I’ve been living in Lyon for one week. It is hard to know where to start. Shall I tell you how beautiful, serene and livable Lyon feels? Or maybe I should tell you how it’s the first Shirleyfest city where the history and geography so boldly define the city? Or shall I talk about how in my first week, because I have an entire month and I’m not rushed, I’ve had long conversations with a multitude of interesting local people about their lives, dreams and challenges?

Let me start in the beginning.

I take the TGV to Lyon from Paris and arrive in less than 2 hours. My apartment is in the 6th arrondissement, near Lyon’s version of Central Park. The park is huge and is called Parc de la Tête d’Or. My apartment looks out on a pretty tree-lined street.

I am very happy with this apartment, with its stone walls, curving staircase and top of the line appliances. The owner has left me a bouquet of flowers to welcome me.

As soon as I drop off my bags, I walk back to the transportation office at the train station to ask about getting a monthly metro/bus/tram/funicular pass. There is a huge line of people outside with two staff members controlling access to the inside agents. I approach one staff member and using google translate, I tell her why I am here. For some reason they usher me right in. They issue my transportation pass right on the spot.

I cannot stress too much how getting this step done on the first day is important. Having easy access to all parts of the city, without waiting for Ubers, or getting into traffic jams with taxis makes my life so easy.

Since I now have my super cool pass, I take a tram back to my apartment to get ready for dinner. I have a reservation at Café des Fédérations, one of the oldest bouchons in Lyon. It is a beautiful evening so I walk to the restaurant.

A bouchon is a type of restaurant found in Lyon that serves traditional Lyonnaise cuisine, such as sausages, coq-au-vin, “salad lyonnaise”, roasted meats and many other more unusual dishes (that are parts of the animal that I usually avoid). Compared to other forms of French cooking, the dishes are quite hearty. There are approximately twenty officially certified traditional bouchons in Lyon.

It is so many courses that I lost track. Here are a few of them.

I am so full that I decide to walk home and the city is so beautiful at night.

The next day, as is my usual way, I have booked a walking tour. We meet at the Lyon Cathedral, Saint-Jean Baptiste.

This tour is being led by Paul and is mostly of Vieux Lyon, the old town.Vieux Lyon sits between Fourvière hill and the River Saône. Its Renaissance-era streets and famous traboule passageways are captivating. Lyon has been inhabited since prehistoric times and was one of the most important cities of the Roman Empire. It has always been a market town, thanks to the two rivers, the Saône and the Rhône which converge just south of the city center.

When the tour ends, I walk back to the farmer’s market along the Rhône.

Tonight I’m heading to Söma, a Michelin bib restaurant in the 5th arrondissement. I have to walk across two bridges to get there but it is another beautiful evening.

It is tiny with seven tables. Camilla, my waitress/sommelier helps me chose interesting French wines to pair with each course.

I have the good fortune to sit next to Keith and Glenn from Toronto. Since they are well-traveled foodies, we find common ground and talk throughout the delicious dinner. We exchange information and I have a feeling I will see them again.

Sunday I go to mass at my nearby parish church, Saint-Joseph des Brotteaux.

It is packed, as have been all the masses I’ve attended in France. Our priest in Menlo Park told me this summer that France is experiencing exponential growth in attendance in almost all of its Catholic Churches. I am impressed with how the children at mass are so well dressed…very chic.

After mass, I walk to Les Halle de Lyon Paul Bocuse.

This is the temple of Lyonnaise gastronomy. Sixty shopkeepers and as many restaurants under one roof present the finest produce, cheese, charcuterie, seafood, and regional specialities that Lyon has to offer. It was created in 1859 and a century later renamed for the multi-starred chef and local hero Paul Bocuse.

It is a beautiful day and after dropping off all my goodies from the market, I walk the two blocks to Parc de la Tête d’Or.

I’ve got to get a move on because I am meeting Chantal today. She is with Greeters International. I wrote to them and asked to be paired with one of the Lyon greeters and I was happy to hear back that Chantal had graciously accepted. We have a wonderful time roaming, not only all over Old Town, but we go up the funicular to Fourvière hill, where the Basilica is located.

It is starting to get dark when we finally stop for a glass of wine.

