When I wrote the title of this post, it sounded to me like I'd had a busy week. Truth is, I haven't. Not really, anyway.
Joe, Lizette, and I left for Lyon, France last Wednesday as a final trip before the semester started. We arrived in Lyon mid-afternoon and took our time getting to our hotel and deciding what to do for the night. There was a mall nearby our hotel, so we went there to kill some time.
It was wonderful. I bought myself a Venti Caramel Machiatto and strolled through the many shops and just enjoyed myself. My dad called me while I was there and I got to talk with him for a while. I even took out my journal and wrote. Basically, it was the perfect way to spend an evening alone.
I met back up with the other two when we were all ready too go back to the hotel.
The next day, we didn't get to start as early as we had planned, but once we got out, we got going. We first walked in the direction of a small church. When we turned the corner to the entrance, we found that there was a funeral taking place. Of course, we couldn't go inside while there were people mourning, so we continued on to our next destination.
On our way to see the second church on our list, we came across a large square with a ferris wheel at one end. Lizette wanted to ride it, so we did. We were the only people on it, so when we got to the top, the operator stopped it for a few minutes and let us sit there and enjoy the city from above. Lyon is a very beautiful city. It's the second largest in France. When I was walking through the streets it felt like a smaller, quieter, cleaner Paris.
We continued on to see the church at the top of the hill. Once again, we were sidetracked on our way by another church. Lyon Cathedral was small, but it had grand red doors on the front. We went inside briefly, but the entire back half was under construction so there wasn't much to see.
Again, we set out for the church, but it felt like we had to climb a mountain to get there. When we were almost to the church we came across the Ancient Theatre of Fourviére. There were ancient ruins of an amphitheater and all kinds of Roman structures. It almost felt like we were walking the Roman Forum again, but this time with green grass everywhere.
Eventually we made it to Notre Dame de Fourviére. The front is magnificent, but the inside is even more breathtaking. It is reminiscent of Sacre Coeur in Paris, only much more beautiful. There were 4 large mosaics on the walls and a vibrant blue colored much of the ceiling. The lights hanging from the ceiling were decorated in chains and it all worked together to make this church very unique. In the crypt, the ceilings were yellow and it all felt very light.
Outside the church and towards the back, there were spots that overlooked the entire city of Lyon. It's a wonderful sight with the rivers weaving through and the church spires rising above the houses and buildings.
From there, we took the metro down to see the Lyon Traboules. Lyon was once a town where silk was made. Oftentimes this silk had to be transported from one building to another and when it was raining this became very difficult to accomplish. To combat the weather, Lyon was outfitted with many tunnels for the silk runners to use to transport the silk without it getting wet and damaged from the rain. Another reason they were put into place is for the locals to have quick and direct access to the river.
It sounds a lot cooler than it is. The history behind it is really neat, but the tunnels themselves are not all that impressive. They're more like covered walkways than tunnels.
We ended our day in Lyon by sitting on the ring of the Fontaine Barholdi in front of the Hotel de Ville. We people watched for nearly an hour, then made our way back to our hotel.
The next day, we set out bright and early for Geneva, Switzerland! As soon as we arrived, I knew I would like this country. It was so clean and so beautiful. When I think Switzerland in January, I think freezing cold temperatures, but the day we were there it was mildly warm with clear skies. Never once was I cold that day and I didn't see a bit of snow.
First, we took a bus to the outside of Geneva to take a cable car to the top of Mont Salève. This is a mountain that overlooks Geneva, although it is on the France side of the border. We took the car to the top and stayed up there for about a half hour enjoying the views and the landscape.
When we got to the bottom, we hopped on the bus again and took it straight to Lake Geneva and the Jet d'Eau. Geneva is fairly famous for the Water Jet on the Lake, but what I liked most about this stop was the Flower Clock that sat at the entrance of the park. (If you don't know by now how much I love clocks, you certainly will after looking through the pictures of this trip!) The Flower Clock is awesome. It holds the record for the longest second hand at 2.5 meters long.
Next, we took to the streets to find food. We found a small cafe and quickly ate, then went back out to enjoy the weather. We started walking and came across a park with many people roaming about. Directly inside the gates of the park, there were checker boards painted onto the concrete with large pieces for playing. We sat for a minute and watched a game, then Joe and Lizette saw an open board and went to play a game.
