Anyway smoking.Everyone thinks all Europeans smoke.Of course they don’t but they do compared to the Americans who appear to have got their knickers in a twist over smoking and use of the “C” bomb rather than…well you know.
Smoking in Britain has decreased markedly over the years,mainly due to price rises ( or I should say tax rises) and also stopping smoking inside public places.To be honest I think it’s more the price thing.Many smokers,including me,think the indoor smoking ban has many beneficial advantages and also reduces a smoker‘s smoking too.Especially in the winter…
Now my point is Germany,Austria and,surprising to me,Italy are all avid hardcore smoking nations.A pack is half the price of the Uk but apart from a few rare bars in Germany you still have to go outside so the correlation is clear…France however is different,because of course it is,their tabs are as pricey as ours in Blighty and there’s no smoking indoors( hanging out of hotel windows doesn’t count) but their smoking seems on a par with Germany,Austria & Italy…I can only surmise they do it for national pride,smoking has always been a trait associated with the French and they’re buggered if they’re gonna change.Those moody black & white films from the late 60‘s where Jane Birkin usually gets her kit off and smokes till she’s bandjoed we’re infact the forerunner of reality TV…Have to admit I quite miss the unshaven French barmen coughing & spluttering with a half smoked Gauloises hanging out of his mouth…
Lyon is big,a lot bigger than I guessed.I know this because I meant to go somewhere specific( or “pacific” as some youth seem to think) via tram,got hopelessly lost and saw much more of the place than I envisaged i would.Anyway I messed about for a while,got back to somewhere I sort of recognised and had a coffee then noticed a metro station.Needing to renew my 24 hour ticket I popped down,got the ticket and noticed a sign to the place I wanted to go.It was called La Croix Rousse and is an historic part of town,much higher up than the rest of Lyon.Stroke of luck.Got out the Metro and the heat hit me and there’s no way I was traipsing round looking for stuff…spotted Le Bull Cafe and just thought “yep” Nice little place,friendly folk…back in central Lyon now writing this in a bar.Many are struggling in this heat.Have I mentioned that?
Early(ish) train tomorrow,8-30, to Freiburg in the Black Forest.Never been there before so let’s hope it doesn’t burn down over night…got my first class ticket ready.Did ask the girl if I get free stuff with it and she gave me the universal “ don’t push it” look…I’ll just be happy if things don’t go tit’s up to be honest…got to change at Mulhouse Ville & Basel.
So it’s hard to give an accurate summary of Lyon owing to the sap sapping heat.Not done much except go to bars and they’ve been great,even the one yesterday with miss moody made me laugh and gave me something to write about…it seems a cool place,unfortunately that’s only a figure of speech…
So Au Revoir France and Hallo Germany ( via Switzerland)
Laters…
It’s raining! Albeit a passing shower but real rain!!!
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