Hello and welcome to the English Like A Native podcast.
My name is Anna and you're listening to week 36, day five of Your English Five A Day the second season.
Well, we made it to Friday.
You've had five daily doses of English language this week.
I hope that you have enjoyed it.
I say five, you haven't yet dunked today.
So let me get straight to it and bring together all the vocabulary that we've heard this week in one big story.
Are you sitting comfortably?
Then let's go.
The Snake and the City Have you ever heard of Lyon?
It's a magnificent French city that sits proudly as France's third largest metropolis.
With over half a million people calling it home.
It's a bustling urban giant, smaller only than Paris and Marseille.
Picture a city where modern life pulses through busy streets filled with cars, where the sounds of commerce and conversation create that distinctive urban symphony.
Yet Leon holds a secret that makes it truly special.
Two rivers wind gracefully through its heart, bringing unexpected pockets of green tranquility to this concrete jungle.
These riverside paths are something magical.
As you stroll along the water's edge, you'll spot birds darting between the trees, catch glimpses of various animals and, if you're particularly lucky, you might even see beavers going about their daily business.
It's remarkable how nature persists in finding its place amongst the traffic and tower blocks, almost as if these quiet corners were fragments of wilderness hidden inside the city.
This contrast between urban chaos and natural beauty was exactly what drew us to Lyon for a long weekend at the beginning of June.
We had tickets to a concert, which gave us the perfect excuse to explore this fascinating city that dwarfs our small hometown.
But this trip would prove to be far more adventurous than we'd bargained for.
This time, we decided to stay somewhere different.
Instead of the usual city centre accommodation, we booked a place in Croix-Rousse, a distinctive neighbourhood perched high on a hill overlooking Lyon.
Now I won't lie, the uphill walk can be a bit of a challenge, especially after a long day of sightseeing.
But the city's excellent public transport system offers a helping hand for weary legs, whisking visitors up the steep slopes with ease.
Croix-Rousse isn't just any old neighbourhood.
This area carries the weight of history in its elegant streets.
Once upon a time, it was the beating heart of Lyon's silk industry, where skilled weavers worked from their homes, creating the luxurious fabrics that made the city famous across Europe.
Today, those same buildings have been transformed into stunning apartments, and we were fortunate enough to secure one through Airbnb.
The area has evolved into something quite posh and trendy whilst maintaining its historic charm.
Walking through its streets felt like stepping back in time, yet with all the modern conveniences one could wish for.
We were absolutely delighted with our choice of accommodation and excited to experience Leon from this unique vantage point.
Our apartment itself was in one of those rambling old buildings with staircases that seemed to twist and turn in every direction, full of character but easy to get lost in.
After settling in and spending some time enjoying our temporary neighbourhood, we began studying the map with growing curiosity.
Leon's two rivers had caught our attention and we noticed that from our hilltop position we could potentially walk across to the western side of the city and explore the riverbank we hadn't yet discovered.
The paths along Leon's rivers are beautifully maintained, transformed into pleasant walkways that showcase the city's commitment to creating liveable urban spaces.
The plan seemed straightforward enough.
We'd walk to the edge of Kwarus, find a path down to the river and spend the afternoon exploring this new area.
Google Maps made it look deceptively simple.
We weren't far from the river after all.
How difficult could it be to find a way down?
As it turns out, considerably more difficult than we'd imagined.
Our first attempt led us to what appeared to be a promising path, only to discover it had been blocked off.
Private property signs and barriers made it clear that pedestrians were no longer welcome.
Disappointed but not defeated, we continued our search.
The second attempt brought us to a lovely park where we wandered around enjoying the greenery and wondering if perhaps there was a route down through its winding paths.
But uncertainty gnawed at us.
We couldn't quite work out where we were going, and the last thing we wanted was to spend our entire afternoon walking in circles.
Back to Google Maps we went, retracing our steps to the original blocked path.
This time we looked more carefully at our surroundings.
Ah there, tucked away near the first location, was a smaller park that we'd somehow missed on our initial reconnaissance.
Third time lucky, we told ourselves, as we discovered a staircase leading down from this smaller park.
Finally, we'd found what appeared to be our route to the river below.
