Strike!

The public transportation workers are on strike today so things are a bit crazy in the city of Lyon. The transportation company (TCL) has known about the impending strike for at least the past week because there have been announcements about it posted in metro stations throughout the city for days now. I don't think everyone got the message though because there were lots of bewildered people roaming around today at metro stations that were closed. During the girls' French lesson, I wandered around the Presqu'ile area, a major shopping and pedestrian area in Lyon. I watched as people went down stairs to the metro stations with conviction to get someplace, only to walk back up the stairs dazed and confused. The bus stops along Rue Republic were jammed with people as they waited for the few busses that were working today. I opted to walk.

Because of the strike, Bucky had to walk to French today (he usually takes the metro), so he left earlier than usual. On his way, he decided to try getting a bike and he did so with success. (Lyon has a great system of rental bikes that can be used as long as you have a carte bleu. You pick them up at various stations around the city and drop them off at any station that is convenient for you.) He may be doing the same thing tomorrow because apparently the strike is be on tomorrow as well. According to our French friends, strikes are not unusual in France. I guess...c'est la vie!