We made it!
We had a bit of a complicated journey, with me on a roundtrip ticket and Kristian and Lilian flying one-way. It worked out well that we flew separately, because they needed an extra long layover in Paris for our dog Lumi to acclimatize after her journey under the airplane. I left on an earlier flight, had a short-ish stop in Amsterdam, and was able to get here early to get into our apartment, buy some snacks for Lilian to consume on arrival, and do some unpacking. I can neither confirm nor deny that I also fell asleep reading on the couch.
I don’t think that Lumi enjoyed her trip very much, but she’s happy to be here with all of us now!
We’re staying in an AirBnb temporarily, because of this great Catch-22 in France where you can’t get a banking account without a mailing address, but you can’t get an apartment without a bank account. Our host is letting us have mail sent here, which works out really well for us. It’s a pretty bare-bones apartment (lots of pint glasses, not a lot of bowls or plates), but the location is amazing. We’re in Presqu’île (literally, “almost an island”). It’s the city center, sandwiched between the two rivers. We’re on a side street, so it’s relatively quiet. But, there are tons of shops and restaurants within walking distance and a metro stop is only a few blocks away.
My cab driver and I had a nice conversation in French. We mostly agreed about France (the food, the culture). Although he did tell me that Lyon is run by an “eco mafia” that’s hell-bent on getting rid of cars. I didn’t have the heart to tell him that one of the reasons we moved was to live a car-free existence! He helped me carry a 50-pound duffel bag and my guitar a good block and a half (that eco mafia has succeeded in getting cars off a lot of the streets in the area). He wouldn’t even take a tip for his troubles. I know the stereotype is that the French are surly and rude, but that really hasn’t been my experience.
All hail the eco mafia, the major street that we’re located off of is now pedestrian’s only. There were a ton of people out and about today enjoying the sunshine, but I couldn’t figure out why it felt so quiet. And that’s when I realized: no car noises. It’s delightful. Five stars, would recommend.
Kristian and Lilian got here early evening and after hauling all of their luggage up three very narrow flights of stairs (I’ll have to post a picture later, there are sections where the railing is literally vertical), we went out for our first meal in France as a family. Lilian was too shy to practice french with the waiter, but we did go through the menu and work on some vocabulary together. I made a bit of a guess with my order, and it sure did pay off! It was similar to raclette, where there was cheese to put on meat and potatoes. And cornichons. All I can say is, YUM.
Right now, I’m sitting in our living room, listening to the sounds of happy diners and someone practicing the flute. I’m sure I’ll get tired of street noises at some point, but I’m currently enjoying it. There’s also a lovely breeze, which definitely helps. Our bedrooms are at the back of the building, so it should be fairly quiet for sleeping. I’m so exhausted from only getting 2-3 hours of sleep on my flight, I think I could sleep through an earthquake at this point.
Good night, friends!
