Getting Settled in Lyon, France

So i am in Lyon to study French. How exciting. When i chose to study french in Lyon, i was very unsure about my choice. I did not know much about this town, 1 month is a long time to be stuck in a boring city. I decided to come here purely because language courses and accommodation seemed to be cheaper here then elsewhere in France.  So glad i chose this place now as its such a beautiful city to live in. 

I've have chosen to study with Alliance Francaise Lyon, i did not know what to expect, because despite really good reviews of the school. The process of applying for the course and accommodation has not run smoothly, mostly thanks to my bank rejecting payments to the school. At one stage i was very worried that i was going to arrive and the school not exist. Well i am here now and my school and accommodation does exist, so one huge sigh of relief.

I arrived over the Easter weekend, so getting setting up in student accommodation has been a struggle. Unlike hostels and staff accommodation.  Here i have had to provide my own towels, knife, plate, cup etc... Also all the supermarkets were shut so finding food or any of the items listed above proved a struggle. Thank god for McDs. 

Getting WiFi has also been a nightmare  It has meant that i have had to visit the university accommodation office, which was shut for the first two days, then apply for a WiFi code, then wait two days while it was processed.  4 days without proper internet access, i have not known what to do with myself.

The accommodation is in Halls of Residences, on a large student campus. I honestly never thought i would revisit my student days and live in halls again. Nothing has changed, these halls are remarkably like the ones i lived in whilst studying for my degree over 10 years ago. They are very basic, but i get my own room and i am not knocking accommodation in a beautiful city like Lyon for 200 euro a month, a hostel would be more than twice, that. Oh i got my own room, hehe. 

Lyon was a little dead over the Easter weekend. I went for a walk and everything was shut except a few stores along the main shopping street of Rue de Republique. But i did find a Street Day festival on in one of the main squares, which kept me entertained in graffiti art and French Rap music for an hour or so. Though in truth this is not really my thing.

This city has some amazing places to visit though, I took the funicular train up to the top of Fourviere, where i found a massive cathedral the Fourviere Basilica, which is defiantly on of the most impressive churches i have been into for some time. You can download audio-guided tours for your phone, so i shall do that and revisit it at some point.

There is so much i want to do in Lyon while i am here, both travel, language and personal wise. Maybe my first assessment of a month, was just not long enough.