

Moving to France and adapting to life in Lyon


Today we took it a bit easier and went for a drive through Beaujolais country. We stopped at a market in Val d’Oingt before moving on to Oingt for lunch.


After lunch we admired some vineyards.

Then another stop in a pretty village called Charnay en Beaujolais where Lilly Wood and the Prick will be playing soon.

Before a siesta and one last meal.

I still can’t quite believe he made it but I think my dad enjoyed his first trip to Lyon.
I took advantage of having an extra pair of hands to help me move a chair from our old flat to our new one.
Things didn’t quite go to plan as having taking my father and a few things upstairs, Kate and I came down for the chair and as the front door closed behind me I realised I’d left the keys to the flat upstairs with my dad.
So my 92-year-old father was on his own on the fifth floor and we were outside on the pavement with the chair.
Our only hope was someone would come into the building and we could go back upstairs. But it is August in Lyon and a lot of buildings are empty.
So I decided to drive to the old flat and pick up a spare pair of keys – a round trip of about 20 mins. When I came back Kate had made herself comfortable.

No-one had entered the building so we raced upstairs to find that…….my dad hadn’t even noticed anything was wrong.

Today was the second day of my dad’s visit to Lyon and we had a lot to do. He seemed fresh after his first day’s exertions so we started off with a visit to Parc de la Tete d’Or.

Then it was up to La Croix Rousse to take in some murals.

Have some lunch (sitting behind a 96-year-old celebrating her birthday) – and then trabouler for a bit.

There was just time for a quick visit to Vieux Lyon – but by now the walking and heat had taken their toll.

So it was home for a well-earned siesta before dinner.


I went for the steak tartare prepared at your table. And the frozen nougat.


My French teacher told me to look out for swastikas in the mosaics on the floor left over from the Nazis’ occupation. We couldn’t see any – despite two trips to the toilet staring at the floor. But then suddenly…

That aside, it’s a fantastic restaurant.
*Update: Although the Nazis requisitioned the restaurant during the Occupation, the floor predates them so they are not Nazi swastikas. They must have loved them though.
I have often wondered when walking past a bottle recycling point in Lyon – you won’t get many bottles in there.

Today my mind was blown – aujourd’hui j’ai été époustouflé.


That’s how they hold so many bottles.
As I was showing my dad and sister our new flat I took advantage of the back-up to venture down to la cave and put the top of the new dishwasher in there.

Just not sure what else is going to go in there.
My dad’s first full day in Lyon. We packed a bit in.






It meant that by 8pm, having walked more than three miles, dad retired for the night.
My father told me earlier this year he was making two plans for August – either he’d be dead or he’d come to Lyon. Well look which 92-year-old just turned up in town.

We went straight from the station to one of my favourite Bistrots – Le Pan’Art – where they make the best kirs.
My dad hasn’t been out of the UK for four years but he is now in Lyon for four days of sightseeing, eating and drinking. My sister helped to get him here safely.
I can’t quite believe it.
So for the first match of the Premier League season my colleague Fabrice invited me to the Wallace to watch Fulham’s match with Liverpool.

I put on my Fulham shirt and walked across Lyon to the pub – looking for any recognition on the way.
And I got some – one barman pointed to his chest and smiled as he nodded at my shirt. I think that was encouragement.
I headed upstairs at the Wallace singing: Mitro’s on fire – to be met by a wall of Reds supporters, largely from Mauritius.

But the result was better than I could have dreamed of.

This time it was en presentielle which meant a nice bike ride through parts of Lyon I didn’t know – like the 2km long Croix Rousse tunnel.


La formatrice était tres gentil et on a appris beaucoup de choses sur l’histoire de la France.
On a appris aussi des choses culturelles. Qui a fait la Statue de la Liberté. Je savais deja qu’elle avait été faite par Gustav Eiffel – mais pas qu’elle avait aussi été faite par Auguste Bartholdi. Et monsieur Bartholdi a aussi fait…

Pendant le cours, j’ai reçu un courriel de la prefecture. Ils m’ont delivré mon visa – et alors la formation civique je ne doit plus la faire!

Mais il ne reste qu’un jour en Octobre. Je pense que je le ferai.