One More Mile to Lyon

Daily Miles: 35.20 | Total Miles: 15,966.20

My alarm rang early, and I hit the snooze button a couple of times before finally getting up. I made myself a hot coffee and peeked out of the bungalow. Dry, cool, and pleasant. A beautiful start to the day.

I began packing, and after a while my neighbor Celina emerged from her bungalow too. Seeing her made me happy. It’s funny how quickly a friendly face can become familiar on the road.

When I moved the buggy, I immediately noticed that the left tire was flat. Not exactly what I wanted to see first thing in the morning, but I was grateful it happened there rather than later on the route. I took the wheel into the bathroom where it was a little warmer and changed the tube before setting off.

Soon I was back on the ViaRhôna cycle path. Getting going wasn’t easy today. I struggled a little with motivation and felt slower mentally than physically. But after a while I reminded myself: Come on, Andrea, you're moving forward. Lyon is almost here.

That thought helped.

The morning passed quietly. I met three women who were hiking and exchanged a few words with them. Later I saw four cyclists again—Natalie, Marie, Richard, and Daniel—who had passed me several times over the last few days. Encounters like that always make me smile. People move at different speeds, stop in different places, and yet somehow our paths keep crossing.

Much of the day was spent slightly inland, although every now and then I returned to the water's edge. The Rhône appeared and disappeared, always adding a sense of calm to the landscape. At one point I stopped to buy groceries. I figured it would be easier to take care of it early rather than arrive in Lyon and have to search for food again.

Sometime during the day I booked a bed in a hostel dormitory. It gave me a destination and a plan, something I always appreciate. Having a place to aim for changes the feeling of a day. The uncertainty fades, and all that remains is the journey between here and there.

As I approached Lyon, the atmosphere gradually changed. The paths became busier, the buildings larger, and the energy of the city started to make itself known. I ran along the waterfront where people were jogging, strolling, sitting in cafés, and enjoying drinks beside the river. It felt lively and relaxed at the same time.

I was relieved when I finally crossed the bridge and realized I only had about a mile left to go. There was just one problem. The hostel sat high above the city on a steep hill.

The final climb felt harder than it should have. I pushed and fought my way uphill with the buggy, step by step, knowing that the day was almost done. Sometimes the last mile feels longer than the previous thirty-four.

When I finally arrived, Abdallah welcomed me warmly. Before I had even settled in, he handed me a glass of ice-cold water. It tasted wonderful. Later, when I asked whether he had a towel, he immediately found one for me.

Back in my dorm room, I met Gabriel from Quebec. We ended up having a lovely conversation, and I very much enjoyed our exchange. Encounters like that are one of the things I appreciate most about staying in hostels.

It's remarkable how often the smallest gestures make the biggest difference.

Tonight I am in Lyon.

Another city reached. Another day completed. Another few miles closer to London.

Thanks for checking in. Andrea