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Going Around Lyon

December 12, 2021

One of the things we love to do is walk around to explore and see the architectural details of a city and also just wander around stores and discover places to eat while we are at it.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Walking from our hotel to next door train station. We are on our way to the ticket machine to buy a family ticket. Public transport is the best way to get around Lyon but it’s far from perfect. The machines can be tricky to purchase from so pick English for the language and for us it was better to use our Philippine credit card vs our Swiss Debit Card. Strange no?

THE FAMILY TICKET

When going around Lyon as a family of 2-5 persons, it’s more cost-effective to get the family ticket for Euros 6 unlimited use per day. The only annoying thing is that because it’s only one ticket and you need to pass it through the machine as often as how many people there are in the family, sometimes it doesn’t work. We needed to call staff a few times and that can be stressful. But the savings is worth it. Children under 4 years old travel for free. Click here to see your other options in Lyon.

Danger!

We did not have to pay anything for DiploDog. But we made sure to carry him while we were in the station and inside public transport.

One of the things TD wanted to do was see the Roman Amphitheater in Lyon. But let me tell you right now that it was a little bit underwhelming. Thankfully what we saw and where we ate along the way were nice so we have no regrets.

OPÉRA NATIONAL DE LYON

Look at this grand building with those massive chandeliers inside. I can’t even imagine what it looks like inside!

It was so cool taking photos of the details of the buildings. The window details!

HÔTEL DE VILLE L. PRADEL

Another architecturally stunning building! I’m also in love with the gigantic old doors in Lyon.

BARTHOLODI FOUNTAIN

The dramatic Bartholodi Fountain in World Heritage Site Place des Terreaux was enclosed because they were doing some construction work. The fountain is by a famous French sculptor, Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, and it was unveiled in 1892.

Kids! It’s so hard to get a decent pic with them right?

MONTÉE DE LA GRANDE CÔTE

For me this road was a highlight. It’s so beautiful! And there are so many interesting shops to see as we walk.

DiploBaby making kulit (bugging) his furbro. Lol you can tell the old dog is annoyed.

Such a stunning background. This photo was taken in portrait mode that’s why the background is prettily blurred. I love this pic, but that is a tired kid. I wish I had a solo version of this pic!

But his energy is back up when he sees the cute graffiti. DiploBaby loves anything artsy.

So ready to post when he likes something!

AMPITHÉÂTRE DES TROIS GAULES

The final destination was the Amphitheater of the Three Gauls. We were a bit underwhelmed but maybe because we no longer had the energy to go around and find a better angle for pictures. It’s facinating that such a monument still exists today. Though it would have been nice to walk inside, it’s better preserved by not allowing people to go in. Built in 12 BC & later enlarged, this Roman amphitheater was used for shows, circuses & executions of Christians. MORE DETAILS HERE.

This area of Lyon is not the safest so make sure to go during the daytime.

BACK TO MONTÉE DE LA GRANDE CÔTE

Okay now time to go back. I really love this road, Montée de la Grande Côte, it has so much character. It’s quite a workout coz it’s basically chill stairs, but so worth it!

LAFABRIQ ATELIER BOUTIQUE

Even from afar I already knew I would love this store. When I went inside, the store took my breath away. I couldn’t stop oohing and aahing at everything. If you love one-of-a-kind, artisanal fashion pieces that can be your memento from Lyon, then I highly recommend this store! Enjoy!

I decided to buy porcelain earrings from this store as my Lyon keepsake. I decided on the triangular ones. love them so much!

This is the cutest designer boutique in the pretty Montée de la Grande Côte. I think I was a little bit paralyzed because everything was so cute. It’s a great place to buy special one-of-a-kind gifts. They have something for everyone from stationery, jewelry, leather goods, ceramics, candles, illustrations, girls’ dresses, etc. I wasn’t sure if they allowed taking photos inside the store so I don’t have interior photos.

Time to go back to the hotel. There is a lot of walking and stairs in Lyon.

Church of Scientology in Lyon
Red door

We never tried the tram. Should be okay during cold weather!

Place des Terreaux

The Bartholdi fountain from a different angle.

