It's been a while and I have quite a lot to explain, so go grab some coffee, sit back, and relax.
First, let's start with last weekend, the French flu. This was definitely not my highest point here in the land of wine and cheese. After a wonderful dinner party, I thought I had just eaten too much. Nope! A interesting fact (of course which I learned the hard way) is that you get reimbursed for any medicine you buy at the pharmacy. Since I was unable to even get out of bed to go to the doctor, I didn't have the required signature to get reimbursed. Yet, the medicine was relatively cheap (16 euros for 3 different drugs). I went back to school on Tuesday and the teachers were all shocked to see me. I guess my American "time equals money" work ethic hasn't fully faded away. Or maybe I felt the need to get into a school to at least feel somewhat studious after eating my brain cells away watching the whole season of Keeping Up with the Kardashian's. You decide.
That brings us to Wednesday, December 8th. The Immaculate Conception for all you Christians and the opening night of the Fête de Lumières for all my fellow Lyonnais. The myth goes somewhat like this. Back during the Black Death (Plague), the Lyonnais prayed to the Virgin Mary, asking if she could protect them from the plague. They were saved and as a result they promised to dedicate a church to her, now known as La Basilique Notre-Dame de Fourvière.
The actual facts according to the church: In the 12th century, the church was dedicated to Mary. In 1643, when the plague traveled throughout Europe, Lyon was put under Mary's protection. Every year, on September 8th (Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary), the important leaders in the city would climb the hill to give their monetary donation (a resemblance of the three Wise Men in a sense). In 1832, they were spared from Cholera and the city decided to thank the Virgin Mary by creating a gold replica for the top of the church. The statue was supposed to be unveiled on September 8th, but a flood in the workshop pushed the date back to December 8th. From then on, the Lyonnais have celebrated by putting candles in their windows at night and marching in the street in celebration of Mary.
Today, the festival consists of 3D I-Max type light shows, parades, street concerts, and lots of food stands. From what I was first told, I expected the entire city to be lit up non-stop so that night time would be non-existent. Despite the initial disappointment, I went out every night to make the most of what my home has to offer. Here are some of the beautiful things I saw:
(Quidditch anyone?)
( Opening Night Fireworks)
( The crowd on Wednesday night)
( Place des Terreaux )
("Neigh")
(The Wednesday night crowd continued.)
( "Thank You Mary")
(Passerelle Saint Vincent made into a foot bridge full of umbrellas.)
(Gare Saint-Paul)
(This light show consisted of a little girl moving around the wall in search of her cat.)
(The lights in Vieux Lyon.)
(L'abbaye Saint Martin d'Ainay- The oldest church in Lyon dating back to 1107.)
("Passagers"- Representing clouds floating throughout Vieux Lyon).
Wednesday was absolute mayhem; Thursday was very calm and I was able to climb the hill to the Fourvière and give my thanks; Friday I walked around Croix-Rousse (the northern end of the city) and the Parc Tête d'Or; and Saturday I gave my visitors the grand tour. Each night I got the chills from one of the shows or demonstrations. The mixture of the bizarre 21st century artwork, colorful reflections on the two rivers, and the historical aspect of this holiday reminded me how lucky I am to be here and how I really need to see all I can. The French know how to hit your core with their artwork. It's not that you want to cry; it is more so an overwhelming feeling of being alive. A little dose of inspiration to do something amazing with your life, if you will.
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