While they were playing, I strolled through the park and saw the Reformation Wall. I'm not sure what it's all about, but it was neat. I went back to watch the end of their game (Joe won), then I set off by myself to find the Patek Philippe Museum (all about watches!). I walked to where I thought it was, but it ended up being in the entirely opposite direction. So, I went that way and came across a flea market/carnival thing in a large square. I asked a lady for directions to the museum and she pointed me in the right direction.
When I got to the front doors of the museum, I was met by a sign saying that it was still closed for Christmas Break. It opened again yesterday (January 13). I was so sad to have missed out on that.
Since I couldn't see the museum, I met back up with the other two and we went searching for souvenirs. I bought some Swiss chocolate (obviously) and also found a beautiful, silver pocket watch for myself. (I just couldn't go to Switzerland without buying a clock!) I sat it on my desk next to my computer because I just love looking at it. It's mechanical, so I have to wind it every morning so it will continue working. Both the face and the back of the watch case are clear so if you look closely, you can see the parts moving. I've picked it up more than a few times, just to watch it work. It's so fascinating!
We ended the day with a train back to our hotel in Lyon. The next day we took a train to Paris, and finally back to Poitiers.
I had all day Monday to recuperate and get ready for class on Tuesday. Thankfully, this class was only 4 hours instead of the usual 6, so I had most of the afternoon off too. (I know, I know, I don't go to school that often, so a two hour difference shouldn't be that big a deal, but you know what? I was happy about it anyway.) We meet two more times this week for this class, then I'll start another class in the middle of next week.
Now, I'd like to address something entirely different. I'm not quite sure what to make of these recent terrorist attacks in Paris. I'm so thankful that I'm not living in Paris, but at the same time, so much is happening and I wish I could be there to experience it. Things have been in an uproar in France this past week. The day of the attack, crowds gathered in cities across France and help up their pens in support of the men who died at Charlie Hebdo. The day of the attack, I was in Poitiers, but I was traveling through Paris the next day, and for three days after that I was Lyon. Everywhere I went, I saw posters and signs and cartoon hung up in support of the men who died that day. On the trains and buses, their signs would scroll through saying, "Je sues Charlie" and nearly every store front has posted the same.
There are police everywhere. In nearly every public place we went, we encountered policemen patrolling the area. It is both comforting and scary to see that kind of police presence. I trust them to keep me safe and I trust that they will do their job, but I hate that it's necessary for them to be as visible as they are.
On Sunday, I was traveling through Paris again on my way back to Poitiers. Sunday was the day that the march took place in Paris. Also, all of the public transportation was free. When we got into the subway station, it was packed. I've never seen so many people traveling in Paris on a Sunday. People were in a hurry to get where they were going and there was feeling of unrest everywhere we went. The energy in the air was unsettling; people were excited and talking. People usually don't talk to each other on the Metro or anywhere in Paris, so it was disconcerting to see so many people interacting and abuzz.
When we made it back to Poitiers, we encountered a similar march. There were people walking all over Poitiers heading for the City Center. I've never seen so many people outside on a Sunday afternoon. The streets are usually desolate because everyone stays home. Not today. The walkers were all carrying "Je sues Charlie" signs and wearing the t-shirts.
I had all of my luggage with me, so I had to go home first, but as soon as I could, I went back to the streets to see what was going on in the City Center. (Generally, American citizens are advised to stay away from French gatherings like this, but I couldn't help myself this time.) There were so many people there. It didn't feel violent or even sad; it was all very peaceful. The people of France are angry about what happened, but I think they're determined to create unity through this tragedy. #jesuischarlie
It's a beautiful thing to see the people of the country come together like they have and stand in unity against something so horrific. I think the attack made things real for the French people, but it also made it very real for me. No, I'm not scared to be living here, and yes, I will still be going to Paris again in a little over a week, but I've got a slightly changed perspective on what's going on around me.
I hope you're having a wonderful week so far and that it continues to be full of beauty, and I hope you'll be able to see just how beautiful it all is.
Je t'embrasse,
Sarah
Here are the links to the pictures from Lyon and Geneva. Enjoy!
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