Journal - A trip to Lyon

We planned to go to Lyon few weeks ago, just to have a short break out of Milan for the two days off of Sant'Ambrogio e Madonna Immacolata (Dec 7th and 8th). And today it is THE DAY we are leaving!!

Obviously few problems on the ground: Anna is at work till 2, I am off but obviously I have got a meeting at 2.30 as two of my students fought in class. But we will make it! Also two of  her colleagues will reach us tomorrow. 

As I have the morning off, I have few tasks to carry out before leaving: 

a) changing the world;

b) loosing ten kilos and

c) learning to cook

I end up doing the following things - more humble, but more useful as well: 

a) making my bed

b) updating Facebook profile

c) opening the suitcase

d) updating Facebook profile

e) planning what to wear

f) updating Facebook profile

g) thinking that since FB was invented I have wasted a huge amount of time

h) updating Facebook profile

i) trying to concentrate on packing

j) deciding I hate packing

k) ironing the stuff I have to wear

l) updating Facebook profile

m) thinking of going nudist as I hate ironing

n) putting things in the suitcase - strangely vrey tidy

o) updating Facebook profile 

p) going to supermarket to get some snacks for train journey

q) going back home and update Facebook profile

r) thinking I'll deactivate FB account and get back seriously to my blog

s) cooking lunch, strangely edible - but that is thanks to tuna can only, everybody is able to boil some pasta!

t) thinking I can deal with FB and blog but then I'll have to find very rich husband as I won't have time to work as well

u) eating lunch and wash up

v) closing suitcase

w) putting  jacket on

x) putting scarf on

y) taking suitcase and greet housemate that is at last sure that I am entirely mad

z) blaming alphabet as it has not got enough letters to say that I updated again FB profile before going out. 

I go to school, thought meeting was at 3pm, find out it was at 2.30pm and realize that I am late. I just now understand the face of disgust of  the oldest colleague when she saw me arriving that late. Nevermind, life is long and I'll have enough chances to be later, I am sure!

I am meant to meet Anna at Stazione Centrale al 4pm. I - strangely ahead of my schedule - get there at 3.30 pm just in time to hear the announcement that our train is cancelled. WHAAAAAA! I call Anna, she does not reply and I thoughtfully think I might just go and do some shopping at the optician ( a girl always needs something before leaving, I needed contact lenses as I forgot them at home). I keep trying to call Anna, but no reply. I keep shopping. Obviously. 

I get to meet Anna only few minutes later at the ticket office. Just imagine her face! I have never seen her so angry in my life! We get to another office and a girl just tells us to get to whichever train to Turin and the train to Lyon we'll be at the Turin station WAITING FOR US - a train waiting for us?? really??? very weird (>comment added afterwards: I think we will just might end up spending the night in Turin eating chocolate to kick anger off .. but I am not telling it to Anna now, she's just enjoying her fruit salad). After a long walk and a exhausting search of a seat we a finally on a first class couch. If a ticket collector just TRIES to come and ask us for the ticket, think we will bite him.

Now we are on the train to Turin hoping we'll make it to Lyon, or to a very nice hot chocolate in Turin ;). Don't tell this to Anna, though. 

Quote of the day: Anna: "Vabbé, ma a che ora lo mangi il Kinder?!"

Now on the train to Lyon.... we'll get there an hour later....

The journey on the train is quite something. My travel mate proved herself very  funny – sometimes too funny ;), food I prepared was edible and we manage also to get some good laughs. We are definetly on a trip mood. Can’t wait for tomorrow’s breakfast with croissants and beurre…mmmmmh, jummy jummy!

Still few hours to go….

…..

Sgrunt! As changing train in Turin was not enough, now we have to change and get on a couch. Our lucky journey to Lyon ends at 9.10 pm at ville de Chambery where we are kindly asked to leave the train and get on a bus parked outside the station. The bus gets at the station at 9.40 and by then we are all freezing. It is raining and the rain IS cold. 

Obviously, nobody speaks English, no way to know how long it will take to get to Lyon.

We are basically in the middle of nowhere. Strange feeling of being lost and a bit out of control. Wish I had that Kinder still to cheer me up. And wish  we get to the hotel soon to be able to get some nice shower and sleep.

Vive la joie de vivre, anyway!

We get at Saint Exupery Gare at 11,10 … but after few seconds we realize we should have better stayed on the coach till the next station. The station (also an airport) is practically empty, and we just roam for ten minutes aimlessly. When we finally get to find a taxi and to get on it, we find out that the fare is “per second” as every ten metres the price goes high and high… and high it goes and still no trace of the city of Lyon. After fifteen good minutes, and many euros away from our pockets, we see the light and some buildings that an ordinary person would define the outskirt of a town and here is romantically calle periphérie….très chic!

We pay the taxi driver - he richer, we a bit poorer than before – and we finally get to the hotel. Maybe.

First I get the code of the entrance wrong and until I realize my mistake (I am tired after all!!!) then we do not know the number of our apartment. When we realize we are totally lost, a guy from outside comes knocking at the door. Now, we are in a foreign counrties, two little girls alone lost in the bit city, with no home where to go and few pennies left for food…. Ok, I might exagerate it a bit, but what would you do if you were us? We opened obviously…. And the guy was as helpful as to show us that in the safety box in the lobby there are our keys and the number of our apartment. Bingo!

But the real surprise is our apartment. An ex DDR flat right in the centre of Lyon, with a kitchenette right at the entrance with microwave, electric stove and american coffee machine (that is not really DDR, I’ll complain with the reception tomorrow!).

And in this beautiful flat, we consume our first dinner: Esselunga salade saves us from starvation.

Bon nuit, mes amis. Vive la France!