Apartment hunting (my feet hurt)

We've been in Lyon only a little over 24 hours, and we've already walked - walked - over 8 miles.  That is, we walked 8 miles just today hunting for the elusive perfect apartment.  Not too expensive, not too small, not too far away from the university, not old and worn, not too new and brutal.  Must be close to a supermarket, but please not the top floor of a walk-up, sans ascenseur (those teeny, narrow elevators that have been inserted in 100+-year-old European apartment buildings).  Such a place may or may not exist.

On the TGV to Lyon.  Before the stress really set in...

Au revoir for now, Provence!

And a really old church on a hill.

We saw four places today, each one surprisingly better than the last.  Renting an apartment in France is très,  très, très compliqué.  France has a Craigslist equivalent called LeBonCoin.  Both private and agency rentals can be found on this site, and it's just as unreliable, sketchy, and filled with hidden gems as is Craigslist.  This week, we're staying at an apartment we found on AirBnB.  This apartment happens to be perfect for everything we want.  Ideally located, big enough for two people (an actual bedroom, and not an alcove off the living room, as we've seen in many ads), an equipped kitchen, and even separate spaces for desks.  The wood floors, lighting, walls, etc are in great condition.  We asked the girl who rents it how much she pays and how she found it - on LeBonCoin (sight unseen!!!) and 590€ a month... a little out of our range, but still, it gives us hope that we can find something, something that checks all our boxes by Friday.  I secretly hope the girl who rents this place will decide to move to Lisbon while she's en vacances there, and we can take this place...

The living area of the AirBnB apartment.

If one has no luck with LeBonCoin, one is stuck renting through an agency.  Agencies are also a bit hit or miss, but they pile charge upon charge on every rental.  Also, if a prospective renter can't pay a first year's rent up front, a guarantor is required to sign and provide a guarantee that rent will be made with no problem.  Sure, we have co-signers in the US.  My parents co-signed my first place in DC, no problem.  In France, it's totally normal and expected that two students would need a guarantor.  No biggie.  Thing is, the guarantor has to be physically in France.  No biggie: not so much.  Now neither Ben's nor my parents can co-sign, and we have to scrounge up a guarantor post-haste before we lose out on the one apartment we really liked today.

Still, I think we accomplished a lot in one day.  We saw four places, got pretty intimate with the agency rental process, and still had room for margaritas with dinner.  I swear, Lyon is a really pretty city - I just haven't noticed yet since my head is wrapped around wood flooring, monthly utility costs, and a guaranteed guarantor.  While walking home from dinner, I had to stop myself and realize, "this is my home now.  This is where I'll be living for at least the next year.  I'm not a tourist, this is my city."

The Rhône River, walking to the old city Lyon.

This is my city now.

Tomorrow brings another day on the hunt.  We have a few more places lined up to see this week, but our hope is that we find something before Friday.  I hope the universe is reading this: it would be GREAT to find a place before my birthday *hint hint*.