Europe 2019 - Day 8

14 May 2019, Tuesday 

Woke up at about 8 a.m. and got ready. We had one complimentary drink and I used it for cappuccino. Finally some nice hot coffee in the morning instead of my usual canned cold coffee. We checked out but left our bags in the hostel. Feeling refreshed, we headed out to explore Lyon, a smallish city in France which sits on the confluence of the Rhône and Saone rivers.

First we visited the Place Bellecour which is a square, and in the middle a statue of King Louis XIV siting on a horse. Then we went to the tourist information centre which is at the square, and got a map and some places of interest. Next, we took a funicular up to Notre-Dame de Fourvière, a cathedral of Romanesque and Byzantine architecture. It was so big and beautiful, and inside so soothing one could sit there for hours to meditate or do some soul searching. Nothing like the churches in Malaysia. 

Then we went to the Lugdunum, which has remnants of an ancient Roman city dating back to 15 BC. From what I could see it was part of an old amphitheater, which in the olden days could fit up to 11,000 people! The name Lyon is apparently derived from Lugdunum. 

Then we walked around the old town of Lyon, and saw some buildings of interest such as the Cathedral of St Jean, a Catholic Church and a fountain. Then we headed back to the hostel to get our bags, and headed out to the bus station to catch our bus to Paris. 

I must say that the people in Lyon were quite nice and helpful, I hope Paris will also be the same. People keep speaking French to me I know not why; my friend says it’s because I look local. Meaning African-French. I’m not sure.

We reached the bus station at about 4.00 p.m. and took the 4.30 p.m. bus to Paris. We arrived at about 10.10 p.m. and had to take a long metro ride to our hotel. The entrance is just stairs, and it felt like we were entering the Bates Motel but in fact it’s quite a pleasant room. Thank God it’s not a dorm. At least I’ve some privacy for the next 2 days!