Le Cadeau

Le cadeau means the gift.  When we bought these flowers at the market, I asked the vendor, "Pouvez vous l'emballer?" Which probably indicated that I would like the flowers wrapped up.  All went well.  The vendor added colorful wrap and ribbon.  As we walked away from the market, Mari Homme enthusiastically complimented my use of the correct phrase to get something done in the world.  "This is a miracle!" he exclaimed, which I thought was a bit over the top as I had looked up the line in a french book and practiced it several times that morning.

After our alleged victory, we began the short but steep walk to Rue des Tourelles, or Turret Street, to visit our friends P et E.  The steepness was tough but we trudged along.  We live in a section of Lyon called Le Presqu'ile, which means peninsula.  Le Presqu'ile is flat, sits between 2 rivers, and has many parks, shops, plazas and restaurants.  Two famous hills are nearby.  To the north is La Croix-Rousse, which is called the "hill that works" because that's where the silk workshops were situated in the 1700s.  The other hill, Le Fourviere, is where we were heading with our floral offering.  It's known as the "hill that prays" because the basilica sits up at the top.  

At one point, Mari Homme ventured off the sidewalk.  I told him to be careful.  "Don't get hit by a car. I don't know what I'd do without you."

He hopped back to the sidewalk and said, "You'd do better without me than I would without you.  At least you could get things gift wrapped." 

This made me laugh and was a good break from the sweaty climb.  It was dispiriting to arrive for lunch all sweaty and gross feeling.  It was only a 20 minute walk, but the 100 degree incline had taken a severe toll.  After a bit, I was able to regroup and enjoy a lovely lunch with cheese, bread, quiche, wine and cake.  Conversation was engaging as well because, unlike us, P and E are multilingual, which is the greatest gift of all.