I have learned so much about Lyon, but also about Chantal, who grew up in Lyon and has been a high school English teacher for many years.

Monday I have coffee at my local coffeehouse.

I want to find a botanical watercolor artist that I have read about. Fortunately I find his shop.

Vincent is delightful. I am lucky to be in his shop on a day when he is there. We discuss his work and he invites me to come see his workshop in a charming village in Provence.

Now I will go up the hill to the bohemian Croix-Rousse area to meet Bernard who is giving me a tour of this fascinating area. Lyon has been the center of the silk weaving trade for centuries and this is the area where the silk workers lived. The area is perched on a hill with panoramic views over Lyon’s rooftops. It’s a mix of gentrified areas and street graffiti.

For dinner I want to find the restaurant Nafas. It is run by Syrian refugees and even though it is tiny and quite low key, it has made it onto the list of the top 24 restaurants in Lyon. I arrive and meet Nawal, and wife and husband Nawar and Ghasan. I go outside and I am delighted to sit next to Sarah and Aaron, two locals in their twenties having a meal. Nawal asks for Sarah’s help in translating for me and after I order, Sarah asks if I want to sit with them and talk during our meal. Of course I do. We talk about food, Lyon, Paris, careers and, finding happiness through a deliberate life….it is just a wonderful time.

As you know, I always go to a movie in my host city. Tonight I go to Cinema Luminaire. I see One Battle After Another which is in original language and subtitled in French. Three hours actually pass without me noticing.

I know it is full moon tonight, so after the movie I walk to the river to see if I can capture the beautiful moon.

Today, I have an idea to find the best coffee in Lyon. It is known as Mokxa. I start walking and walking and walking. I cross back over the two rivers and go up so many staircases.

Finally I reach the top and turn left at the Ferris wheel.

Is it worth climbing 20 stories? Yes the coffee is great. Even better is my conversation with Charlotte, who is working there today. She is delightful and when I find out she is from Quebec City, I show her my blog post from when I was there. More conversation ensues along the lines of yesterday’s delightful meeting with Sarah and Aaron. I cannot tell you how fortunate I am to have the time to get to talk to people like this. It makes the trip memorable.

Tonight I am trying Les Mauvaises Herbes, a vegetarian restaurant. It is packed! I see why after my first taste of the yellow curry velouté.

This morning I get up very early and take my rolling cart to the outdoor produce market on the Rhône known as Marché alimentaire Victor Augagneur. In most European towns, various outdoor markets are open on different days. I had double checked that this one was open. Guess what? It wasn’t. Maybe because it is October, but in any event, I find myself at 7:30 in the morning along the river, having traveled 30 minutes and in need of more coffee. It is fun to see the people biking to work along the river.

After finding a nearby patisserie for an espresso, I recalibrate and realize the famous cheese shop , Fromagerie les Trois Jean is only a 20 minute walk more into the 7th arrondissement. I haven’t been there yet so this is a good opportunity.

It is a terrific cheese shop and I end up buying many cheeses.

Iliana helps me choose the best French cow, sheep and goat cheeses. With those cheeses, they also sell wine that pairs well, so of course I had to buy various bottles of wine. I enjoyed talking to Iliana who let me include her picture in this post.

Once back home, I stop at the flower shop on my block and get my flowers from the shopkeeper Marie who arranges them for me.

I’ve been trying to make time to get to the Fine Arts Museum of Lyon (Musée des beaux arts de Lyon). Off I go. It is the largest museum in France outside of Paris. It is housed in a former Benedictine Convent from the 17th century. Its collection ranges from ancient Egyptian antiquities to Modern Art and even includes a fully restored beautiful chapel.

The Egyptian art, the chapel, the Degas and the Monet are all wonderful, but my favorite room is the one that contains Le Poeme de L’âme (The Poem of the Soul). These are 18 painting by Louis Janmot inspired by a poem written by the artist. The series tells of a soul’s life on earth, incarcerated in a young man, accompanied by his female double. His companion disappears and he spends the rest of his life alone, as did the artist.

The story told as you work your way through the four sides of the room is mesmerizing. I don’t want to leave, but the museum is closing.

That’s a wrap for week one. I have good friends joining me tomorrow. Stay tuned for more adventures! Thanks for following along.