Sweet Lyon

The past 10 days have been such a whirlwind. Early mornings, busy days, and occupied evenings meant the days flew right on by leaving little time to even sit still and gather my thoughts at night, much less sift through the many pictures of my latest trip to Lyon. 

So on this dark and stormy Sunday, let me bring you up to speed on last weekend's journey.

Flash back to Friday, September 20th...
With a 5am wakeup call, I packed my bag the night before, leaving only those morning essentials left to be zipped up and I was out the door. I made my way down to the bus station to catch the Navette that stops at the TGV (France's pride and joy, the highspeed rail) in the early morning darkness. 

Spring the clock forward a couple hours and the train began to pull away from the platform. And me? I was content in my big, plush upholstered seat with armrests fit for a king and legroom designed for a giant as I ate my pain aux chocolat from my favorite bakery, La Boulangerie Jacob's. 

I must say, my first ever train experience was right on track to becoming one of my favorite new ways to travel! With endless fields of green, sunflowers, and mountains as my window backdrop, how could it not be?

I was grateful to have had Friday off from work and excited to see what my 3 day stomping grounds would really be like. As the 2nd largest city in France next to Paris, Lyon was too big to see solely on foot. Being the tourist that I was, I found the double decker bus to be the perfect solution.

With no scheduled plans or tours, it was truly a weekend to say J'ai faim and not feel guilty for all the endless sweets. With a modern day reputation as the capital of gastronomy in France, the trip called for breakfast in the hidden street corner cafe, lunch on a sidewalk perfect for people watching, and a nutella crepe on the steps of the Court of Appeals building with a priceless view of the Saône River. 

Keep your finger on that mouse for a glimpse of those speckled orange tile rooftops and dotted hillsides with fancy architectural details that Lyon so graciously graced me with. 

A Chill in the Air

Life is full of seasons.

I love all things fall and winter. Pumpkins, Pumpkin spice lattes, & Pumpkin butter from William Sonoma. Scarves. Sweaters. Boots. Apple pie. Hot chocolate with marshmallows. The way the wind makes your cheeks burn. First Christmas tree sightings. Precious moments with family. Time to catch up on your reading list near the fireplace. Etc. Etc. Etc. 

Summer is over for all in Aix en Provence and I couldn't be more thrilled (no air, remember?)! The temps are dropping and that gusty wind the locals call the mistral is no joke! It's not yet winter, but I leave each morning bundled in my scarf and sweater with pockets. It's fantastic! 

But with the cooler weather comes a downfall... 

Walking through the markets to buy my groceries and any other knick-knack I could possibly want is one of my absolute favorite things about life here. I can't imagine it being as pleasant an experience with finger tips too cold to pull apart the plastic bags for bananas!

I'm going to enjoy that crowded morning square for as long as possible. 

Here are a few of my favorite photos from this past weekend's market! 

Between Cliffs & Calanques

The water felt cool on my bare feet, but the sun's rays were warm on my face as they cast shadows onto the sandy beach.

Maybe that's a bit dramatic (or the opening line to my unwritten novel), but it's a spot on description of my Saturday afternoon spent in the Port of Cassis. 

The shoreline was dotted with colorful storefronts and restaurants filled with people sitting in the shade of the awnings, drink in hand, watching the boats come and go from the port.

It wasn't a hustle & bustle kind of trip. It was a one stop, stop and smell the roses fish kind of trip.

Cassis is a port city, so naturally there are lots of boats...big boats, small boats, fishing boats, inflatable boats, sailboats. 

And what a more perfect way to relax and take in the scenery than from, you guessed it, a boat. When in Rome France, right? 

This was one of those excursions I didn't want to end. I could've stared at the tree-lined cliffs and crystal blue water all day long, but these will have to do for now!