Wednesday
Happy Inauguration Day, folks!
Early in the morning, I discovered that I accidentally bought coffee beans at the store instead of grounds. I needed to go into town so I could be properly caffeinated the rest of the week. Instead of going to Pont-Chéruy and walking the 30 minutes to Tignieu-Jameyzieu, I decided that I’d check out the Villette d’Anthon. The Villette is the next stop on the 1980 bus route to Meyzieu, but I haven’t had the chance to explore yet! The sun was shining and rain wasn’t predicted until 5pm, so I packed my little backpack and was on my way!
I hopped off the bus in the center of town, arriving around noon. I made my towards the outskirts of the village, where GoogleMaps claimed there was a church. I walked along the hill overlooking the Golf Club of Lyon. When I finally arrived at the church, I thought Maps led me astray. There was a driveway and a few houses scattered around. I couldn’t see a steeple, crosses, or a cemetery. Just as I was about to turn around, I saw tall iron gates. I pulled them open and discovered a little path that wound through a cemetery up to the husk of an old building.
According to a small plaque at the entrance, the origins of this church are uncertain. The first mention of St. Martin in this place was in the 5th century, however the first mention of a building here was in the 10th century. The church was allowed to decay following the Revolution of 1792. Religious services recommenced in 1801 and the church gained a new bell in 1821. In 1852, a new church was build in the center of town and services moved there. The inner part of this church collapsed in 1859.
I walked back into town from the little church. My first stop was the former Mairie. There is a small plaza in front of the building with a fountain. It sits across the street from a pizza shop and a boulangerie.
At this point, I decided to delay going back to Anthon for a few more hours. The next bus was at 3:20, so I would have enough time to see things and do my shopping. I wanted to see the new church that the plaque mentioned, so I located the steeple and walked in that direction. I was not disappointed!
I knew there had to be a modern cemetery and located on Maps. I followed the route there, only to discovered that the gates were locked. I was struck by the colorful flowers, pictures, and layers of stones on top of the grave sites. There was so much color that it was like looking into a blooming garden. Unable to explore inside, I chose a new road and walked through the neighborhoods toward the current Mairie.
After about 15 minutes, I found myself in front of the Mairie. The building sits directly across from the area library. (I think I need to see about getting myself a card there.) The town hall had a cute little gate in front. There was a grand plaza upon entering the gates, followed by a small, wooded park. Beside the plaza, I found an obelisk dedicated to soldiers from the area.
Well, it was time to walk across town for my groceries! I was so thankful for my podcasts as I walked the 30 minutes to Intermarché.
I got my groceries, headed back into town, waited for my bus, and went back to my apartment for the night. I got everything put away, tidied up, and prepared my lesson for Thursday.
Around 7:30, I went over to the Bodet house. We agreed to celebrate the inauguration together! Daniel brought out the good champagne and we each had a glass. Mme Bodet made some little appetizers while we waited for dinner to finish cooking. We had handmade meatballs, white rice, and a Malagasy sauce. After dinner we sat in the living room to watch the special news report on the inauguration. The coverage was followed by a comedy show that mocked Trump leaving the White House. It featured him beside a pool in Florida, unpacking issues of Playboy.
Mary-Est-En-France 