Lyon

The bus I choose from Brussel to Lyon stops in Paris 2 hours. It’s midnight when I arrived in Paris. The bus hall is closed. All the shops around are closed. The bus driver shows me the direction to a café couple hundred meters away and says it probably still opens.

Can’t find the café but a restaurant. It’s closing time but they still serve me a glass of wine and let me stay.

Most of the shops are closed on the street. People in the restaurant are also leaving slowly. Suddenly feel a bit lonely in another country. People think I am a lucky person who could travel so much. But I have never believed the luck would just come to you if you have never worked hard to get it.

For me, it’s not just vacation. It’s journeys of living, it’s
the experience of the different world and different life. To travel around Europe during the time of terrorist attacks happens often, to stay at the bus station few hours during the midnight alone in another country, to discover new things and new people in new countries, these are all special experience more than vacations. When most of my families and friends are fighting for better cars, bigger houses, more money, I choose the different style for my life.

Anyway, after 3 hours waiting because the bus is delayed, arrive in Lyon in another 6 hours. There’s not a problem at all to communicate in English in Netherland and Belgium, but start to feel difficult in France. There’re not many people could speak English fluently even the staff in the station. I am happy finally I have the chance to practice my French more, and plus the body language. Lol….

In Lyon, you could see restaurants everywhere, some are full of people,
but they don’t provide foods until lunch time or dinner time, not even snacks, just drinks.

The hostel provides dinner gathering. Anybody could join for 10 euros. Foods are good. Besides, it’s a good opportunity to meet new friends and share travel experience.

The Second Day

        There’s a small town one hour away from

Lyon, only more than
1000 people living. It’s quiet and traditional European style. You could finish visit in one hour walk. There’s an old castle on the top of the hill without clear signs. It’s getting dark already when I start searching this castle. And only 2 buses transfer between the city center and the town during the weekends. Finally, I give up. It’s such a pity.

The Third Day

The reception of the hostel suggests me of the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourviere. It is just 26
minutes walk from the hostel where I stay. But I am wrong. Because there’s half way of stairs, and it’s definitely not just 15 minutes.

After I failed of walking over there, I take the tram going up to the hill.

It’s the spot of the city view. Fourviere actually contains two churches, one on the top of the other. The upper sanctuary is very ornate, while the lower I a much simpler design. It’s one of my favorite churches.

A lot of European cities look ancient style. Lyon is between ancient and modern.