Coming to you from a train… traveling from Dijon to Lyon (where I hopefully have a bed tonight).
Since I’ve updated you last, I’ve been to a few places in the French countryside – Nancy, Strasbourg and Dijon. I’ve enjoyed being off the ‘beaten track’ as it were, the only problem with that is you don’t meet anyone. In the last three places I’ve been to, I’ve shared my room with French girls that are there to study/work, so they aren’t really keen to socialise/talk at all! Exception to that rule was in Melanie in Nancy, but I’ll get to that shortly.
Nancy was a beautiful town and with the hostel at 14euro a night, it was a bargain! I didn’t arrive at the hostel till 9pm (without a reservation) but got a room and I met Melanie when I was worried how I was going to eat dinner – I was well out of town. Turns out she needed dinner and we found a pizza place in the middle of nowhere – where they made Hawaiian! Stocked. Melanie was there for work and a really lovely chick, we got on like a house on fire, she thought my Aussie humour was hilarious!
So I found out that Nancy is freezing (well it was on this particular day) and promptly froze for the whole day because I left my jacket at the hostel. But lovely never-the-less. They have some beautiful old buildings, a church and a statue on every corner (turns out pretty much every town in France does). I found a great rose garden which was nice to soak the sun up in. They even had a mini petting zoo – with a gorilla!
That night, I had dinner with Melanie and a friend of hers from work. Had a great meal – Chicken and Cous Cous – probably the most nutritious thing I’ve had in a week! Her friend translated the menu for me, which was nice, until they made me order dessert – I tried, but then sort of cheated by pointing at the menu.
The next morning, I got the train to Strasbourg. I loved it as soon as I arrived! It is a beautiful city, an eclectic mix of French and German (they are pretty much on the border between the two), with a river running around it. I spent the afternoon exploring the town and enjoyed wandering around – only needing to know where I was to get back to the hostel.
Saturday was market day, so I found some great markets selling everything – except fresh produce, I didn’t find a fruit shop anywhere in this place! I took it easy, sitting by the water watching the birds, reading my 1.50euro book from the book market – they had one tiny crate with English books that I found a really trashy chick-lit. For dinner I tried the Strasbourg speciality "La tarte flambée" It is basically a really thin pizza with a cream sauce and bacon and onion on it - it was pretty good.
As it was the first Sunday of the month – all the museums and galleries were free, so I spent Sunday going through galleries (which was handy because it was a terrible day outside), and I’ve gotta tell you, I’m over religious paintings! Its always the same, Mary and Jesus, Jesus on the cross… I think I’ve got my fill, and I know its only the beginning of seeing all of that. I also got to go to the top of the cathedral for free, so I climbed the well worn stairs and enjoyed the great view of the city. Unfortunately the only English I heard in Strasbourg was whining Americans. When everyone else speaks French and German, English stands out when you’re on the street, and I swear standing up the top of the cathedral, all I could hear was this sorority princess whining that her hair was ruined because it was windy.
That night, I finally met some cool people – two guys were sitting at dinner, American and English and I had a great evening chatting to them. The English guy was in his 60’s and he’d traveled to over 100 countries! Man he had some stories! He’d been captured by rebels somewhere, trekked somewhere else… it was amazing. The American guy was my age and had just been to Spain, so I’ve been recommended a few hostels, which is great. We ended up going for a late night walk around town, it was a full moon, and it was beautiful!
Next day I quickly checked out the cathedral inside (it was shut Sunday for a ceremony) and they had an awesome astronomical clock in there. Train onto Dijon that day and I arrived that evening where it was pissing down with rain… and my hostel was two busses away! Now I don’t usually curse old lady’s, but the one that talked to the bus driver as he drove off from the station and didn’t stop till a few stops later, when it was too late to find out that I was on the wrong bus… I wasn’t very happy with! I had to get out in the torrential rain to find the right bus, which I could have avoided at the beginning, but anyway!
Had dinner at the hostel that night because it was still pouring. The girl that I was sharing the room with was there to study, so didn’t talk to me… another boring hostel. Was a nice town though when it wasn’t raining the next day. Turns out that all they museums in Dijon are free, but that is no use to you when you are there on Tuesday (they are all shut)! The markets are on Tuesdays though, and they reminded me of the markets in Melbourne, an inside bit with deli, meat, cheese stuff, and produce outside. The market guy thought it was hilarious that I only wanted one carrot (I’m trying to get in my vege intake). He took the carrot and waved it around saying “Une carrot, just une carrot”.
Spent some time in the nice park, where a French guy tried to pick me up! Gotta give him an A for effort because he didn’t speak much English, but still tried for at least 20 minutes, and I’m sure he was a lovely guy, but I didn’t really want to go have coffee with a guy that found me on a park bench. The conversation didn’t get very far, found out he was my age and was here to study (but couldn’t work out what). He wasn’t bothering me, it was pretty amusing, but eventually he said do you want me to stay – Oui or Non… and I had to tell him non. Haha. I’m such a heartbreaker. I would have got a photo with him for the album, but I think that would have been sending the wrong message!
I managed to find one gallery open – a private collection with all sorts of stuff in it, the lady made me put my bag in a locker… not sure why, in case I knocked something, or stole something? I dunno. So I walked around with my passport (that never leaves me) and they had some pretty cool stuff, lots of old furniture too.
So now, Wednesday morning, had to get up early (6.45am, is way too early for the backpacker life) and since the only hostel in Lyon said it was booked out online last night, I rang them this morning and she said if I got there quick enough, I should get a bed… but since my train doesn’t get in till 10.30, and I won’t get to the hostel till 11, I’m really hoping I’m lucky. Otherwise there is nowhere else to stay that won’t cost me a fortune, so I think I’ll get a train onto Marsellies instead.
Anyway, I’ve been fairly lucky so far, so hopefully it continues!
xoxo
photos: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2020898&id=219300161&l=c56292eb4e
