so i woke up at 4am and decided to wander around lyon because i had a weird dream about louis vouge and a pretzel vendor or something. it was weird but here we are. i didn’t have a plan. i didnt even know if i was supposed to be here. maybe i got lost. maybe i was just bored. either way, lyon is a place that feels like it’s trying to tell you a story but keeps forgetting the plot.

quick answers

q: is this place worth visiting?
a: if you like chaos and cheap baguettes, yes. otherwise? probably not. it’s not for everyone. if you hate people or can’t handle loud noises, this city will hate you back.

q: is it expensive?
a: depends. hostels are okay. food is decent. but if you’re the type who wants to eat at fancy places, you’ll get gouged. i heard the tap water is bad here. don’t drink it.

q: who would hate it here?
a: tourists who think they know everything and locals who can’t handle loud strangers. also, people who don’t like the smell of old apartments.

q: best time to visit?
a: avoid summer rains. fall is nice. the weather gets weird though. one minute you’re freezing, next you’re sweating. it’s like the city is confused.

lyons weather is a mess. the temperature swings are like a teenager’s mood. i saw a local wearing a sweater and shorts at the same time. it’s either 19 or 25, i couldn’t tell. i checked the numbers. the temp was 19.01. feels like 18.43. whatever. i wore a jacket and a t-shirt. both. it was dumb.

i heard someone say lyons food is underrated. a local warned me about the tap water. i drank it anyway. don’t do that. but the baguettes? they’re amazing. i bought one from a street vendor. it was cold and old but it tasted like a mystery. maybe that’s the point.

the metro here is a nightmare. i once got stuck in a tunnel for 20 minutes because i couldn’t read the signs. don’t try to figure it out alone. someone told me to ask a local. i did. they gave me directions. but then they told me to take a bus instead. it’s like they didn’t care.

tourists here are everywhere. but not in the way you’d expect. i saw a group of people taking photos of a random wall. it had nothing on it. they were yelling. i asked why. they said it was ‘art.’ i told them it was just concrete. they didn’t care. it’s the vibe.

i got lost in a market. not the nice one. the one that smells like old clothes and regret. i bought a weird fruit. it was orange but not round. i asked someone what it was. they said ‘it’s a lyons thing.’ i didn’t ask more.

someone warned me about the safety vibe. i heard the city is safe if you stay in tourist areas. but if you wander into the wrong neighborhood, you might get robbed. i didn’t. i stayed in the center. i saw a pickpocket once. he looked tired. like he’d done this 100 times. i didn’t get robbed. maybe i was lucky.

i tried to find a good coffee shop. i’m a coffee snob. i asked three people for recommendations. they all gave me the same place. i went there. it was okay. the coffee was strong. the owner was asleep. i left.

pro tip: if you want to eat, go to a place that looks like it’s run by a family. not a chain. i found a small bakery. the owner gave me a free croissant. he didn’t speak english. i said ‘thank you’ in french. he nodded. that’s how it goes here.

links

- tripadvisor
- yelp
- reddit
- lyons local guide
- weather.com
- google maps

photos

sliced orange fruit on brown wooden table

lyon: a city that’s half baked and twice as loud

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