We were due to be collected by taxi to depart the boat and transfer to the train station at 9am. We had plenty of time but Steve and Fiona’s train to Montpellier was due to leave at 9.55. When there was still no taxi at 9.30 Steve was justifiably getting very anxious. Negotiating platforms at train stations to ensure boarding the correct train can be a challenge. In the end, everyone’s train was delayed a bit due to the heat but it was a relief to finally get there and get our bearings.
Our journey was uneventful but it is very hot. We got a taxi to our apartment, which is in the old town of Lyon. Our host let us in and thankfully there’s a lift as it is on the third floor. There is no air conditioning but there are fans in the bedrooms. You need to close the shutters from about 10am to keep the sun out.
The apartment is very French, with high ceilings and creaky wooden floors. Some of the plumbing is a bit dodgy but there is a loo that works and 2 separate bathrooms.
Barbara went out to the nearby superette while I was doing some work and about 10 minutes later I got a call. Could I come to the door as she was having trouble working out which apartment was ours. When I went to the door there was no sign of her anywhere on the stairs. I called up and down but no Barbara. I phoned her back but her phone was on silent. Eventually she rang back. “Why are you taking so long?” she asked. “You must be in the wrong building” I said, and it turned out she was. The key fob let her into a very similar door at number 22, then into an identical foyer with identical spiral staircase. We are staying at number 18!
In the early evening we wandered down to the Saone River and looked for a place to have a drink.
The necessary factors were shade and breeze. We found both in a pretty square a block in from the river. The road alongside the river is very busy with lots of traffic of all types.
We had booked a table for 7.30pm at a restaurant with very high ratings in all the reviews and rightly so. It had great service and excellent food at a reasonable price. My ravioli in a mushroom sauce was divine. The mains for Mike and I were both steak, which was beautifully cooked but the meat itself is not of the quality we’d expect in NZ. Barb was happy with her Salad Lyonnaise, as entree (it was enormous) followed by a chicken leg in a cream sauce with fries. Also nice but not exceptional.
We had a pleasant wander back to the apartment along the river, enjoying the nightlife and ambience, but not the heat, which was still oppressive.