The staircase was impressive in its own right.
Long steep and winding down the hillside like something from a fairy tale.
But we weren't put off by the challenging descent.
Our determination to reach that unexplored riverbank kept us moving forward, step after step, as we made our way down through the green canopy of trees.
The anticipation was building.
We could almost imagine ourselves strolling along those renovated riverbanks, perhaps finding a nice café for a rest, maybe discovering some hidden corner of Lyon that tourists rarely see.
I pictured us sitting with a thermos of coffee watching the water flow, by feeling completely at one with nature, despite being in the heart of a major city.
And then we saw it.
Stretched across the staircase, as if it owned the place, lay an enormous snake.
Not just any snake, this was a proper beast.
Easily two metres long when you considered how it was coiled and curved across the steps.
If it had been stretched out straight, it would have been even more impressive.
The creature was motionless, apparently sunbathing on the warm stone steps, completely oblivious to our presence.
We stopped dead in our tracks.
Behind us lay dozens of steps we'd already conquered, representing a significant climb back up the hill.
Ahead of us, the snake blocked our path, like a scaly toll gatekeeper.
There was technically enough space to squeeze past, but that would mean getting uncomfortably close to our unexpected encounter.
The questions raced through our minds.
What if it suddenly moved?
What if we startled it?
What if it decided we were a threat?
The thought of stumbling down the remaining steps in panic or worse, getting bitten made staying put seem like the wisest option.
So we waited, hoping the snake might decide to continue its journey elsewhere, leaving the path clear for nervous tourists.
The minutes ticked by with no movement from our reptilian friend.
Just as we were beginning to wonder if we'd be stuck there indefinitely, we noticed someone walking towards us from below.
My first thought was concern.
Surely this person would need warning about the snake.
Coming up the stairs, they probably wouldn't spot it until they were dangerously close.
But then something interesting happened.
Instead of continuing up the staircase towards us and our slithery obstacle, the person veered off onto a path we hadn't noticed before a winding route through the parkland, separated from the staircase by a fence and hidden by thick vegetation.
There's our answer, we realised.
The climb back up those stairs was every bit as arduous as expected.
But knowing we had an alternative route made each step bearable.
Soon we were following the winding path.
Our unknowing guide had shown us carefully making our way down through the trees and bushes.
Thankfully, this route proved to be completely snake-free.
Eventually, we emerged at our destination, the beautiful riverbank we'd been so determined to reach.
The afternoon had grown warm and the tree-lined walkway provided welcome shade as we finally began our delayed river walk.
Leon's commitment to creating pleasant urban spaces was evident everywhere we looked.
Thoughtfully designed paths, comfortable seating areas and that perfect blend of accessibility and natural beauty that makes a city truly liveable.
We spent the rest of the day exploring this new area of Lyon, walking through neighbourhoods we'd never seen before and eventually making our way back to our hilltop accommodation in Croix-Rousse.
The adventure had taken an unexpected turn, but it had also given us a story we'd never forget.
To this day, we still wonder about that snake.
Was it a permanent resident of the park?
Perhaps part of Leon's surprising urban wildlife?
Or was it someone's escaped pet, having its own adventure in the city?
The creature hadn't looked particularly exotic, just a large green snake that seemed perfectly at home on those stone steps.
Whatever its story, that snake had certainly made our Lyon weekend memorable.
It's funny how travel works sometimes.
You plan for culture, cuisine and concerts, but it's the unexpected encounters that often become the most treasured memories.
We'd come to Leon expecting urban sophistication and got a wild encounter that wouldn't have been out of place in the countryside.
That's the beauty of a city like Leon.
Beneath its busy metropolitan surface lies a world of surprises, where rivers bring nature into the urban landscape and where even a simple walk to the riverbank can turn into an unforgettable adventure.
Sometimes the journey really is more interesting than the destination.
And that brings us to the end of today's episode and to the end of week 36.
I do hope you have enjoyed it.
Now, if you want to take your learning further with me, you can.
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You can either join our Podcast Plus membership to have comprehension questions, writing tasks and access to our transcripts, or you can go even further and consider joining our Fluency Program.
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Until next week, take very good care of yourself.
And goodbye.
