Three people, four wheels
Thursday, April 27th, 2006Marion! We’re here at the Lyon bus station but don’t worry, some guy will bring us to a metro stop that’s closer to your house. I know it’s 4:30am and the metro isn’t running. What? OK see you at the metro stop.
When the bus pulled into Lyon two hours EARLY I was more than glad to have Paul by my side. I’m not sure he would say the same for me – Paul was about to spread out and sleep at the station but I wanted to find Marion.
The French guy walked us to where Marion was waiting, shaking her head in disbelief… Salut Marion! Thanks for having me, I mean us.
In a state of sleepless euphoria Marion, Paul, and I almost drove straight to Geneva for Sunday morning Quaker meeting and to see our friends Sophie and Nico. Instead we caught the sleep lost on the overnight bus from Barcelona.
Around 15:00 we made it out the door for a tour of Lyon. Lyon has a new public bicycle system with lots of stations set up around the city to check the bikes in and out of. It was the perfect spring day for a bike ride so although we ran to check about six stations we only managed to grab one bike because everyone else in the city had the same idea. Paul, everprepared, snapped open his own fold-up cycle and we were off.
The only way to see Lyon: cruise backwards on handlebars down the path beside the Rhône until you reach the Opera where the well-dressed audience stands around watching kids breakdance during intermission. Then run up the hill in the artist’s district and climb up a tree and sing until the sun sets.
The following morning Marion and her girlfriend headed off for a relaxing week in the Alps and Paul and I caught the next train to Genève (barely).
Greta