La fête des lumières...

... is spectacular event in Lyon on the 8th of December. Hence, we went there yesterday by bus (great offer through school for all Erasmus students only 15 euros). We left Chambé at almost five o'clock and took almost two hours (usually it is one) because it was so busy.

I don't even know where to start... maybe that it was insanely crowded I am guessing at least 3 Mil people (reminded me of my New Years in New York with 5 Mil people, I hated it back then). Nonetheless it was different, maybe my companions were the reason for that.

To give you guys an idea what this event was about, you have to imagine the following: several houses which are equipped with projectors that project videos on house facades. Suppose a house's normal outline, but because a picture is projected against it, it all the sudden seems to fall apart.

Many illusions, thanks to incredible light technolgy, were created and let your mouth stand open. Moreover, every street in the center has different lights hanging between the two housefronts from butterflies to chandaliers or abstract lights there was everything. In the center square of Lyon there were huge and very colorful balloons high up in the air and combined with a ferries wheel right next to it drew a great amount of people to it.
The Bastille (a big cathedral on top of the hill) was lit up in blue and offered a great sound and light spectacle to stage thunder and a scene of mozart's symphony. Onto another building they projected a flipper game. Believe me all of this was so impressive that all words and pictures in the world could not describe it. 

Even UNICEF had thousands of tealights forming there logo and name. One could buy them for 2 euros for a good cause, it felt just normal to buy one. I might sign up for UNICEF next year, there are really people who need money to survive and to us this is just something so small and minor that everybody should actually consider donating. Most impressive though was that many people put (colored) tealights in their window frames or balconys due to the occassion of the event. Somehow they had such a great meaning!!

Right after we arrived we tried to find something to eat, Demi and I really wanted pizza, but at some point we had to split up because Emmy and Linda didn't care and Demy and I still wanted pizza, no way to find something like that when you really "need" it ;) By coincidence we found probably the best Christmas market I have ever been to. It was so nicely decorated and all the stands had extravagant jewelery, crafts, tea, wooden figuers and food. Deems and I ended up first eating a Brezel and afterwards German "Spätzel" (for those of you who don't know them, they are a type of pasta). I think Deems didn't really like them (at least not without any sauce) ;) After we met Linda and Emmy again we went back there and spent at least another two hours there. From trying Glühwein and munching cutton candy, crepes and marcrons (French speciality) we pretty much did it all.


Many times I found myself being caught in the moment of creating one of the last memories of my Erasmus semester in France. I felt weird and yeah frankly sad. Not just the lights made that night perfect but actually spending it with the people I cared for most in the last 3 and a half months. I am really grateful for these hours!

The night ended with a hot chocolate at Starbucks and Maroni (big hot nuts) and our bus returning to Chambé at almost 2 am. What a fabulous and memorable night! :)