Seeing the HÔTEL DE VILLE L. PRADEL again and can’t help but take photos. I bet the inside is gorg!

I hope you enjoyed going around Lyon with me through pictures!

UP NEXT: Our last meal in Lyon before going home BRASSERIE GEORGES

SEE THE REST OF MY LYON RECOS HERE

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Welcome

Hello! I’m Ayessa, trailing spouse to a diplomat, mama to DiploBaby and DiploDog and founder of Declutter MNL. I love talking about how to achieve a minimaluxe lifestyle one step at a time.

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DISCLOSURE

I am an Amazon affiliate, but all opinions are my own. The content of all my blog and social media posts are products and experiences that I truly enjoy and I only work with brands that fit my life and style.

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TOOL FREE BIDET INSTALL One of the things we miss TOOL FREE BIDET INSTALL

One of the things we miss about living in the Philippines & Indonesia is having a bidet in our bathrooms.

Here we have a MUJI TABO & TOTO PORTABLE BIDETS (dm for link if you want), but nothing beats the water pressure & convenience of a handheld bidet that’s connected to your plumbing IMO.

When I was in @jumbo.schweiz recently I saw a bidet that can be installed with the sink.

It only works if your sink is near your toilet so sadly it won’t work on our master’s bathroom.

I wasn’t sure our faucet was the correct size but I took a risk for CHF20.

Today I finally had the time to install it. I was # #mariomama again LOL!

The only time you might need a tool (pliers) is if you can’t loosen the AERATOR to remove it from your faucet.

HOW TO INSTALL HOLDER WITHOUT DRILLING

As a renter, I want to avoid making holes in the walls whenever I can. Even if I weren’t a renter I don’t recommend putting holes on tiles coz they might crack.

So I used the strongest @tesa_de  double sided tape on the bidet holder. You can see how I did it step by step on the video. Be sure to use Teflon scissors so they don’t get damaged by the adhesive. Clear monster tape will also work well for this.

*** Amazon affiliate links on my bio under BIDET HACKS ****

WHY CANT YOU INSTALL IT IN YOUR TOILET

The toilets here are all built in. There are no exposed tubes to connect bidets to like in Asia. 

That’s why this hack is a God send! No plumbing experience or tools needed! YAY!

WHERE TO BUY

https://undiplomaticwife.com/how-to-install-a-bidet-in-a-european-toilet/

Feel free to dm me if you have any questions!

#DiploHome #diplohomegeneva #diy #bidet #bidetlife #expatlife #expatliving #genevaexpats #genevaexpat #genevaexpatwomen #expatinswitzerland
HUMIDIFIER HACK Did you know that each home shoul HUMIDIFIER HACK

Did you know that each home should have humidifiers whether it’s in winter or summer?

Yes! It should be in
- closets
- caves
- storage lockers
- basements
- attics
- bathrooms
- any other area that doesn’t have through air or air conditioner 

To prevent molds from damaging your property!

Here’s the hack: Don’t throw the container because you can buy refills. 

DM me on where to buy wherever you are!

#diplohome #homehacks
WHEN’S THE BEST TIME TO GO TO SANTA CLAUS VILLAG WHEN’S THE BEST TIME TO GO TO SANTA CLAUS VILLAGE?

The concern going to Rovaniemi is that it’s too cold 🥶 I’ve heard of people going in winter & didn’t enjoy it coz they felt like frozen popsicles. You have 2 options:

1. Go in SPRING like us so prices are lower, no long lines/crowds & no need for super thick snow suits, but low chance of seeing Aurora Borealis & some places might be closed/melted. 

3. A friend who lived in Scandinavia told us for Aurora Borealis, the best time is SEPTEMBER coz it’s not too cold yet. Though some resorts might only be opening in OCTOBER like @glass_resort.

FOR US:

❄️ End of first week of April: We didn’t really know  that we picked the perfect time. We were there for only 3 days & 2 nights because that was all our budget would allow. The lows were -3/5 C but the week before it was literally -18C YIKES! 🥶

❄️ At lows of -3/5 and 0-3 highs it’s manageable layering our @uniqloeurope Ultra Light Down Jackets. We didn’t end up using our waterproof snow jackets.

