lyon by accident: a caffeine-fueled ramble through france's secret sauce

woke up in lyon without really meaning to. the train was late, my phone died, and suddenly i was standing in a plaza with a thousand-year-old church staring me down like it knew my secrets. the weather? someone told me it was 11.67°C but felt like 11.06°C, so basically sweater weather with a side of existential dread. humidity at 83%? my hair had opinions.

first stop: coffee. not just any coffee-*cafe du vieux lyon on rue st-jean. heard from a barista that their espresso could wake the dead, and honestly, after that first sip, i believed it. the beans tasted like they'd been roasted over an open fire by a sorcerer.

wandered into vieux lyon thinking i'd just peek, but got lost in the traboules-those secret Renaissance passageways that feel like the city's nervous system. someone whispered that during wwii, the resistance used them to smuggle people. now they just smuggle tourists' Instagram stories.

lunch was a disaster. tried bouchon des filles because a drunk guy at the bar said it was "the real deal." turns out "real deal" means tripe. lots of tripe. i ate it. i survived. would not recommend to the tripe-curious.

later, stumbled into the musée des beaux-arts. not usually my vibe, but the courtyard garden made me feel like i'd walked into a painting that was judging me softly. overheard a tour guide say the building used to be a convent, then a prison, then an art museum. lyon loves a glow-up.

if you get bored, marseille and grenoble are just a short drive away, but honestly? lyon's got enough secrets to keep you busy for days. or at least until your phone dies again.

random tips from the street: avoid the tourist traps on place bellecour unless you enjoy paying 8€ for a bad croissant. instead, hit la boulangerie du palais* on rue de la république-someone swore their pain au chocolat could end wars.

also, lyon at night is a different city. the lights on the saône look like someone spilled glitter on the water. i sat by the river for an hour doing nothing, which is rare for me. maybe the city hypnotized me.

final thought: lyon doesn't try to impress you. it just is. and somehow, that's more impressive than any tourist board slogan could ever be.

want more? check out TripAdvisor's Lyon Guide or Lonely Planet's Lyon Tips. but honestly? just show up. lyon will handle the rest.