Not Just Another New Year’s Eve

Pages from Jan’s Travel Journal: Monday, December 31, 2018

New Years Eve. I can’t say that the three of us were in a festive mood. It was our last full day in France before Craig and I flew home to face the funeral of our beloved mom, Ruby. It would be hard to leave Desmond to mourn on his own. We ate breakfast and then began packing our bags and cleaning the apartment. We left the luggage inside and headed out on a last exploration of Lyon. 

A lovely building near our apartment in Lyon

Our view crossing a bridge in Lyon on a cold winter day

Our first stop was the Cinema Museum in old Lyon, which houses over 450 movie sets and props. The main exhibition room contained many of the sets from the movie “Parfum”, which was a very creepy film. The sets were intricately detailed and quite fascinating. There were props from dozens of well-known movies which we really enjoyed viewing. We saw Harry Potter’s wand and learned that the studio had to keep making replacements because Daniel Radcliffe would nervously scratch the paint off of them. I enjoyed seeing many of the props from one of my favorite movies, Amélie. We saw Mrs Doubtfire memorabilia, costumes from Star Wars, Mary Poppins’ umbrella, and so much more! 

This is a full-sized movie set from Parfum.

Another movie set from Parfum

Props from Amélie,
one of my favorite movies

Props from the movie "Mrs Doubtfire"

There was also an exhibit of miniature interior scenes. My favorite was a restaurant, with tables no more than a couple of inches high. They were fully decorated with table linens, flowers, candles, tiny plates, cutlery, wine glasses, and even baskets of bread! I wish I would have gotten a picture of it. I did get a shot of an little apartment scene.

A very detailed scene in miniature

After that, Craig returned to the apartment for a rest. Desmond and I wandered around looking for a place to have lunch. We ate at a very crowded Italian restaurant and were lucky to find a table. Des ordered a tasty truffle ravioli and I chose a creamy chicken and mushroom pasta bowl. We did a bit of shopping after lunch, which was fun, but I was glad to return to our apartment. The temperature had dropped and the afternoon had become quite cold. 

A chilly day in Lyon, France

It was soon time to leave for the train station. We had hired an Uber, and it was a long ride to the station. I wondered if we were going to just ride all the way to Paris! The Gare de Lyon was a very open, modern looking structure, but it was absolutely freezing inside. Our train was late arriving and we endured a lengthy wait in a long line before we finally boarded. 

The train car was warm, at least. We soon settled in. Desmond contacted the host of our AirBnB to let her know we were running late and was assured that it wouldn’t be a problem. Months previously, I had made the effort to find a luxurious place with a balcony and a spectacular view of the Eiffel Tower for our New Year’s Eve celebration. (Not that we were now in any mood to celebrate.) It was to have been a special treat before Craig headed back home, while I would have returned to Orléans with Desmond for another ten days. 

We became concerned when our host did not give us the full address of the AirBnB. Each time we sent a text, it took longer and longer for her to respond. We also needed the entry code to the building, but she told us to just stand outside and wait for someone to exit the building and then just slip inside! We were unwilling to do that and still she had not told us the apartment number, but simply said that the key was under the door mat! Apparently she expected us to enter the building illegally and then start looking beneath random door mats! 

By this time, the train was nearly due to arrive at our station. Several times, we tried calling the host, but got no answer. Desmond suggested that we remain on the train, which terminated at the airport. We decided to do that and explain to the conductor our dilemma while offering to pay the additional cost. However, the conductor never came into our car to check our tickets. Meanwhile, I was on my phone reserving a triple room at the airport Ibis Hotel. 

We arrived at the station and had begun walking the short distance to our hotel when Desmond spotted a Marks and Spencer! Craig patiently waited in the hallway with our luggage while Des and I darted into the busy store. We selected items for our New Year’s Eve "dinner" and Des found us a nice bottle of champagne. 

Within minutes of settling into our room at the Ibis, we received a call from our AirBnB host. She claimed her phone had gone dead, yet we could hear that she obviously was at a party. Could she not have used another phone? She became a bit angry when we told her we were not going to stay at her apartment and that we would be requesting a refund. (The corporate office of AirBnB arbitrated the dispute and I am happy to report that we received a full refund.)

We spent the last few hours of 2018 reminiscing about mom/grandma. We shed some tears but also laughed a lot over the many happy memories of that very special woman who never allowed Alzheimer’s disease to destroy her bright smile and loving heart. Between the stories and sips of champagne with which we made a toast to mom, we munched on stuffed grape leaves, sausage, tiny sweet peppers filled with cheese, savory crackers, a baguette and some lovely cantal, with crisp Florentine cookies and spicy mince pies for dessert. 

