Lyon, France

A few weekends ago I visited my sister in Lyon. While Lyon isn't the largest of towns, it is old enough to have old French charm with some modern conveniences. We mostly walked around enjoying the beauty of the city, having plenty of Kir Royale's, and enjoying spending time together. You can take a 'tram' of sorts up to the old city at the top of a hill. It's full of picturesque cobble-stone streets. Unfortunately we arrived to late to go into the old cathedral there. On the modern conveniences front, they do have a subway/metro/tube/u-bahn (take your pick) system that gets you to all the major points. But even more interesting is the bike sharing system they have there. It's a system that provides bikes and bike locking stations all over the city. One might ask, what is the difference between someone buying their own bike and locking it up themselves? Well, I personally think this system encourages the usage of bicycles as a mode of transportation more than simply expecting people to have their own bike and the city providing bike racks to lock your bike to. Though we did have a bit of trouble getting a day card for me, I think it is a system worth exploring in other cities. An interesting fact is that Lyon has the headquarters for Interpol.