River Cruise Diary – Lyon, France – Day 2

Cathedral of St. John,

Lyon, France (26 April 2006)

Our second day in Lyon was one with no organized plan. We were on our own to wander and explore whatever appealed to us. Of course, for me, that meant getting inside the city’s grand Gothic cathedral. The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, completed in 1480, was begun three hundred years earlier.

Cathedral of St. John,

Lyon, France (26 April 2006)

Cathedral of St. John,

Lyon, France (26 April 2006)

Although it has some Romanesque features, the church has retained a consistent Gothic appearance despite the three-century construction period.

Place des Terreaux, Lyon, France (26 April 2006)

The Place des Terreaux has existed since the 13th century. It fronts the Lyon City Hall and was the site of beheadings during the French Revolution. A notable feature of the square is the Bartholdi Fountain.

 

Bartholdi Fountain [1892],

Place des Terreaux, Lyon, France (26 April 2006)

Frederic Auguste Bartholdi is the French sculptor who created our Statue of Liberty. His Lyon fountain depicts a feminine ‘France’ riding a chariot of natural elements and controlling the four great rivers of the country with reins made of water weeds.

 

Beaux Arts Museum, Lyon, France (26 April 2006)

Also facing the Place des Terreaux is the Fine Arts Museum. Formerly a Benedictine convent, the museum building dates to the 17th century.

Beaux Arts Museum, Lyon, France (26 April 2006)

A ten-year restoration of the museum ended in 1998. It showcases collections from antiquity to modern times, making it one of the most important museums in Europe.

Fontaine des Jacobins, Lyon, France (26 April 2006)

We wandered into another square, the Place des Jacobins, a French name for followers of St. Dominic. Dominicans occupied buildings on one side of the square since 1296. The Jacobins fountain grew in fits and starts from 1856 to 1885. It is dedicated to ‘Art’ and features a French sculptor, engraver, architect and painter from different periods.

Siren [1884] by Eungene Delaplanche,

Fontaine des Jacobins, Lyon, France (26 April 2006)

Personally, I prefer the wet nymphs that surround the lower pool.

Cathedral of St. John,

Lyon, France (26 April 2006)

From Lyon, we left the Rhone to move up its tributary, the Saône River. We were all up on the top deck to enjoy the illuminated buildings as we sailed away from the city into the night.

Low Bridge, Lyon, France (26 April 2006)

As you can see, the sun deck awnings were taken down because some of the bridges left little room to spare. The larger river boats are unable to navigate this channel, so tours no longer continue up the Saône. I’m glad we took this trip when we did.

The final cruise stop will be in the town of Chalon sur Saône.

River Cruise Diary – Lyon, France – Day 1

The Symbol of Lyon (25 April 2006)

In ‘Vieux Lyon’, the Old Quarter, one can find one of many

lion statues. This one is in front of the House of Counselors,

now the Museum of Miniatures and Cinema Décor.

On Tuesday, 25 April, we sailed to Kilometer 0, the end of the navigable Rhone River and its confluence with the Saône River, where we would sail further the following evening. We had covered 282 km (169 river miles) in four days.

We boarded a bus for a tour around the city and to a neighborhood that dates back 2000 years when the Roman settlement called Lugdunum became the capital of Gaul. After the Empire collapsed, the city continued to thrive, given its location on two rivers that were the main trading routes of the day. The connection to the sea, Italy and the east enabled Lyon to weather the Dark Ages and attract diverse talent that contributed to the Renaissance and modern development. The city that was the hub of French resistance during WW II is now the country’s third largest and the center of French cuisine.

Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière,

Lyon, France (25 April 2006)

Our first stop was the 19th century Fourvière Basilica. After the solid, dark and ancient Romanesque churches and a few threadbare Gothic chapels, it was the first grand, gaudy church we saw on the trip.

Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière,

Lyon, France (25 April 2006)

A blend of Romanesque and Byzantine architecture, the building has four towers that earned it a nickname - the upside-down elephant, because it can be likened to the beast with four legs pointed upward.

Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière,

Lyon, France (25 April 2006)

Completed in 1884 with private funds, the grateful faithful wanted an edifice dedicated to the Virgin Mary, who they credit with saving the city from the Black Plague in 1643, a cholera epidemic in 1832, and the invading Prussians in 1870.

The Wall of Weavers

Lyon, France (25 April 2006)

Lyon is also known for its outdoor murals. Here is ‘Les Mur des Canuts’, the largest mural in Europe. ‘Canut‘ means ‘weaver.’ It depicts ordinary life in this neighborhood in the 19th century, when half of Lyon’s working population was employed by the silk industry.

This Old House,

Lyon, France (25 April 2006)

A building of no particular significance has this sculpture.

It essentially says the house dates to 1684…pretty cool

since nothing around my neighborhood is older than 1975.

The lion statue at the top and this decorative installation are in the old quarter of Lyon. ‘Vieux Lyon’ is at the foot of Fourviére Hill and dates to the Renaissance period. In the 1950’s, the neighborhood was in poor shape and the yay-hoo mayor at the time wanted to demolish it all to build an expressway. Fortunately, saner minds prevailed, restoration progressed, and it is now a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Nightfall on the Rhone

Lyon, France (25 April 2006)

The French like to light up their monumental buildings and bridges at night. The city is known for its Festival of Lights, a four-day December celebration of all the times the Blessed Virgin saved the populace. The upside-down elephant Fourviére Basilica is in the distance.

The next day will bring more touring and free time to wander Lyon on our own.

River Cruise Diary – Scenes on the Rhone River

Old Suspension Bridge on the Rhone (24 April 2006)

Now that we’ve returned to presenting this trip, I want to see it through to the end…no more gaps in the posting. At the time, my transition to digital photography was barely a year old and this trip produced some favorite images. Before we arrive in Lyon, here are some impressions of the river between the ports of call.

One thing that has changed with Grand Circle in nineteen years…our itinerary is no longer offered. The cruise line replaced the ‘Chardonnay’ (43 passengers; see below) with a larger vessel, which I suspect cannot navigate the smaller Soane River. The current tour sails to/from Lyon in the north and Arles in the south and flies people into Lyon and Toulouse (not Nice). When we took the trip, after Lyon, we sailed another day up the Soane and ended with three nights in Paris…much better.

The ‘Chardonnay’ Docked in Lyon (25 April 2006)

Our charming old boat was first built as a commercial river boat in 1956 and converted to a passenger vessel in 2000. Designed for the river and its locks, it is 262 feet long, just 28 feet wide, and sits less than six feet underwater.

 

One Way to Enjoy the South of France,

Rhone River (23 April 2006)

Isn’t this so much better than being on a floating city with 4000

strangers out at sea with nothing to see but water and the horizon?

It was so delightful to sit in the Jacuzzi, soak in the sun, adult

beverage in hand and watch the beautiful French countryside scroll by.

There are two decks of cabins. Under this sun deck, the upper deck cabins have large windows while the lower deck cabins have round port hole views. Looking ducks in the eye confirms that much of you is below the water line.

A Porthole to the Rhone (27 April 2005)

The replacement boat accommodates twice as many passengers, is 76 feet longer, but has the same width…remember that all vessels can be no wider than the locks they must navigate.

We were fortunate to have warm, sunny days the entire week. They said that the week before, there was so much rain that the high water levels required the passengers to be bused to each town on the route. Passengers ate and slept on the moored boat, but there was none of the wonderful, leisurely, scenic travel. Major bummer. Some river cruise they paid for...

Dawn in the Nuclear Age, Saint-Alban Nuclear

Power Plant, Rhone River, France (25 April 2006)

With respect to flow, the Rhone is France’s largest river. This makes it a favorable location for power generating stations. Four nuclear power plants with a total of fourteen generating units were built along its banks.

