One week down. Seven more to go. I’m counting the time enjoyed here, not the weeks left. It has been one big item of my bucket list to spend 2 months in France, so here I am.

CDG is still a big awful, confusing airport to maneuver. The walk from the plane to the baggage claims is extremely long. We had 2 hours layover, so that didn’t pose a problem. Still … I think I prefer flying British Airways with layover in Heathrow than Air France in CDG.

Lyon is the fist city on the trip. Stayed at Hotel La Residence in Place Bellecour. It’s an ok place right in the Presqu’Ile. Room is small, but overlooks the pedestrian walkway of Bellecour. Saint-Exupery was born in Lyon; thus, the airport named after him and multitude of statues and magazins selling his works. Le Petit Prince is his most notable work, and it was written in New York City in 1942.

I didn’t realize at the time of booking that it was difficult because the Lyon Marathon was going on the same weekend. There was more than 33,000 runners. The streets were packed with runners and friends. The whole Place Bellecour was blocked off to cars and also pedestrians. Yet, a few hours after the run, everything was swept clean, not even a trace of trash. Amazing sense of pride in their city.

I was in Lyon in 2016. Lots of changes since then. Lots of things remain the same. I stayed at Hotel Vaubecour which has changed hands. My favorite Boulangerie d’ Ainay is still here. Cafe Comptoir Abel which was recommended by Bourdain has expanded to occupy the block; I ordered the same dish Poulet à la crème et aux morilles, but the food sadly doesn’t have the same quality. Can’t find the same water in the same river :(

I contacted France City Greeters 2 months before the trip and was assigned Anne, who met us at the tourism office. The International Greeters Association (IGA) was originally founded by a New Yorker who wanted to promote the connection and experience of a city with the visitors. The service is totally free of charge and the greeters are volunteers. So much respect for that “bon sens”, sharing the time and knowledge without expecting anything in return.

We took a day trip to Annecy by Flixbus. The trip about 1.5 hours, and the bus departs from Gare Perrache, which is less than 10 min walk from Place Bellecour. The bus leaves at about 8:30am and arrives at 10:00. Annecy reminds me a bit of Tahoe, but more romantic and polished. The long promenade hugs along the water, with the huge Jardin de l’Europe lined with trees and yellow foliage. Lake Annecy is surrounded by the Northern French Alpes, and the water is so clean you can easily see the bottom.

While walking around Vieil Annecy, there’s this wonderful aroma drifting from a side street. We had to find the source. It was a sandwich shop selling Raclette or Reblochon melted on the baguette. It was my first time having Reblochon. Like Raclette, Reblochon is a creamy Alpine cheese from the Savoie region. I didn’t have a chance to eat tartiflette there; I should try to make it – potatoes, onions, lardons, white wine, and melted Reblochon baked together.