You Learn Something New Everyday in France

Photo by @Kathleen_Ennis

So, apparently when you order something online in France, your package goes on a tiny adventure of its own. Instead of coming to your address, it gets rerouted to a “Point Relais”—which, fun fact, is just French for “someplace that is not your house and mildly inconvenient.” Mine was 23 minutes away. On foot. In the rain.

This magical delivery spot? A wine shop.

The shop owner, who was thankfully kind and helpful, helped unpack my oversized box and re-bag everything into smaller bags. I then hauled those to the end of the street where my Uber was waiting—because of course, my street was closed for construction. And yes, it was raining.

Luckily, Kathleen had Copper for the day (thank you, angel), which made this whole circus slightly more manageable.

With that mission accomplished, I figured I’d take care of some official errands: open a bank account, get a phone, maybe explore Les Halles. I checked the bank’s hours—it was noon. Closed for lunch. Of course.

Plan B: Go to lunch. Literally. The restaurant was called “Plan B.” I took that as a sign from the universe. Ordered steak and frites, they were excellent. Also, sitting there thinking I moved to Lyon without a Plan B... but maybe I need one.

Next, I attempted to get a phone. Turns out you need a European visa to sign up for a French phone plan—unless you want to pay full price for a new iPhone. The whole conversation was in a mix of awkward French and equally awkward English, and ended with me deciding to hold off. Instead, I bought a vase for my flowers, because I have my priorities straight.

Eventually, I made it to Les Halles, which is less of a market and more of a gourmet food court: meats, cheeses, prepared foods, wine, desserts. You kind of need to know what you’re going for, or you're just overwhelmed. I bought some macarons—because being in France for almost a week without eating one just feels illegal.

Cheese for days

Then it was time to pick up Copper. Kathleen had watched her for five hours, and from the sounds of it, Copper cried through most of them. When I picked her up, she cried again—this time out of what I think was relief. Broke my heart.

Photo by Kathleen_Ennis

The evening wrapped up with my dear friend Jen arriving from San Francisco. We celebrated with the French tradition of… ordering burgers and doing absolutely nothing.

Conclusion of Day 4 in Lyon: Love France, not sure I love this city. I usually know when a place clicks, and Lyon and I aren’t exactly soulmates. So, the journey continues! Off to Dijon on May 31st, then Strasbourg. Somewhere out there is my French happily-ever-after city—and I shall find it.