Un greve and a surprise trip to Lyon

A note came home from school yesterday - E's teacher is going to be on strike on thursday, something about pay rates for substitute teachers I think. We had been pretty careful about her not missing school - they have been so brilliant, taking a scared-witless non-French-speaking child from New Zealand and within less than 4 months, turning her into the confident, happy person I watched walking down the storm drain surrounded by friends to the rugby tournament this morning - but Al is going to Lyon for a couple of days this week and it just seemed like too good an opportunity to miss. With Maitresse (that is what they call the teacher) away on thursday, E would only miss friday school, and she (and I) will be able to briefly visit France's third largest city (after Paris and Marseilles). We're going tomorrow afternoon on the train and coming back on friday, so it's just 48 hours. We hope to see the Christmas market, of course, and the Musee de civilisation Gallo-romaine. One of my neighbours told me that Lyon was the capital of Gaul, so it should be interesting. I will be taking the camera of course, and will hopefully have some pictures to post when we get back.