I am nearly settled in

My room has nice high ceilings,  8+ feet,  and big sliding doors looking to the west.  It is on the top floor (penthouse) and I can get lots of light into the room.  It is "L" shaped, with a big 6 ft closet on the left as you enter.  The bed/couch is just beyond it in front of the sliding doors.

Across from the couch is the kitchen and a table I am using as my work space and eating area.

There is a TV and cable, but luckily it has only French stations, so I will only be watching the football matches.

The bathroom is off to the right as you enter.  Nice and bright with two lights and a big mirror.  Toilet and shower are beyond the sink.


Now the big surprise, I have a balcony.  Not just a Juliet balcony (usually just wide enough to step out), but a real balcony.  It is 5 ft deep and about 12 ft wide.  Very nice!  I need to get an outdoor chair to set there.

 The view is nice,  I can see the buildings across the river and up on the hills.  Looking south from the balcony I can see down the street I will be walking everyday to and from the lab.  The nice patisserie I visit everyday, the little grocery, and quite a few restaurants are also down that street. 

There is construction on the corner.  They are extending the tram T1 from Montrochet across the river and down avenue Debourg.  It will make it much easier to visit the central part of Lyon when it is completed.  But who knos when that will be.  Certainly not while I am here.

 It has been raining on and off all night.  It keeps the streets and the air clean.  Had a pizza at a trendy restaurant last night.  They have locations all over the world, Europe, Asia, Africa, South America, and the US.  They are in hip/young urban areas on the east coast.  But they are moving west.  Vapiano's in Boston, NY, DC, and Virgina, with Chicago being added soon. I will be eating there again soon because I like pasta and pizza.  I know, I know, it is italian food and I am in France, but it has big portions at a reasonable price.  It has an interesting concept that I'll write more about in future posts. 

This is the view to the west of the buildings across the river.