My flight from Denver to London was everything I anticipated and more: British flight attendants? Check. Free wine? Check. Getting no sleep whatsoever? Check. What I didn’t expect was the free entertainment (and by entertainment I mean the American couple next to me getting hammered on wine and whiskey while watching all three Hotel Transylvania movies). But the best entertainment was my view as we flew into London. Check out this picture I took and see if you can find any famous landmarks.

On my connecting flight to Lyon, I met two French women and they taught me a new word: la canicule, or heat wave. This would become all too relevant when we landed: it was 104 degrees in Lyon. One of the women helped me find the nearby train station (thank glob), but I spent the next hour trying to navigate the public transit in a state of sweat-drenched distress. When I finally found the hotel, I met the other exchange students from my program before we all disappeared to take much-needed showers.

Here’s my pro-tip for international travel: if you want to avoid jet lag, just stay awake for at least 30 hours. I slept like a baby that first night and I never looked back!

The following morning, we were greeted by perhaps the best hotel breakfast I’ve ever had: crêpes, croissants, eggs, a variety of sliced meats and cheeses, sliced vegetables, fruit, coffee, juice, and – most surprising to me – ratatouille. Afterward, our program director Laurie took us on a walking tour of Lyon. We walked along the Rhône river before crossing a bridge over to the presqu’île (or peninsula). For those who don’t know, two rivers – the Rhône and the Saône – run through the heart of Lyon. On the presqu’île, we walked over cobblestone streets past shops, restaurants, and ornate cathedrals. Eventually, we crossed the Saône and took a funicular to the Fourvière hilltop. Like something out of a movie, there was a man serenading us with his accordion as we approached la basilique Notre-Dame de Fourvière. I’ll add my basilica pictures to the photo gallery, but I recommend giving this a google search to understand its magnificence.

From a distance, the basilica looks more like a castle that watches over the rest of the city. During the Franco-Prussian war, the lyonnais (a historically catholic people) prayed to St. Mary for protection against Prussian invasion. The Prussians never made it to Lyon, so the basilica was built between 1872 and 1884 in St. Mary’s honor. While we looked out over the cityscape, Laurie explained that Lyon has two main hills. One is la colline qui prie (the hill that prays), which is the Fourvière hilltop where the basilica stands. The other is la colline qui travail (the hill that works), otherwise known as La Croix-Rousse neighborhood and my home for the next four months! La Croix-Rousse held its famous silk workshops during the 19th century when Lyon became a European capital of silk trade. Hence, the hill that works.

The basilica is relatively new compared to other European structures. However, nearby lie Roman ruins that give the the Fourvière hilltop its name. I’ve never seen or walked on anything so old before. The former Roman city of Lugdunum was founded here in 43 BC. This photo shows the ruins of Lugdunum’s forum. Fun fact: “Fourvière” comes from the Latin phrase forum vetus (old forum). We walked through the ruins and strolled down the streets to Vieux Lyon, or old town.

We stopped at a café and I ordered my first yogurt in France. To my surprise, the woman in the café kept speaking to me in French, but just out of kindness. It’s impossible to mistake a loud group of Americans for French locals! I can confirm that French yogurt is much better than American yogurt, and much less expensive. Also, Lyon seems to be a lot more sustainable than the US. My yogurt came in a glass cup and every utensil I’ve received in Lyon has been wooden. Laurie informed me that France banned the use of single-use plastic in restaurants! If only America would follow suit…

Due to la canicule, the city opened 4 museums free of charge to give the public more access to air-conditioned spaces. I went to la Musée des Confluences, located where the Rhône and Saône rivers meet. Swans like to hang out at the river junction right where some old train tracks disappear into the water. Both the museum’s interior and exterior were massively impressive. My favorite room was the exhibit of Earth’s origins. It hosts a collection of fossils and skeletons of dinosaurs, mammoths, and other prehistoric creatures. Rather than explain every exhibit and relic, I’ve included a few of my favorite pictures below.