Lyon

The Lyonnais Style

Well as most of you know I’m not one to be super stylish but that hasn’t been made so apparent until I arrived in Lyon. Literally the first thing I noticed was everyone’s shoes! There are no sneakers, there are no running shoes, and there are no hiking boots. The girls wear boots and heels and cute flats, and anything but – and they know how to walk in them, and walk and walk – whither it’s on cobblestone streets, or brick streets. This is a fashion hub and everyone seems to have style and it’s great because it’s not a homogenous style like we (I) tend to find in Calgary where there are things that obviously are not chic. Everyone looks good – even they guys too they’ve got chic shoes and bags and scarves and hats.

And it’s cold! It’s that humid cold but it doesn’t matter one bit!!! You’re still guaranteed to see cute dresses, jumpers, skirts, shorts (all worn with leggings or tights) and long coats with big buttons. And then underneath their outdoorsy clothes you’ve got another whole cute outfit – even the super bold outfits go, things that I would think that people would die socially if they ever stepped outside in Canada it’s worn here and it looks good! Is it the European air? My only complaint? Everyone wears black, coming from colourful India this makes me a little sad.

You’ll all be happy to know I actually invested in some nice shoes (that click when I walk – but aren’t actually heals) and they are super comfy and were cheap – obviously the reason I bought them. I’m still totting around my hippy purse and my backpack and I haven’t bought any fancy longish coat or anything but I located a second hand store… so we’ll see what good finds I find there.

The Weather

So as mentioned before Lyon is cold, and it’s a humid cold, and I have no idea what I was thinking when I packed for Lyon but I’m always freezing! However it did snow the other day (January 30^th) in the evening and it was SO pretty. Big fat snowflakes fell covering the whole city, along all the parked cars, terraces and even resting on the ground for a little bit of time. It was simply wonderful!

Now, I don’t know what these Lyonnais people necessarily have in their blood but it must be something intense because my gosh! Regardless of the weather, and how many layers I’m wearing (and how many more I wish I was wearing) they are outside, walking, biking, running, doing business as usual without gloves. And it’s not just the people that are moving the doors of the stores are always open, people are standing outside smoking, sitting and enjoying coffees and cigarettes on the terraces as if it were summer and it was hot. And believe me – it’s not!

Alas, I know this is not a general European thing because my German friend Kathrine and I had a sharing of epiphany moment (and a good laugh) as we shared the same insight.