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Travel dates: July 26- August 8, 2022
Solo train ride from Lyon to Avignon, July 26.
Travel is like many other things in
life – we get what we put into it. So much of the pleasure of travel is the
dreamy anticipation: plotting the route, learning the history and culture,
imagining the sights, and stumbling upon new discoveries. But what about travel
life after a global pandemic?
Our world was shut down for 2.5 years, when a mysterious global
coronavirus altered our lives in ways we never imagined. Our personal and
travel lives were abruptly retooled, realigned, and put on hold indefinitely.
For months, we could only connect with friends and business associates over
Zoom, WhatsApp, and FaceTime; and certainly, travel was restricted, and
international borders were closed. Our life was reimagined into something
we didn’t choose. There was plenty of angst; the who, what, when, and where with
the pandemic crisis looming for months and years to come.
The countdown app on
my iPhone reads 883 days since my last international travel adventure.
Today in 2022, things are looking brighter and hopeful, and the anticipation of
travel has returned to this solo traveler, and she is off to revisit the south
of France. Where I will travel by plane, train, or foot, and eventually join a
European River Cruise on the Rhône River.
As borders reopen and
the method we exchange travel documents, check-in at airports, and border
control has been changed forever; packing one’s patience is essential. Forging
ahead into this journey is exciting once again. Travel lifestyles are changing,
and we will adapt.
My travel adventure
begins by arriving in Lyon, France, where I board the TGV inOui going south to
Avignon. It has been thirteen years since I’ve been in the South of France, so
renewing my memories and solo travel is top of mind. The train makes three station
stops en route; Valence considered the gateway to the South of France and the
capital of Drome in the Rhone valley, and Montélimar, where Chateau des
Adhemar reigns over the city, and the third
station stop at Orange, where it is famous for its Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines.
It's a pleasant ride
with all the amenities one would need for a 90-minute train ride, a first-class
assigned seat, free Wi-Fi, charging plugs, electrical outlets at each seat, and
a window view into the French countryside.
Opéra Théâtre d'Avignon
