After Lyon, I headed to Grenoble. I met up with Noemi, a friend I had met at a workaway gig, at a sustainable home, 5 years previously. She was 3 hours late to meet me/ respond to my messages. I was close to leaving. 

I’m glad I didn’t though, this place is like a hidden gem.

The day that I arrived was the French national day. We went out to see a firework display.

The next morning we headed out to the Drac river which runs by the city. It’s such a luxury to have a clean river nearby to go swimming in. Pity this phenomena is so unusual these day. 

That night I headed out to the yearly Cabaret Frappe festival. 

The next day I had a bike ride around town. This is a really cool town. They are generous with their bike lanes. On one main street, the centre of the road is reserved for bikes, instead of cars. There is lots of art throughout the city. I came across a park that was hosting public tango lessons. 
Later I met up with Noemie who showed me the local University, a building made out of mud bricks, and another river. 

When I was at the the Cabaret festival the previous evening, I had met a girl from Venezuela named Ari. She invited us to meet some of her friends for brunch and games. That was fun, and the first time I had met someone from the Congo.

The next day Noemi took me to the nearby village of Sassenage. We stopped by a chateau whose grounds had become a public garden. I sat under a tree that was 200 years old.

After we heading into the mountains to look at the waterfalls. 

The pictures don’t do these places justice. There is a serenity that pervaded the area.