I spent a couple of days in Lyon with friends recently – and what a gem of a city it is for a short break. Pretty, walkable, and full of energy, it’s the perfect mini-escape just a hop over the water.

As the group’s only French speaker, it turned into a bit of a linguistic mission, too. French was actually the first foreign language I ever met – but somewhere along the way, I left it behind for other loves. Lately, though, it’s crept back into my life, especially for quick trips like this. France is just so temptingly close, and being able to handle day-to-day French opens so many doors (and menus!).

In Lyon, that turned out to be more than just handy – it was essential. English wasn’t the fallback, and rightly so. A bit of practical French went a long way in shops and restaurants. I even dared to shake off the phrasebook stiffness this time, swapping the trusty je voudrais for a breezier on va prendre. Oh, I was flying with gallic flare, well beyond my ken… Credit to ChatGPT here, actually – it’s brilliant for providing colloquial alternatives to given situations on demand.

As always, one of my favourite ways to learn is by looking up – and around. Street signs and storefronts are rich with real-world language, and Lyon didn’t disappoint. I came back with a camera roll bursting with quirky and useful French, like this little gem:

Au pied dans l’plat – a fun-looking cabaret bar in Lyon

This bar’s name – Au pied dans l’plat – caught my eye straight away. A foot in the dish? Turns out it’s a cheeky twist on the idiom mettre les pieds dans le plat. This is the French equivalent of “putting your foot in it” – who knew ‘it’ was a dish? Perfect pun fodder for a cabaret joint, and a reminder that idioms don’t just survive in textbooks – they live and breathe on the high streets.

Lyon gave me a little French confidence boost – and a reminder that language learning’s at its best when it’s out in the wild, not just on the page. À la prochaine, belle France!