Cooling Towers at the Cruas Nuclear Power Plant,

Rhone River, France (24 April 2006)

Completed in 2005, this mural project added an

environmentally themed image to the cooling tower.

France should get some props. Twenty-five years ago, in the eyes of some, they were pariahs…all in on nuclear power. Now that global climate is the next existential crisis, fossil fuels, even natural gas, are the bogey men. Importing Russian oil and gas is also problematic. It’s not so bad that the nation generates two thirds of its electricity this way.

Into the Mouth of the Beast,

Bollène Lock, Rhone River, France (23 April 2006)

On this leg of the trip, we passed through the highest

lock and dam on the Rhone. The boat was raised 75 feet.

Inside the Bollène Lock (23 April 2006)

Some locks accommodated our boat with inches to spare on either side.

Chateau D’Ampuis, Rhone River, France (25 April 2006)

While there are industrial sites and communities on the Rhone, there are also farms, vineyards and forested stretches that make the journey feel remote and wild. Among the magnificent historic properties on the river is Chateau D’Ampuis. Dating to the 12th century, the complex was home to aristocratic families until it fell into disrepair in the 20th century. An eleven-year renovation has restored the chateau which is now the headquarters of the Guigal wine label.

In our next post, we feature Lyon.

River Cruise Diary – Tournon, France

After extolling European river cruising in 2020, I posted twelve stories (June 2 to November 20, 2020) from what was then, the most recent trip, our fourth, which sailed the Rhine and Moselle Rivers. The next trip to detail was our first, which sailed the smaller Rhone River in 2006. The most recent post, the sixth on this trip, appeared June 18, 2022.

Sorry that I abandoned that travelogue midway as my attention returned to more graves, state houses, ballparks and election ranting. The rest of this trip, my first time in France, included terrific stops in Lyon, the Burgundy wine country, and Paris. But before that, there was a less-than-exhilarating stop in Tournon, and true to the journalistic standards we have at Images and More, it is reported here.

Tournon at Night (24 April 2006)

Completed in 1825, by engineer Marc Seguin, Europe’s first

suspension bridge with iron cables spans the Rhone River.

Unlike the many suspension bridges we see in the U.S.,

it has a single tower midway across the channel.

Statue of Marc Seguin, Tournon, France (24 April 2006)

After touring Viviers, we sailed upstream to dock in Tournon for the night. This is a tidy town of 10,000, named for its towers. There was no formal sightseeing here because this was the place where passengers are met by local residents and escorted to their home-hosted dinners. This popular feature of the cruise operators is appreciated by the guests, who are briefly immersed in French language and local culture. The hosts are also interested to meet Americans and practice their English...most of them, anyway.

Tournon Castle (24 April 2006)

Built on the ruins of a tenth-century fortress, Tournon Castle

is now a museum and exhibition center.

Becky and I (along with two other couples) had a different kind of evening. Our host, a single mom with two daughters, ages ten and three, lived in a very small apartment with a tiny dining room. While the food was edible, the space was cramped and young Inez dominated the evening. The meal lasted until 11:00 PM. Between that and the cat and the nine, caged, Chilean squirrels (pets or food?), our patience was tested. It was great to walk in the night air and make our way back to the boat. We might have been the last group to return.

The next morning, as we sailed toward Lyon, all the passengers shared wonderful stories of their experiences from the night before. There were tales of fascinating homes, interesting people and references to local culture, personal vineyards, and history. The six of us agreed we had nothing positive to contribute to the discussion and remained silent. After we privately offered feedback to the tour guides, Grand Circle removed our host from the roster of local families.

While this was the low point of the trip, what we saw of Tournon was lovely and the remaining days on the river and in Paris were spectacular so, hang in there with me.