Our midnight supper on New Year's Eve
 in the airport hotel

While it certainly wasn’t the celebration we had planned, the three of us had made the best of it and found some happiness with which to ring in the new year. Instead of a view of the Eiffel Tower, we had a view of the parking lot. But we also had each other, and hearts full of love and special memories. 

Distractions

Pages From Jan's Travel Journal: Saturday, Dec. 29 2018

We awoke after a restless night of tears and little sleep. Desmond had slipped out early and picked up an assortment of pastries, which I vaguely remember choosing from. I think we were all a bit numb by then.

The previous afternoon, Craig had been successful in his attempts to change our plane tickets. He and I would be able to return to Kansas on January 1 so that we could make funeral arrangements for the woman who had meant so much to all of us. The wonderful clerk at Delta Airlines had gone above and beyond with her kind and compassionate assistance. Desmond, too, did more than his share. He insisted on returning to Orléans on the train that night, where he packed up our things and cleaned our little AirBnB. He explained to our host what had occurred and then after a few hours sleep in his own home, boarded a return train for Lyon. It was a loving gesture and was much appreciated.

Though the three of us were numb with grief, we chose to soldier on. What we lacked in exuberance, we made up for in a dogged determination to continue with what remained of our vacation. We met up with Florent for a tour of the traboules, the secret passageways which were very important during the many years of silk trade in Lyon. The covered walkways and staircases were used to transport the silk, thus keeping the delicate fabric safe from the elements. It was intriguing to explore a few of the traboules and learn something about the architecture of old Lyon. I regret that I didn't get any interior photos of the traboules, but it was shadowy inside and the floors were a bit uneven.

Waiting for our tour to begin

Our morning tour ended at a silk weavers museum in which it was possible to view the actual silk screening process. It was much more involved than I had imagined and the end products of hand-painted silks were astonishingly beautiful. Scarves, ties, and garments were available for purchase, though most were way out of my price range. I can’t say that tears were not shed as we explored the museum and the beautiful area in which the buildings for the huge looms had been built years ago. Many times, I encountered things that I knew my mother would have been delighted to see.

Explaining the silk-screening process

Silk being painted by hand; a tedious
 process with a beautiful result!

The finished product will be stunning!

The four of us lunched at Crock n Roll, a trendy bistro which served many unique croque sandwiches, along with craft beer and other tasty offerings. I chose the croque Germain. which was made with smoked ham, emmental cheese, and bechamel. It was a nice break with good food and great company.

Croque monsieur Germain

A fountain near city hall in Lyon, France

After lunch, we made our way up to La Basilique Notre Dame de Fourviere on the high hill, using the crowded funicular. I was grateful to ride up the steep hillside instead of having to walk. I doubt I could have done it! The cathedral was lovely, though oddly built. It had been criticized during its construction in the 1800s and was said to resemble an elephant lying on its back! Inside were some fabulous mosaics. The afternoon had become rather chilly, with an unwelcome breeze which cut right through my jacket. We warmed ourselves with coffee and hot chocolate and some delightful pastries purchased from a small establishment next to the basilica.

The basilica on the hill above Lyon

 Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière

Lovely artwork inside the cathedral

The Roman ruins and museum were next, and had been high on our list of must-see attractions in Lyon. We were not disappointed. The theater, which had been built for plays and concerts over 2,000 years ago, was large and in surprisingly good condition. There was a good view of the city from its position on the hillside.

One of the ancient Roman theaters in Lyon

The museum was fascinating and was filled with hundreds of objects which were discovered locally. It is said that even now, people are likely to discover coins, pottery shards, or other artifacts simply while digging in their own gardens! I was most impressed by the glassware. Some of those pieces were of colored glass and were ornamented with scrolled handles or other decoration. Amazingly, many were completely intact. I also liked the little oil lamps which were made from the local stone. Replicas were available in the gift shop, and I very nearly bought one.

A detailed floor mosaic from Roman times

Remains of a Roman cart used to trasport wine-filled urns

Our evening meal was at a restaurant which served crepes, something we can never seem to get enough of. I enjoyed a hearty tartiflette gallette which was followed by a decadent salted caramel crepe.

It had been an interesting day, filled with hours of unique sights. We had been distracted from our grief for a while, and that was a good thing.