Last day.  And travel home

22 April 2024 in Lyon after eventful and fun day in Annecy.  On reflection it was so lovely to enjoy such a beautiful place.  I enjoyed the cold water dip and miles of walking through the beautiful trees and park along the lake.  The mountains nearby with snow peaks, the cool mountain air and how quaint it was situated.  The town looked like it was staged, bicycles and street lights, a river flowing through town, bridges, flowers, rows of trees, walking lanes and tables and chairs situated like someone just left.  Balconies with flowerpots and bright colours.  I loved how pretty and pristine it all was, even with a big outdoor market in the morning.

Today is a slower start, prep for going home.  Online check in with Air France. Plans to walk to gluten free bakery and taste more of the fabulous French tasty items.  About five kms walk over two bridges across Rhone and Saone Rivers.  Through some high end shopping district.  Onward.  

I enjoyed a vegetarian pizza that was warmed up, so pleasant and tangy sauce.  Yummm. The place was crowded but we got the last two seats.  I had a bubbly lemonade to drink and the most tasty lemon merengue tart for dessert. Heavenly.  Purchased a big slab of focaccia bread to take on my flight…. The cupboards were almost bare behind glass.   So popular and busy, the food being bought up by many.  LesGasteliers.fr  is the website name. Go there if ever in Lyon. Whether celiac or not, so fabulous.  

Packed my clothes into my backpack and prepared for the trip home to Canada. 

23 April 2024 in Europe.  Up at 430 am local time, to the bus stop for 5 am and then to the train station.  Busier and busier the streets, people going about their business day.  Waking up, coming alive and all abustle at the rail station …. Found the track, the train pulled up, car 5 seat 88. It was next to Le Bar, where coffee and sweet pastries were being sold to a full packed audience.   Two stops after Lyon before aeroport Charles de Gaule  in Paris.  I did not see anyone get off but I watched the sun rise.  Beautiful over the French countryside.  Lucky me.

Bit of a delay as we waited for another train to whiz by, then our turn.  We stopped, I gathered my bags and headed to the section of this massive place to try to find my gate.  I stopped near Air France asking for help getting paper boarding pass and check on my gf meal … I was passed around and finally was told I should have done something different.  Not helpful at all, it seems and they seemed uncomfortable with being asked …..  then I asked for directions to my boarding gate.  Ha ha. They said how easy and quick it was.  Clearly no idea what goes on after that first stop.  

First line up was massive and they just were more so the further into the belly of the airport. Passport line up.  Security line up. Line up to shuttle to another terminal.  Then to find the gate … flight already boarding,  people hurrying everywhere.  No announcements.  I just got in yet another big line and hoped it would get me on the correct plane.  It did.  Then they had a gate open that should not have been and we were all rerouted again back to another line and a man asking tricky fast security questions so must have been an incident or looking for someone ….  Breathe. 

I have the most lovely seat.  Bulkhead row, window and behind premium economy so lots of leg room and quiet.  No washrooms nearby so no body stepping over me …. Two windows.  Free wifi for texting.  No gluten free on board (maybe a strike in the food department) so I am making do with the very dry day old gf focaccia bread out of a paper bag.  Ha ha.  Grateful!  I also have a gf bar or two …. On my way to Seattle.  It has been a few years I think since I have been in the United States…. It is a short stopover and then fly onward to Vancouver before south terminal Harbour Air to Victoria.  

And with that, the end of this journey and my quick France vacation.  Busy over the next few weeks and months – catch up with my work, 10km walk Times Colonist, few plays and productions at the theatre, road trip to Revelstoke and conference in Kelowna.  Conference in Winnipeg end of May and then in June to Nova Scotia for some quiet time with my mom.  I will continue cold water dips each morning when in Victoria … my 4th summer coming up. And of course daily walks and time with friends and family.  

Not sure where the next big vacation will take me, hoping for the northern lights in Norway maybe in January 2025 and for some polar dips (brrrrrr).  Till then, or until I travel again ….. thanks for following and I hope you enjoyed the journey.  I always appreciate the support when I am away.  

Feel free to look back on some of my previous travels to Italy and Greece or almost a month in Africa last year, India twice, South America a few times, other travels in France and other parts of Europe.  I use the search feature to enter a fave place and then as I read, I find myself right back in some wonderful destinations by cruise or land tour.

A bientot, Au revoire from Pamellla de France.