July 24, 2013
Well, I did it! Today I officially made it out of the hostel. I did go out a bit yesterday- grocery shopping, to a pub and cathedral... but that all happened after 6pm. After around 24 hours of complete vegetation on my part I began to feel that familiar restlessness- my energy had returned!
I left today around noon and didn't get back until 10pm tonight. I caught up on a bunch of sight seeing in Lyon, went shopping, and found an outdoor swimming pool.
The pool was great- the temperature perfect. I felt so refreshed! It was right along the river, and had a new part with lots of cool rivers, fountains and chairs. The place was packed with people from all walks of life.
... But then my towel and goggles went missing... and then I got flustered, sat down, waited to dry off a bit, got changed, and left. It was two hours after all that happening that I realized that I had forgotten my bathing suit in the change room as well. I had been thinking in the pool how great a bathing suit it was and how lucky I was to have it.
I don't care about my goggles or towel really... but I sooo hope that when I go back tomorrow a nice person has found it and put it in the lost and found. Fingers crossed.
After all that, I had been planning to cook myself supper, but I no longer felt inspired. So, I found a nice cafe, waved a cool Swiss woman down from my room at the hostel, we ate, caught up, and watched cool French street dancers perform in a square. It was a good ending to a strange day.
I'm getting excited to almost get going again. I know I'm not ready yet. This place is so perfect, it has been just what I needed. I'm going into the almost Alps next to visit old exchange student friends. My friends are wonderful. I've had sooooo many incredible experiences because of them. And they keep on happening.
It's the end of the day and I still have energy! *Relief!
Notes on Lyon:
It doesn't feel like a overwhelmingly big city. There are garbage cans every where. There is an interesting tent city/ camp of Romanians ( I believe) living in the outskirts of town. It's calm, old, beautiful, clean, well transited ( if that expression exists). I like it.
Though I am missing the mountains or large body of water- with a breeze... but that's just me. Oo- and no one will speak french to me. No one. Except the Swiss woman in my room. I went to a restaurant this evening, said "Salut", and the the immediate reply was in English. Pourquoi!!
Bon nuit!
I left today around noon and didn't get back until 10pm tonight. I caught up on a bunch of sight seeing in Lyon, went shopping, and found an outdoor swimming pool.
The pool was great- the temperature perfect. I felt so refreshed! It was right along the river, and had a new part with lots of cool rivers, fountains and chairs. The place was packed with people from all walks of life.
... But then my towel and goggles went missing... and then I got flustered, sat down, waited to dry off a bit, got changed, and left. It was two hours after all that happening that I realized that I had forgotten my bathing suit in the change room as well. I had been thinking in the pool how great a bathing suit it was and how lucky I was to have it.
I don't care about my goggles or towel really... but I sooo hope that when I go back tomorrow a nice person has found it and put it in the lost and found. Fingers crossed.
After all that, I had been planning to cook myself supper, but I no longer felt inspired. So, I found a nice cafe, waved a cool Swiss woman down from my room at the hostel, we ate, caught up, and watched cool French street dancers perform in a square. It was a good ending to a strange day.
I'm getting excited to almost get going again. I know I'm not ready yet. This place is so perfect, it has been just what I needed. I'm going into the almost Alps next to visit old exchange student friends. My friends are wonderful. I've had sooooo many incredible experiences because of them. And they keep on happening.
It's the end of the day and I still have energy! *Relief!
Notes on Lyon:
It doesn't feel like a overwhelmingly big city. There are garbage cans every where. There is an interesting tent city/ camp of Romanians ( I believe) living in the outskirts of town. It's calm, old, beautiful, clean, well transited ( if that expression exists). I like it.
Though I am missing the mountains or large body of water- with a breeze... but that's just me. Oo- and no one will speak french to me. No one. Except the Swiss woman in my room. I went to a restaurant this evening, said "Salut", and the the immediate reply was in English. Pourquoi!!
Bon nuit!
