An American in Provence

After getting started at the crack of 11 am, we spent the entire day Out of Sync.

We wandered around, trying to find breakfast which is usually pretty easy in France, however, there is not a single boulangerie in all of Lyon. It is true. All of the street-level space is taken up with Expensive Shops. Besides our miserable hike in the Alpes (where it rained the entire time) I have never walked so far in France without coming across a boulangerie. Yet there in middle of the second largest city in France (or third, depending on whether you are talking to a Lyonnais or a Marseillais), there was not a single one to be found. It was too early for lunch, and apparently too late for breakfast. We finally found a Paul (sandwich/boulangerie shop) and managed to get a tiny coffee and pain au chocolat (out of croissants).

Tried to visit a church, but they were having a service (at 11:30 am!! who would have thought?).

We headed over to the Musée de l'Imprimerie, but it closed at noon, reopening at 2. We then decided to head up towards the Croix-Rousse. Rather so-so in my opinion. If you are in Lyon, only go there if you really have seen everything else or else enjoy the smell of urine.

Wandered back and waited for the Musée to reopen. Spent a good two hours visiting the museum, which I highly recommend IF you can read French. If you can't, you will probably be bored. It was really interesting. After we finished with the museum, we were hungry, but now it was too late for lunch but too early for dinner. McDonald's it is! We had some McDonald's by the Place Bellecour, then went to visit the Palatial church- yep, another service at 5 pm. Visited the treasury and waited for the service to be over.

On the way, I saw this maternity wear store, which I thought the name is hilarious. Hey pregnant ladies! Feel like you are as big as house and that you might actually explode? Nothing fits and you might as well wear a rucksack? Come shop at Balloon!


By this time we were tired, so we headed back to the hotel to rest for an hour or so.


Around 8, we wandered out again to find dinner. After much hemming and hawing, we finally decided on a place by the Hotel de Ville. Lyon at night is very beautiful.

Had some ice cream on the way back (not as good as in Italy) and crashed at around 11.