I don't think that you have to live in Paris for years to experience "the Paris effect." The often overwhelming size of the city, the countless monuments and attractions and the unique feel of each "arrondissement" (district) combine to give one the impression that Paris is its own little country.
Once you've fallen into the routine of going to class during the week and seeing the city's sights during the weekend, you tend to forget that Paris isn't the only place in France. As long as you're in college you can be anywhere in the world and still not be free from the nail-biting stress and anxiety induced by looming final exams and grades. I often envy those visitors who snap pictures and walk around Paris all day without having to think about homework and studying.
This past weekend, I was very fortunate to get a little break from this sometimes hectic Parisian lifestyle. My friend Charlotte invited me to spend a few days at her family's home in Lyon. Lyon is France's third largest city and is located a few hundred miles southeast of Paris, not far from the Swiss border. Friday evening, the "TGV," France's sleek, ultra-modern high-speed train, whisked me to Lyon in two hours and 20 minutes. I knew that I was no longer in Paris when I stepped onto the platform because I could definitely feel the cold coming from the not-too-distant Alps.
Charlotte was there to greet me and we drove to the Quartier St. Jean, Lyon's old center where there is a large Gothic cathedral and many buildings dating from the Middle Ages. Lyon's famous "buchons" (bistros) and bars lure passersby strolling along the cobblestone streets. Even though it was Friday night, there weren't throngs of people on the boulevards like Paris on a Friday evening. The atmosphere in the bistro was much more laid back than in Paris.
Charlotte and I went to visit the Gallo-Roman museum, where many artifacts from Lyon's Roman past are on display. The Romans called Lyon "Lugdunum" (The Crow's Hill), and the city was the capital of the Roman province of Gaul, which eventually became France. I particularly enjoyed the intricate mosaics of chariot races and mythological characters. Next to the museum is a large Roman amphitheatre that still hosts concerts and plays during the summer. We then went to the nearby "Colline de Fourvieres" where you can get a bird's eye view of the city, although it was obscured by the rain and mist. Afterward, it was off to a birthday party for one of Charlotte's friends.
Not long after breakfast, Monsieur, Madame, Charlotte and I got in the car and drove to Lyon's expo hall for "Le Salon de Gastronomie." In the gigantic room there must have been hundreds of stands offering almost every fine "gourmandise" possible. Every area of France must have sent their culinary ambassadors to this event. I could have spent the entire day there and still not seen and tasted everything! Each stand offered free samples and we didn't hesitate to taste whatever we could.
In the few hours that remained, Charlotte showed me more of the city, including the neat secret passageways, or "traboules," connecting some of the residences in the old quarter. Charlotte also told me that Lyon was famous for its food, but I think I'd already figured that one out.
My wonderful hosts had prepared a sumptuous farewell dinner of roast beef and potatoes au gratin, complete with some Burgundy. I don't think that I'll forget the famous Lyon proverb that Monsieur told me that night: "Au travail on fait ce que l'on peut, mais ? table on se force." Translated roughly it means, "At work we do what we can to get by, but at the table we give our all." Who can argue with that?
