6-19-11 (Lyon, France)
Our class took a field trip to the Total refinery in Lyon, France on Friday so I had to ride the TVG train down to Lyon. Travel by train is about 500% better than taking a flight. You avoid pointless and frustrating airport security and you are also able to enjoy the lovely countryside. The train was very quiet, fast, and smooth. I fell asleep after about 30 minutes and enjoyed a nice rest.
We took a bus to IFP Lyon and suited up in our blue jumpsuits, hardhats, gloves, steel-toe boots, and H2S detectors. H2S is pretty toxic and there can be leaks sometimes at the refinery. We also had an emergency mask just in case we were exposed and needed to make an evacuation.
The refinery was really impressive in all of its intricacies. I am always amazed by production facilities that are that large and complicated. Just goes to show how creative human beings are in figuring out how to exploit resources and turn them into useful products for our benefit. It was really a nice tour and well-worth the trip down to Lyon by itself. IFP Lyon has much better food in their cafeteria than we do at IFP School.
A group of us decided to stay the night in Lyon so after showering and resting for an hour or so we all ventured out from the Hotel to find the opera house. We wandered around Lyon for a few hours until we found a nice Lyonais restaurant. I had onion soup, roasted lamb and potatoes au gratin, and creme burlee.
I wanted to take advantage of the Lyon nightlife, but everyone else was exhausted. We all decided it would be safer to stay together as a group. Good thing we did because our hotel wasn't in the best area of town. There were several hooligans about that night!
The next day I walked all over Lyon with my friends Laura and Mattieu. We had an amazing hike up the side of a hill and up to the Lyon Cathedral. It was a beautiful view and a wonderful cathedral. The inside was magnificent with golden mosaics and tiles. It was awe inspiring. Mattieu said that he thought it was over-the-top. I disagreed. Next we walked to the other side of Lyon to find a store where they have an exhibit about the silk industry in Lyon. I bought a silk handkerchief for my suit pocket. Mattieu bought some gifts for his girlfriend and mother. The girl at the counter was really pretty and I think she thought Mattieu was cute for buying a gift for his mom.
After the silk exhibit we went to lunch at a Moroccan place. Without a doubt, I have never eaten such delicious vegetables in my life. They were cooked to absolute perfection with a slight crispiness that was retained. It was incredible and I felt really lucky to be enjoying such nice food. The baklava was out-of-this-world delicious.
Pictures to come...
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