“You - you alone will have the stars as no one else has them...
In one of
the stars I shall be living. In one of them I shall be laughing.
And so
it will be as if all the stars were laughing, when you look at the sky
at night...
You - only you - will have stars that can laugh.”
~ Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Le Petit Prince
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| Lyon, from Caluire et Cuire |
Mist, in the early rays of the
morning, sits in the crannies of the city far below. Swallows play tag
over the trees, whose tip tops are also beneath the balcony where I sit.
The birds fly, just for the joy of soaring. I look directly east into the
rising sun and it makes everything even more hazy and magical.
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| Red balcony table and chairs |
Agnès and Pat. Wonderful
friends - the kind you do not see for ages but immediately it is like you have
never been apart. Like family. (And, yes, I am referred to as “la
cousine americaine”.)
Coffee and a great “pan de
compagne” (country bread) on the balcony, sitting at the tiny red café table,
my friends, this couple, are always happy, always teasing … so comfortable with
each other. And easy-going with me. When I make ridiculous mistakes with
my French, or I am tired and cannot think straight, she is so patient and
understanding. He will chuckle and tease. She asks something about
the bread, which I think is “have you had your bread yet?” to which I answer, “pas
encore” (not yet), and she laughs. Then repeats: “may we have some
of YOUR bread?” Then I laugh. Of course! Here they generously
share their home, food, and lives with me, and she asks me if I will share my
meager bread which I’d bought yesterday at the boulangerie.
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| Les Puces Flea Market |
The three of us visit Les Puces - the best flea market! It is said that it is better than the one in Paris. There are amazing unique items. (I did not get any vintage linen sheets, as usual, however. Not yet anyway).
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| Les Puces items |
Amazing antiques or just old stuff. There is a brand new restaurant there - the latest cuisine - which reveals the popularity of this giant, permanent garage sale.
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| "Turkish" toilet |
Passing the "toilettes" I decide to take advantage .. but once I open the stall door, I quickly change my mind. I wasn't that desperate.
~
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| Lyon sunrise over Mont Blanc |
The sun rose over the mountains in the distance this morning with the new moon holding water above - just a sliver, like a thin spoon, with earth light gently glowing on the remainder of the orb.
Layers of low, gentle hills flow toward the mountains in the distant east like waves on a lake. The golden morning mist again nestles between the mounds, defining each individually as they flow toward Mont Blanc.
Ninth floor condo, high on a hillside .. again. It seems I attract staying on mountain and hillsides.
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| Evening western light |
Far below I see the bend of the blue-green Rhône. Ah, the Rhône. Behind me to the west the warm sunlight reflects off the French urban homes that are tumbled together and illuminates my bedroom.
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| Former estate below |
The most impressive house around is just below on the east side. It is what remains of the former estate upon which most of these surrounding 1970s apartment buildings lie. Now divided into apartments itself, the house remains true to its classic exterior image and the gardens are still maintained as a park.
Facebook Photo Album for Lyon:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10157423693975104.1073741953.804650103&type=1&l=010be5fce4
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