Lyon: First Signs of Spring

Lyon's Spring has gotten off to a slow start this year, and only yesterday, with almost two weeks having trailed on since the vernal equinox, did the first sign of the season appear at the markets. They aren't there and we're slogging through rain and drear smudged with a winter that won't let go, then suddenly like the daffodils, they appear, organic swirls of bright color punctuated by the gauzy dance of the tips of their roots, freshly pulled, glistening in cool damp morning sun. I think that since the skies are generally overcast when they arrive, their color, the first really vibrant color coming from the producers' stands, hits us all like a drug. Everyone feels better. (I took this photo with my phone while out with my students!)