Fabulous in France

And so, the summer vacation of 2011 is officially underway. As I write this, it’s Tuesday and I am on the train, gazing out at the French countryside, en route from St. Etienne, France to Gottingen, Germany. It’s a long 12-hour travel day filled with several transfers and trains. Vacations are interesting- time has a way of flying by. It feels like I just landed at Charles de Gaulle ready for some fun times and adventures. Paris, St. Etienne and Lyon did not disappoint. And how could it really, especially when I had such fantastic company with me!

Paris. I was quite jetlagged after arriving, but I was too excited to let that stop me! I met up with my good friend Marie who was able to schedule a short adventure in Paris after completing some work in Sweden. First on the agenda- coffee! There’s nothing like enjoying a café in a café in Paris. My cousin Chey, who has been living in St. Etienne for the past 9 months, joined us shortly afterward. From then on, there was much laughter, chatting and catching up. Time was well spent admiring the Eiffel Tower, exploring the grounds of the Louvre, taking jumping and planking photos, and eating and drinking lots- crepes, wine, cheese, crackers, café au lait, and more wine.

Two notable events:

a) Paris Pride. Je l’adore! It so happens that Paris Pride was happening that weekend, and it was fabulous. It’s always a cast of interesting people and characters, but everyone is there to celebrate who they are or show their support in one very colourful party. It was all quite aesthetically pleasing- the architecture was stunning, there was much to admire, and there were lots of fun places to sit.  French culture at its best!

b) Picnic in the Park. On the second night in Paris, Marie, Chey and I decided it would be awesome to have dinner in a park, so we found a spot on the grounds of the Louvre. There were many people and kids relaxing on what was a beautiful night, while the Eiffel Tower lit up and sparkled in the distance. We had bought a baguette, cheese, some kind of meat (the name escapes me), salads, and most importantly, wine. It was a fantastic way to end our time in Paris.  Significantly for me, this experience allows me to cross of item #29 on the List of 30 before 30: Drink wine, eat a baguette, cheese and pastries in a French park. Well, in fairness, we didn’t eat pastries at the time, but we did have chocolate for dessert. Chocolate meets the criteria because I said so.

St. Etienne. After Paris and Marie’s dramatic departure from Paris (…okay, it wasn’t dramatic, but it did involve Marie walking away from Chey and I down a long train hallway, and there were many goodbye waves involved in a dramatic fashion…), Chey and I were off to St. Etienne, which is about a 3-hour journey south of Paris. She has an amazing 4^th floor apartment in the city, and it was great to see how she’s been living all this time. One of her friends graciously invited us over for a picnic, which again included much wine. The French do like their wine! There were a bunch of Chey’s friends there, and regardless of the languages that were spoken that night, fun times were had by all!

Lyon. The next day, Chey and I ventured to Lyon. I had passed through Lyon many years ago en route to Zurich, Switzerland, but I never had a chance to explore the city. The weather was super hot, but a perfect day to wander about. Chey was a great guide, taking me to the Basilique Notre-Dame de Fourviere, which had a great view of Lyon; some historic theatres; the Vieux Lyon, where we enjoyed the shops and cafés; some plazas; and along the two rivers that intersect in Lyon. Lyon is quite a beautiful city.

And that concludes the France section of my European trip. Marie and Chey- it was fantastic! And Chey, thanks for the great hospitality. Au Revior, France. Prochain arret: Germany! Guten Tag.