Vendredi le 7 novembre - Holidays

The book market along the river banks of the Saone.

A playground!

A photo in front of the Gare.

Friday already! – and then another 5 days off.
I have forgotten to mention why we have had the previous break – Toussaint! Translates as All Saints Day.
All Saints Sunday follows the ancient tradition of commemorating all saints collectively on the first Sunday after Pentecost.
The Western Christian holiday of All Saints Day falls on November 1, followed by All Souls' Day on November 2, and is when people bring flowers to the graves of dead relatives.

We have the next 5 days off because – on Tuesday it is Armistice day – 11/11.
Armistice Day is the anniversary of the symbolic end of World War I on 11 November 1918. It commemorates the armistice signed between the Allies and Germany at Compiègne, France, for the cessation of hostilities on the Western Front, which took effect at eleven o'clock in the morning — the "eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month". While this official date to mark the end of the war reflects the ceasefire on the Western Front, hostilities continued in other regions, especially across the former Russian Empire and in parts of the old Ottoman Empire.
The date was declared a national holiday in many allied nations to commemorate those members of the armed forces who were killed during war. Called Armistice Day in many countries. After World War II, the name of the holiday was changed to Veterans Day in the United States and to Remembrance Day in the British Commonwealth of Nations. Armistice Day remains an official holiday in France. It is also an official holiday in Belgium, known also as the Day of Peace in the Flanders Fields.
In many parts of the world people take a two minute moment of silence at 11:00 a.m. as a sign of respect for the roughly eight million who died in the war.
11 November 2008 will be the 90th anniversary of Armistice Day.
Courtesy of Wikipedia!

Anyway the 5 days are Saturday/ Sunday / Monday (bridging the gap) / Tuesday/ and Wednesday (no school anyway).


I spent the morning mainly on the computer and then headed to the supermarket to get a few supplies for the weekend – muesli bars, fruit and other snack food to carry with us.
After lunch turned up for one of my primary classes – but told time is not at 1:30 but 1:45 so went away and came back. The class are so sweet and try really hard. However they do have to work in silence, I had an activity for them to match the English words with the picture – cut up, glue and match, it would have been good if they could check with each other and practice saying the words but they were not allowed to. Very disciplined and strict.
Straight after this Nev and I headed into town to renew bus passes and withdraw some cash!
Packed all the clothes and were determined only to take Nev’s pack and my little backpack – keeping it simple.
Headed off to the local Gare to get on the train at 6:00pm. The train this time was a ‘corail’ not as fast as a TGV but a bit roomier. We were in a compartment that seats 8 and you can shut the doors. When we got on there were already 4 people who had come from Strasbourg. One of which had a 3month baby and her carrycot which was across our 2 seats. She was most upset that we would be crowded and have no room for her baby. We ended up putting her carrycot up in the luggage area and she had to hold her baby the entire journey. Turned out OK though we tried to talk to the other passengers.
2h30mins we arrived in Lyon!
A large city – capital of the Rhone Valley – Pop 450 000. It is considered the gastronomic capital of France. It is based around 2 rivers the Saone and the Rhone. (813 km long from Geneva to the Mediterranean).

Only time to drop the bags off at the Hotel – 10 minute walk from the Gare and went to a pizzeria recommended by the receptionist. It was fabulous – cheap and delicious! The girls couldn’t believe their eyes when their pizzas arrived – took the whole plate. Also here pizzas do not come cut, you have to fight your way through it and cut it yourself.
Fed and watered or wined and dined, we headed off to the hotel for a good sleep before cramming heaps into the next day.

A fake tree of flowers - very pretty!