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Walking Toward French Fluency
Almost every Wednesday morning at about 8:40, regardless of the weather, I left our apartment on Rue Sala in Lyon’s 2eme arrondissement and after a few blocks, crossed Place Antonin Poncet, once home to the Hôpital de la Charité (Charity Hospital), built in 1622. It now houses a memorial to the Armenian Genocide, several cafés, and at the end closest to the Rhône River, Paul Bocuse’ Brasserie Le Sud and a lovely fountain.
Bisecting the Place, I headed north on Rue des Marronniers, a narrow, pedestrian-only route about one block long filled on each side with restaurants and popped out on Rue de la Barre. By this time of the day traffic was starting to hum and commuters riding bicycles and scooters or on foot were bustling towards their destinations.
If I was lucky, at the corner of Rue de la Barre and Quai Docteur Gailleton, I would hit the crossing light just right and continue my journey across Pont de la Guillotière (Guillotière Bridge) from which I was able to witness the changing personality of the river, particularly after a hard rain. Making it to other side of the Rhône, I turned left and descended a set of concrete bleachers down to the wide esplanade of the river. Here, it was important to pay close attention, as in the morning, late afternoon and on weekends, commuters and recreationists on bikes and scooters are whizzing by, not necessarily paying attention to pedestrians.
Luckily, the esplanade is divided into a pedestrian path and another reserved for bikes and scooters. So, once I arrived at the pedestrian path I felt more at ease.
The purpose of my short walk (about one kilometer/.62 miles) was to meet up with my friend Djamila, who I met after placing a notice on Nextdoor seeking French-English conversation exchange and walking partners. Over our first coffee, Djamila and I immediately hit it off and, although she wasn’t interested in speaking English, she was interested in regular walks. Thus began our nearly weekly ritual.
Djamila lives on the opposite side of the Rhône from where we were living, so it was perfect to meet up on the esplanade at 9:00 a.m. From there we walked north to the fabulous Parc de la Tête d’Or at the northern end of Lyon’s 6eme arrondissement.
There are several houseboats and bar/restaurant barges docked along the esplanade and nice playgrounds spaced between Pont de la Guillotière and the Parc. Green spaces and seating areas abound and on weekends, the area becomes a mecca for strolling, picnics, and families taking advantage of outdoor places to play.
As we walked along at a brisk pace, Djamila and I chatted in French about a wide range of topics. For the first several months, I may have understood about 70% of what she was saying. But, as we continued our walks and I grew more accustomed to her way of speaking and cadence, increasingly, I understood more. For me, one of the most challenging aspects of learning a new language is speaking. I can often understand way more than I can explain. However, due to our nearly weekly get togethers, my vocabulary grew by leaps and bounds and I naturally became more conversant.
Our walk passed through the beautiful golden gates of the 117-hectare (289 acres) park and up the middle walkway. The park – a treasure trove in any season -- features a large central lake with a café on its western bank and, in warmer months, paddle and other boats to ply its waters. The park also includes a botanical garden, rose gardens, large glass greenhouses, playgrounds, beautifully landscaped areas, carousels, amusement areas featuring mini-karts and mini-boats and a zoo. There are two trains that traverse the park – one on a fixed rail line and the other called Le Lézard du Parc (Park Lizard) that circles around the park on wheels.
Djamila and I usually did a half-circuit of the park, looping around in a counterclockwise fashion and ending up back at the gates where a welcoming café awaits. There is a small inside area for seating when inclement weather strikes, and an equally nice outside patio. Our habit was to order noisettes (macchiato) and continue our chat face-to-face. My French comprehension improved dramatically when we sat across from each other!
Once finished with our coffees, we retraced our steps back along the Rhône and parted near where we began. There is something about being outside, walking with a friend, enjoying the fresh air in a relaxing way that is both very special and very conducive to improving language fluency. I highly recommend it!