When we left Bourgoin-Jallieu we drove awhile on the superhighway for an hour but decided to get off, slow down and see some of the French countryside, not to mention saving fifty dollars in tolls. As much as I was wowed by the smooth and very fast expressway I found the constant and very expensive tolls draining on our dwindling Euros. We were going through the Ain and Jura regions, just south of Dijon, and on either side of us rolling fields of yellow mustard flowers were our companions, contrasting with the dark green fields of grass and thickets of trees. It was a beautiful drive and very calming after the high speeds of A7. We left the Dijon area behind and a few hours later were in Moselle, the city of Nancy coming into view. Then as the sun was setting low on the horizon we drove into the outskirts of Metz. I immediately began to remember familiar street names, the cobbled streets, and the old stone buildings as we drove down rue Lafayette to our hotel. The Bristol, across from the huge Gare de Metz, would be our home for the next three days. gws
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| Metz! Almost dark, off for dinner |
