"C'est Fantastique" a Lyon Travel Page by dejavu2gb

We had a quick encounter by spending one fantastic day visiting France's 2nd biggest city, and what an encounter it turned out to be. I never normally go into so much detail about my trip, but as this one is different I will share our experience with you.

Without a doubt one of the most stressful and at the same time most hilarous trips we had been on, one of those where everything goes wrong, and when you think that nothing else can go wrong...it does!
I will tell the story briefly because its quite funny when I think back about what happened.

The intention of our trip was to attend a wedding in the Auvergne region of France, St Agathe to be precise, which is close to Thier.

Anyway, we had a very early flight, if my memory serves me correct it was aroud 9:20am. So we set off for the airport at around 6am leaving 3 hours, giving us plenty of time as the journey is always about 40 minutes to Heathrow.
On our way to the airport we got stuck in a very bad traffic jam in the M4 caused by an earlier accident.
Then to make it worse we were diverted through Slough, sitting in very bad traffic and 9:20am moving closer and closer.
If it was not for a kind lady showing the bus driver a short cut, we would never have made it to the airport on time.

Making a long story short we get to the airport at around 0900, about 20 minutes before our flight leaves!!!

We only JUST made the flight, thanks to pleading and a very helpful BA check in agent. We arrived in Lyon to be told that our bags were left in London. Promised that we will have our bags the afternoon we only received them about 27 hours later!!!

The drive to the venue went okay, I did it in the expected 2 hours very nervous to be driving on the wrong side of the road, but that went without incident. Then on the map the hotel we were staying in looked very easy to find, it took us no less than 4 and a half hours to find when it should have taken about 45 seconds from the turn off!!! So almost 7 hours later we arrive at the hotel, and were greatful to have found it. I smile at my friend and say, we are here, nothing else can go wrong....

I was wrong.. upon check in, they did not have our reservation which I confirmed twice and booked 6 months prior!!
Fortunately my friend offered us a bed for the night. So on the way to his house we got lost again, should have taken us about 15 minutes to get there but as it was small country lanes with no signage it took us just over an hour and a half!

So eventually after about 10 hours setting off from Lyon we arrived very tired, but in good humour because as things were going wrong we just could do nothing but laugh at the bad luck we were having.
So after a few glasses of delicious red wine, all was fine and we enjoyed the rest of the trip.

As apart for the total fiasco we went through I have to say that Lyon is a very lovely city with quite a lot to see and do.
For you sun seekers out there, I would suggest going there in summer, because it gets hot hot hot.
Good shopping and lovely restaurants. Take a stroll along the river and just take in the atmosphere.
There is fantastic architecture, so take lots of film with and happy snapping!