got there - I must have downed 4 or 5 liters of water. I still had some leftovers from lunch, so I garnered myself a prime position out on the patio and started to "plan" the next week. Fortunately, a lovely English couple settled down next to me and we proceeded to spend the rest of the evening swapping stories, laughing at the website "Texts from Last Night.com", talking about the difficulties of being a teacher (both of them are) and putting away several carafes of wine. Pink Wine, if you can believe it. I figured that Mom had ordered up this view and this experience for me...might as well do her the honors of getting soused on Pink Wine. Soused may be a strong word...you have to drink a lot of Pink Wine to feel its effects...and I can't stomach that much of it ;)) The evening brought itself to a close and I happily took myself off to my room - eager to get to Vevey, Switzerland the next day.
Some of you may remember the fateful trip to Switzerland 2 years ago where I managed to tear my ACL in a failed attempt to re-live the glory days of high school volleyball. My destination was not Neuchatel this time, but Vevey - the hometown of my Swiss friend, Sylvain, and his lovely father, Jean-Louis. I was determined to see the famous vineyards of Lavaux - a UNESCO site - this time around.....and boy did I!!!
Vevey deserves its due...never has the intervention of good friends, good food, good wine and good times been so welcome - after the news of the market...
Well, that is for the next post.....
Still loving your blogging. Please keep it coming:)
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