Lyon: Part Deux

For our last night in Lyon we had to switch apartments due to availability. The apartment was in another part of the city. This time the entire apartment was for us.

Best part, it had a washing machine. We spent some time getting two loads washed and hung up to dry on the balcony. While we were waiting for our laundry to finish, I played tetris on the gameboy in the apartment. Tanner was making me laugh so hard I started to cry but I was so focused on winning this round I couldn't take my eyes off it. That only made me laugh & cry harder. That little stink face decided he couldn't let this go undocumented (hence the picture below).

I don't know, I was just in the zone I guess.

For lunch Tanner took us out to eat at one of the oldest restaurants in Lyon.
Brasserie Georges.
Another classic Lyonnaise restaurant. This time we "split" the four course meal.

Course 1: Salmon & herring with potatoes and onions
(saumons et les harengs aux pommes de terre)

Course 2: Garlic mashed potatoes served with a chitterling sausage and whole grain mustard sauce
(andouillette "maison ravier", sauce moutarde et puree de pommes de terre ou)

Course 3:  A large bowl of cheese with chives & shallots.
Now I need to go into more details for this. They just placed a bowl with a spoon for us to eat this. It was as thick as chip dip and tasted like sour cream. Tried our best to slurp this down.
(le fromage de tradition)

Course 4: Crispy chocolate and praline cake, glazed in ganache
(feuillantin au choclate "pur caraibes")

(dessert makes everything better)

Missed the market that was held in the croix-rousse area. On Rue de Cannut, a mural the size of a building is painted there. The most life-like painting depicting what Lyon is all about.

The buildings and streets here are so French. I love it. To live on Rue Saint Jean would be a dream.

Cathédral Saint Jean Baptiste de Lyon

We ended our stay strolling Rue Saint Jean and shared a nutella crépe.

I really miss Lyon.

The City of Lights

I don't even know how to start this post. Paris.

I felt like a little kid on Christmas morning. 

Partially because I was going to France and partially because its Paris. 

On the train ride from Germany, a little French family sat next to us. A couple with a little girl and a littler boy. This boy with his curly, dark brown hair. His sister in her coloring book. The parents sipping their cafe on a train to Paris. Could this moment get any more French?

This boy, while munching on a pain au chocolat, asked over and over "On y est?" and "Ou est la tour Eiffel?"
I hear ya kid. 

Getting off at the Gare du Nord we ran into the first of many scammers. A guy came up to us as we were looking over the metro map. Asked us (in English) if we needed help and in that moment we both figured sure why not. At most we thought he'd ask us for some money for his help. Well it got weird when he started speaking fast, pointing to random train's and said follow me. By this point we knew something was off but followed him to the electronic ticket machine (mostly cause Tanner was curious what he was trying to do). He clicked the tickets we supposedly needed for a total of 80 euros. "Cash or card," he kept asking. Yeah right dude. We've got it from here. He grumpily walked away when Tanner told him off. Sneaky guy. He attempted to get us to load his metro card.
Man was I grateful to have a husband that speaks French.

This was the first time to this city for both of us. To save some money and experience somewhat of an authentic Parisian day, we had planned to use nothing but public transportation. 16 metro lines that could bring you anywhere in the city. Paris knows how to do it.

The Eiffel Tower.

One of those "pinch me, this can't be real" moments. 

I've seen pictures and dreamed of coming here one day but to actually see it in person!
Très bon.

 In front of the most iconic French symbol we split my first "French" nutella crêpe.

Pretty dang excited. Can't you tell?

Yes it was a city. A big city. People everywhere. Cigarettes everywhere. Graffiti everywhere. Pee (smells) everywhere. Among all that, Paris is beautiful. As you walk along the streets lined with trees and charming old fashioned buildings, I found myself picturing what it would be like walking these streets even just 60 years ago.

It wasn't until 9 p.m. that I fell in love with Paris.

The way it lights up and then sparkles, felt truly magical.

Here I was with my sweetheart, creating this memory, in the city of lights and love.

p.s. You think I could fit Paris all in one post? Yeah right.