It's Me, Sara Louise

We chose Lyon for our getaway because of its reputation as the ‘gastronomic capital of France’. The fact that there is a Starbucks there, is the reason I chose it. True story, and a perfect example of how far expats will go sometimes for a taste of home. That photo there is Gregory in our hotel room only a few minutes after we had checked in, planning our route to my vanilla latte.

Look at me up there smiling and giddy with sugar and caffeine. I’ve got my grande vanilla latte in one hand, and my new Starbucks city mug, Lyon edition, in the other. It’s funny, because in the eight months since I’ve been back in the States,  I’ve had Starbucks exactly three times; once as soon I arrived because I had to, once on an early morning drive from Austin to keep me awake, and last week to get my hands on a Gingerbread Latte (when it comes to seasonal Starbucks, I skip the PSL and go Christmas every time).

Here’s Gregory smiling which is very rare. Not that he doesn’t smile, he does, but he hates smiling in photographs, mainly because he hates photographs. I think he was smiling here because our task of the day was completed, the task being Starbucks of course. Gregory doesn’t particularly care about Starbucks, if I twist his arm he might order like a smoothie, or a sandwich, or if he’s feeling extra fancy, a hot chocolate. Gregory is very French when it comes to his coffee; he only likes it small in one of those tiny cups and never, ever, to go. Oh, and he was also probably smiling because we were on our way to find someplace to eat lunch. Lunch makes Gregory happy.

Twinkies! We found the best place for lunch! For the life of me I can’t remember the name and that kills me (I had planned on looking up the place when we got back to The LPV, but unfortunately, as soon as we got back, this badness happened, and thoughts of the restaurant flitted away), but I remember eating there, soaking up the elegant, yet cozy atmosphere, and thinking that I’d love to live in Lyon, and if I did, I’d eat at that restaurant all the time. What kind of person would move to a city based on one restaurant? Probably the same type that picks a holiday destination on whether there’s a Starbucks there or not.

Look, I have wings! Does that ever happen to anyone else when they ponytail their hair, you get wings? Gregory, if you’re reading this, thank you for letting me know that I had major fly aways while you were taking my photo, way to have my back buddy. OK, ignore the wings. This was our ‘dessert’ at Les Halles Paul Bocuse. If you like food, then you have to make a pilgrimage to Les Halles sometime in your life. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed. So, this is me with my dessert; a glass of white wine and a dozen oysters. I’m savory, not sweet.