Airplane Window Seats - An Update

News Flash – TEN years ago, I posted a complaint about flying in a window seat with no window. Little did I know my seven readers got a glimpse into the future. Recently, the Washington Post reported that a class action lawsuit has been filed against two airlines for charging extra for window seats when the seats have no windows.   

Seat 15A or The Closet with No View (21 August 2015)

Silly me. When Boeing designed and built their planes, they added windows with the reasonable notion that they would line up with the rows of seating. However, the carriers have taken that basic plane body and cram-squeezed as many seats into that space as humanly tolerable. Of course, seats no longer align with windows. Get used to it. The airlines’ response to the recent challenge is to identify certain places where ductwork and electrical conduits are located. Please, child.

Older flyers can remember when there were two seats on either side of the aisle. Then it became three and two. Now, only the puddle-jumper, short-haul planes have fewer than six seats in every row.

I imagine it would be easier to avoid this litigation by simply knowing the seating plans in each plane and X-out those seats that no longer line up with a window, then stop charging extra for the insult. How hard would that be? Certainly, it is less costly than paying lawyers to defend your deception. Apparently, other airlines do that.

We’ll see where this goes. In the meantime, stay with Images and More for a head start on what should make you nuts.

Ballparks - # 27 - Coors Field, Denver, Colorado

8/18/25

Coors Field (16 August 2025)

A summer getaway took us to Denver to visit old and new friends. The lowly Colorado Rockies were home and the league-leading Dodgers began a four-game series the night I added Coors Field to my life list. While the Rockies already have a hundred losses this season, they split the series with the Dodgers after winning this game with an exciting ninth inning walk-off hit. The box score can be found at the link above.

Cornerstone, Coors Field (18 August 2025)

Coors Field was built in the Lower Downtown (LoDo) neighborhood of Denver. The team played its first two seasons in Mile High Stadium, also the home of the NFL Denver Broncos.

The Colorado Rockies began as an expansion team in 1993. In 1992, major league baseball had two divisions in each league. The American League’s East and West Divisions each had seven teams. The National League’s two divisions had six teams so the Rockies joined, along with the Florida (now Miami) Marlins, and the two leagues then organized into three divisions to better spread the teams geographically…and expand the playoffs…to make more money…and extend the season further toward the winter. Five years later, the game expanded again to its current roster of thirty teams when the Arizona Diamondbacks and Tampa Bay Rays joined the game.

(Modest) Wall of Fame, Coors Field (18 August 2025)

Like many other ballparks, Coors has a place of honor for the retired uniform numbers of star players. Like all other venues, Jackie Robinson’s number 42 is included. The ‘KSM’ honors team president Keli Scott McGregor who died suddenly in 2010 at age 47. The ‘17’ and ‘33’ recognize Todd Helton and Larry Walker, respectively. Shame we in the east did not see much of these two…who had fantastic careers with a mediocre team in an inconvenient time zone.

Both players are in baseball’s Hall of Fame. Helton, with a career batting average of .316, played first base for seventeen seasons. Walker, also a career .300 hitter and a Canadian by birth, had an awesome run. In the three seasons, 1997-99, Walker batted over .360, something no player had done since 1929-31. As I write this, the Dodger, Freddy Freeman, is leading the National League with an average of .300. We may see a league leader finish with an average below .300. This makes Walker’s three-season run over .360 even more remarkable.

Bleacher Wilderness, Coors Field (18 August 2025)

Instead of a dark wall in straight-away center field (every ballpark has some alternative to brightly clothed fans so batters can better see incoming pitches), the field has a living representation of the Rockies environment with evergreen trees and water features.

Dodger Blue Everywhere, Coors Field (18 August 2025)

It’s pretty clear that Dodger fans are everywhere. I don’t know if it’s their long storied history or the Big City vibe or their origins in New York (the Center of the Universe for many). Just as their fans outnumbered the locals in Oakland last year (as Yankee fans did when I attended the Angels game in 2022), Dodger Blue was clearly evident across the stadium this night.

