Leaving Lyon



Lunch with Dominique & Roger in Lyon

We had a last, lovely lunch with Dominique and Roger the day before we left Lyon.  They are always good company and the food was excellent, but we were all very much aware that it would be the last meal we shared for some time to come.  They insisted on giving us a good send off the next morning by going with us to the train station so we would see them one more time before we left which made our departure more pleasant.

Our TGV train left Saturday, July 16^th, at 10:00 AM, from the Part Dieu station, a short walk away from our apartment, and Dominique and Roger arrived at the apartment promptly at 8:15, loaded our luggage in their car and met us at Part Dieu.  (We wanted to take one last walk from our apartment to Part Dieu before we left.)  After cups of coffee and emotional farewells, we were on our way.

Our travel arrangements from Lyon to London were TGV (fast train) from Gare Part Dieu in Lyon to Gare Lyon in Paris, then from Gare Lyon via local RER train to Gare de Nord still in Paris, and from Gare de Nord by Eurail through the Chunnel to London. 

The TGV is really a wonderful way to travel!  A mere two hours from Lyon to Paris in comfortable, reserved seats and, oddly, no sense of travelling at 150/160 miles per hour as one gazes at the French countryside.    We caught the RER train right at the Gare Lyon station and arrived at Gare de Nord about 15 minutes later. 

At Gare de Nord we quickly went through French customs and on to British customs.  The British customs officer was at his serious, official best; he checked our passports and visas closely and then began asking questions.  At one point he asked us about our plans to travel on the Queen Mary, but he asked it in such a way that neither of us understood exactly WHAT he was asking.  We looked blankly at each other, and he bellowed, “I’m speaking English you know!”  We laughed and explained that we were “colonials” and  gave him the information he needed when he restated his question.  With that we were off to London.