Barcelona (to Girona to Cerbere to Montpellier) to Lyon

Leaving Barcelona turned out to be quite the saga due to us getting ousted from our first train due to the indifference of an unpleasant ticket-seller (he told us we didn't need a reservation...he lied). We thankfully managed to keep our heads and catch one train from Girona (where we'd had to get off) to Cerbere, and from there to Montpellier, followed by a quick switch to a snazzy TGV (a high-speed beauty of a train) and onwards to Lyon. One of our main worries upon messing up the train schedule in such a way had been the fact our hotel's reception closed at 20:30 - and we weren't to get to the station in Lyon until 20:20! To our relief, the lovely lady at the desk took our panicked phone call from Cerbere and told us to pick up the keys at a neighbouring restaurant upon our arrival.

When we finally rolled into Lyon after over 12 hours (and four different trains), we first arranged our trip to Geneva, asking the teller if he was really, really, actually sure we didn't need a reservation (we definitely have some trust issues now), and then stumbled towards Hotel Iris. Our room was tiny, but beautifully decorated, with vibrant paint on the walls and a Cocteau print hanging across from the bed, perfect for our one night in the city. Once we'd dropped off our backpacks, we zipped around the corner to a trendy little bistro with a prix fixe menu (found via Max's guidebook). The decor was hilarious (and some might say quite French) - pinned to the walls were ziploc bags containing innumerable days worth of cigarettes, presumably swept up from the restaurant's floor (and now just the patio thanks to the smoking ban). Each bag had been carefully labelled with the date and year collected as if they were some kind of scientific sample, and I figured they might have been an artistic form of protest against the EU-wide smoking ban inside restaurants. The place offered more than just rebellious decoration, as the food was absolutely delicious, perfect French comfort food for two exhausted travelers.

The next morning we checked out and went off to explore the city. First we wandered down to the river, where we wound up in the middle of a small market. I was instantly seduced by a cheese stand that beckoned to me with promises of delectable fromage français. There was a beautiful selection of ripened goat cheese (chevre), and after much deliberation I decided upon three little rounds of Rocamadour and a gooey round of another chevre that was on sale and looked impossibly decadent (I have since eaten it and it was everything I hoped it might be). We devoured the wee Rocamadours atop some fresh bread while sitting in a park beside a statue dedicated to the glory of the Republic.

The train ride to Geneva was gorgeous, as we passed by solemn, precipitous cliffs, their heads shrouded in thick ribbons of mist due to the weather being decidedly grey (and the rain intermittent). It was a serene landscape despite the towering drama of the crags, and as it sped by outside the window I imagined the surrounding woods full of remnants of all the fairy tales of Europe, wolves and grandmothers and witches in soggy gingerbread houses were all there, hidden from me behind the thick leaves of the forest. The magical landscape endured as we passed over the Swiss border and clouds could be seen nestling in valleys like great white birds, their feathers soft and heavy with rain. The architecture began to change as we passed out of France, and I saw at least one little cabin that could have easily housed Heidi herself.

We met Mary (our host) at the train station without a hitch and took our first car ride in many a week to her lovely apartment near the lake. She has since been showing us around the city and cooking us gourmet meals (last night we had swordfish with lime, perfectly delicious). The weather continues to be grim, but I'm taking some time to just relax after all the intense traveling and that crazy Barcelona weekend - my body was basically demanding it.

Actually, I think it's demanding some more rest right now. Time to go read my book (I'll tell you more about Switzerland later).