Heading back to Lyon
It’s my last day of work in Paris for the year. Tomorrow I head back to Lyon for a well-earned rest. I feel mentally and physically exhausted.
This has been a roller-coaster of a month, starting with Sarah’s arrival at the end of November which coincided with my starting a new job in Paris. I love my job and I love Paris but I find this city completely draining. On the positive side, I get to work for a fabulous company which is located at an absolutely, gob-smackingly-gorgeous location (right next to the Eiffel Tower). I get paid for talking to students and taking them out to lunch (!!!) and just generally doing the work I love (teaching English).
On the downside, it means that I need to commute from Lyon each week and be incredibly organized as I need to book trains and accommodation well ahead of time. In addition to this, finding my way around Paris can be a tad challenging at times. I’m so used to easily getting around my little city (Lyon) with its tiny metro network (4 lines)and its wonderful bike and tram system. Paris , in comparison, is a nightmare! I am occasionally sent to big companies or restaurants to teach workshops, etc. which means having to navigate my way around the complicated Paris public transport system. The other day it took me 2.5 hours to find an address – it should only have taken me 1 hour! In my defense even the taxi driver had trouble finding it too (I had to resort to catching a taxi in the end as I literally couldn’t find the place!).
The RER is Paris’s suburban rail network. It is the Metro on steroids! Like a giant octopus, its tentacles reach out to the outer suburban areas of Paris. The trains are bigger and faster than the metro but not as fast as the super fast, TGV which I catch each week to get to Paris from Lyon and which only takes 1.5 hours – not bad for a distance of 490 kms. It would take 4 hours and 40 minutes if I were to drive this distance.
My other challenge this month has been finding short term, reasonably priced accommodation in Paris – no mean feat. I have been using sites like Airbnb. My first foray into the world of private accommodation was not a huge success. I booked what I thought was a self-contained apartment in the Marais district. Turns out it was just a room in someone’s apartment. Even though my hostess was a lovely person, she hadn’t told me she kept very late hours. On my first night there, she came home from work at 2.00 am with her boyfriend and between the 2 of them, made enough noise to wake the dead. They crashed and banged pots and pans in the kitchen, argued very loudly, and stomped around wearing what sounded like lead lined work boots! Needless to say I didn’t get much sleep that night. Even though I had booked for 4 nights, I checked out the next day and went to stay at a friend’s house.
My second booking this week turned out to be the complete opposite. I’m staying in a lovely little apartment, within walking distance to work. It’s extremely quiet and clean and PRIVATE, and my delightful landlady welcomed me on my arrival with an exquisite chocolate pattiserie. The apartment is tiny but very comfortable and spotlessly clean. It was exactly what I needed after last week’s fiasco.
Nevertheless, I am so looking forward to returning to my little nest in Lyon.