Ihad never been to Lyon before, but as soon as I arrived it was immediately clear why every person I consulted while choosing a city in which to study suggested Lyon without hesitation. My landlord met me at the train station, and after we dropped off my bags at his house, he and his wife gave me a tour of France’s second city.
Knowing that Lyon is home to just under a half-million people, I was confused when we turned up the street to grab the tramway rather than driving. I soon discovered that Lyon might be the least imposing metropolis in the world.
Lyon’s city center is an area of plazas and 18th-century buildings on the Presq’île (almost island) that stands between two gorgeous rivers running north-to-south through the city. We visited the closest thing to a skyscraper Lyon has and the sprawling hillside above Old Lyon, which, on a clear day has a view all the way to the French Alps.
Walking back down the hill into Old Lyon, I was treated to an experience few other history majors at UCSD get to try for themselves — a journey through the trabouls of Lyon. These underground tunnels originally served as passageways for the city’s famous silk industry, but during World War II they became the center of the resistance movement against Nazi Germany.
I have traveled to many historic landmarks in Europe, but going through the trabouls and knowing they were a part of my new home — and not just a stop on a family vacation — brought the history to life and allowed me to connect with Lyon on a completely new level.
We spent the whole day walking around Lyon and although I saw plenty of parked cars, I was never once apprehensive about being a pedestrian. In Lyon, instead of having to deal with crazed French drivers, the city’s main transport problem is periodic bicycle shortages. About 10 years ago the city started a huge project, which has now been replicated throughout France, to provide a system of free bicycles to all its citizens. I haven’t walked three blocks without seeing a long line of red bikes docked and waiting for a local Lyonnais to take one for a spin up the banks of the Rhône and through the gardens in the Parc de la Tête d’Or.
To have access to the Velov system you must be a tax-paying resident of Lyon, and since I only just signed the contract for my apartment, I’ll have to wait before I can start exploring the city on two wheels. It’s obvious how French people stay so much fitter than we do; they live such an active lifestyle.
The overall health of French people also gets a big boost from their mentality on eating, which is all about quality over quantity. In Lyon there is enough quality food to keep me happy for a thousand lifetimes. I am beyond lucky to be living in the gastronomic capital of Europe — it’s just a shame that I can’t afford any of it.
One of these days I’ll starve myself for a bit, save up some euros and treat myself to a few Lyonnais delicacies, which are known to be some of the best dishes in the world. And until then, daily tomato and cheese sandwiches on the best bread in the world will keep me more than happy.
Considering that my diet this year will consist of pasta and stir-fry, it’s great that I found an incredibly cheap produce store just around the corner from my apartment to get tasty fruits and veggies to spice up my otherwise bland dishes. Oh, and even cheap bottles of wine here are actually legitimately good.
When I was in middle school I spent three weeks touring France with my family, so I vaguely remember that the country, the people and the culture wasn’t radically different from what I was used to back home. Even with that obvious knowledge, part of me still hoped that somehow the place where I was going to spend my junior year abroad would be entirely different from anything that I had ever seen.
That part of me was disappointed when I remembered France isn’t exactly remote. The cars here are more economical than in the United States, the currency much stronger and I’ve been told that even the food at the French McDonald’s tastes better.
While walking through certain French neighborhoods, I could have sworn I was in New York’s SoHo or San Francisco’s North Beach . Even the average Frenchman seems to know more about American politics than most of my compatriots back home.
Life here is definitely similar to the States, as I’m sure it is in all first-world countries. But in my first month in France, I found so many little differences that added up way too quickly and before I knew it I was experiencing a new obstacle daily, regardless of how familiar my new surroundings might have been. Some challenges have been more blatant, and thus easier to handle, like ending up 30 minutes away from the correct metro stop because at the time “Gare de Venise” sounded exactly like “Gare de Vennisieux.” Others have been far subtler; these challenges will be the ones that will give me the opportunity to grow and step outside my California-grown bubble.
I can only hope that this year will keep getting better and prove to be a life-changing experience. For that to happen, I need to continue having the right mindset of que sera, sera: whatever happens, happens. I need to have enough confidence in myself to make as many mistakes as it takes for me to improve. Of course, a little more outstanding French food and a few bottles of fine wine sure won’t hurt.