Even non-baseball fans know that the altitude here makes Coors a park known for home runs and scoring. To address that (and present a better case when you try to recruit pitchers), the fences have been raised and moved back to give Coors the biggest outfield in the game…thus creating the park with more doubles and triples than most. Also, because it is the dry air more than the altitude that makes balls fly far, since 2002, a humidor room has been installed to store baseballs in an environment that mitigates that effect.

Coors Field (18 August 2025)

Again, due to its short history, few notable events have occurred here. In 2016, Ichiro Suzuki notched his 3000th hit here. Another nod to Japanese big leaguers goes to Hideo Nomo. Despite the park’s overwhelming hitter-friendly rep, the Dodger pitcher threw a no-hitter here in 1996…before fence realignments and humidor use…to date, the only no-hitter in the park’s history.

Scoreboard, Coors Field (18 August 2025)

Like most modern scoreboards, this one is ginormous and packed with information. Curiously, my slow-motion collecting of ballparks has often included Shohei Ohtani. When I visited Angels Stadium in 2022, he homered for the home team. When I saw a Tiger game at Comerica Park in 2023, he pitched a shutout for the Angels. Last year’s game in the Oakland-Alameda County Stadium, Ohtani, now a Dodger, homered again against the A’s. You’d think I was some kind of ‘Swiftie’-inspired fanboy. Just a coincidence.

Celebration, Coors Field (18 August 2025)

Not sure what to make of the team’s mascot…a purple pot-bellied triceratops. It turns out that ‘Dinger’ (cool slang name for a home run) dates to the construction of the stadium when dinosaur fossils were found in the excavation.

Thanks to Larry and Kate for making this night happen.

Shot of the Day - # 54 - Hoover Dam Art

Winged Figures of the Republic, by Oskar Hansen [1935]

Hoover Dam (11 May 2009)

In 2009, I went to Las Vegas to stink up another tournament and see some of the nearby sights. The burgeoning Vegas metropolis could not exist without the ready source of fresh water in nearby Lake Mead. And Lake Mead would not exist without Hoover Dam.

Hoover Dam is one of those great Depression-era projects that many believe we are incapable of producing anymore. By 1936, a consortium of companies completed the job two years ahead of schedule…all after figuring out how to build a dam on a scale never attempted before.

Then, like the cherry on the sundae, they added some artwork. The dam straddles the Nevada-Arizona border and on the Nevada side, you will find two bronze giants.

Shiney Toes

Winged Figures of the Republic, by Oskar Hansen [1935]

Hoover Dam (11 May 2009)

Since the toes are the only part within reach,

visitors have (of course) rubbed them to a full shine.

I’m drawn to the heroic scale, the balance and the stark depiction of this classic art deco style…and then there’s this special abstract background of the jagged canyon rock wall that anchors the dam.

The winged figures are thirty feet high. As you can see, if you want to take a top-to-bottom, all-in picture, it becomes a stick figure. Sadly, I didn’t have enough sense then to get close and shoot just the torso and head but there’s always the miracle of cropping.

Winged Figures of the Republic, by Oskar Hansen [1935]

Hoover Dam (11 May 2009)

With the bronze figure more than a half inch thick, each statue contains more than four tons of metal. The figure rests on large blocks of polished igneous diorite. The clever way the blocks and statue were placed without any damage is noteworthy. Each was first positioned on a block of ice and slowly and precisely guided into place as the ice melted.

The sculptor, a Norwegian immigrant waxed poetic that the figures represent the triumph of the American spirit. They express "the immutable calm of intellectual resolution, and the enormous power of trained physical strength, equally enthroned in placid triumph of scientific accomplishment." [emphasis added]

Maybe someone at MAGA Central can confirm that was when America was great.

One day, we will return to Lake Mead because it presents a vivid illustration of the challenges of populating the arid west. While the dam is a marvel of twentieth-century engineering, the dwindling reservoir behind it portends something far more serious.