 ❄️ bring waterproof shoes/boots so you don’t get sick if melted snow gets in. 

❄️ If you will touch snow/have snowball fights, waterproof gloves are a must

❄️ Ask hotel if sleds are free to borrow

❄️ Bring SPF coz snow reflects sun

❄️ As you can see in the reel on our first day it was winter wonderland. The day after things started melting. On our last day things were starting to puddle. After I imagine rivers!

❄️ there was this gigantic snowman & I was too tired to take a pic. It disappeared the next day to my disappointment.

❄️ The SNOWMAN WORLD was already closed when we arrived. It would have been so cool to see the ice resto/bar, slides & disco!

❄️ We found out that the day we were leaving was also the last full day of our hotel. So though Santa Claus Office is open 365 days a year, check with the hotels to see which ones are open.

☀️ Summer activities are different. For example the huskies pull sleds with wheels.

🌈 BONUS TIP: If you pick a resort inside @santaclausvillage_rovaniemi, 3 days is enough. Because of the perfect location of @glass_resort we were able to make SO many wonderful memories in such a short time.

#udwinsantaclausvillage
PARTIES & PLUMBING #diplolife + OUR FIRST TIME TO PARTIES & PLUMBING #diplolife

+ OUR FIRST TIME TO HOST AMBASSADORS IN OUR SWISS #DIPLOHOME
(Except for my FIL of course)

This has to have been the most hectic weekend in recent memory here. Each day @diplobaby had a kid’s party to attend. (Thankfully here you leave the child for 2-2.5hrs & parents can do errands while waiting)

TD & I also had commitments for both days. We were hosting a lunch, attending a lunch/ playdate with #diplofriends & meeting up with a fellow Pinoy @remfelrem who has just arrived in Switzerland. 

Last Saturday, TD and I were hosting a lunch for his boss & also a little farewell for the boss of the other mission. And as you guys know we were really stressed with a clogged kitchen sink drain. Not the most convenient or sweet smelling when you are having people over.

So thankfully with the help of a friend I got tips on how to dismantle the pipes to clean them. Guess what? It was still clogged in the pipes inside the wall!

Cleaning the pipes under the sink might NOT HAVE RESOLVED the problem, but at least our home did not smell! Also I learned to do something new! Win-win! 

TD told @diplobaby that I’m #MarioMama (from Mario Bros) 😂🪠

And I am quite relieved that TD & I managed to pull off a lunch in our little home with not just one, but TWO Ambassadors. Having one’s boss is always somewhat nerve-racking right??? I’m so happy we finally did it! 

We had pork adobo with mango, tomato & cilantro salad. And our fave spaghetti bolognese. I bought small cakes from our favorite boulangerie in the little French town next door. 

P.S. 
For those of you were asking if we finally had to call a professional for our kitchen sink. In a way yes we did. After all our best efforts, we finally had to ask for help. We feel so lucky to have such a lovely landlord who came and had the knowledge to remove the clog from the pipes that were built into the wall. We are ever so grateful to him for coming on his weekend.

This is #diplolife guys… PARTIES AND PLUMBING! LOL!!!

#UDWinGeneva #undiplomaticwife #diplofamily #thediplomat #thediplomaticwife
SANTA CLAUS MAIN POST OFFICE So one really meanin SANTA CLAUS MAIN POST OFFICE

So one really meaningful part of our trip was @santaclausmainpostoffice which is right outside of @santaclausoffice.

🎄 @diplobaby wrote a postcard for Santa

🎄 He also wrote some postcards to his friends

🎄 I wrote a postcard to @diplobaby to remember our many firsts in this trip.

For the last 2 we were lucky that our hotel @glass_resort  had many FREE POSTCARDS  and STAMPS and we didn’t have to go to the post office. They conveniently sent it for us.

His close friends were happy to receive them and I also loved getting our own post. So cool!

Please don’t forget to LIKE this post to see more family adventures & travel tips!

If Finland is on your bucket list then definitely SAVE THIS!

#udwinfinland #udwinsantaclausvillage #diplobaby #diilofamily
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