Day 13, Part 1 - 31st January - Vienne
Previously posted: Palestinians sexually harassed by Israeli women
This day, I went to Vienne, a town near Lyon. I told people that I was going to Vienne, and some were shocked - because in French, "Vienne" is also Vienna.
Actually I could've gone to Orange or Arles, less than 3 hours away by train on the same line I was taking to Vienne, but I was taking it slow this trip. I intended to do Orange and Arles in the future (and have).
Lyon in the Snow (7:40am)
Lyon in the Snow (8:04am)
"Reserved. Are you sure that this place is reserved for you?"
Vienne: Snow Angel at SNCF station
Memorial to "symbol of French youth cowardly assassinated by Fascists" in 1936
Of course, this plaque was sponsored by the Socialists. I'm quite sure this has links to the Spanish Civil War.
Garden of 8 May 1945 (VE Day)
Roman Walls, in shopping centre
"Le Mange Debout" = Eating on your feet
I looked inside and there were chairs
"The beauty of being loved. To each love its beauty"
Love is beauty?
Archaeological garden of Cybele
River. Yeah, it was still snowing.
"Ti Dodo" place selling Mauritian food. I checked and today it was tandoori chicken, so I decided not to have any.
Rue de la Charite
If you noticed the woman taking photos in the bottom right, you're not alone. So did I.
Snowed in vegetation
Snow Flowers
Rue Mirmande
Woo shop with magnetism therapy
The first site proper was the Roman Theatre.
At almost 11am, I was the first visitor of the day.
On the theatre
Roman theatre. And telephone booth. "Mom, I need to call you to tell you about this place I'm at now"
Theatre.
Tunnel
Plaque for 1938 restoration
I would've climbed up more but it was more of the same, and the snow made it hard to walk.
Houses
"Snow, then temperatures of up to -14 degrees C in Nord-Isère" (the region)
Yeah, it was COLD.
I popped into a bakery:
I had the Sacristin, a twisty flaky pastry with almond. It was excellent - flaky/crumbly like Le Cafe's old cheese sticks.
Also note the types of baguette.
Public toilet... that only opens till 1pm in winter (???)
Also you can clean carpets there from April to June on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9-19h (too bad if you don't work in Vienne)
Pool in toilet
Sign in French and... Turkish
Rules. For the toilet.
Mosaic in toilet. Maybe it was a replica.
"Panta: clothe all legs!"
Town Hall Square
Trilingual sign: English, German, French
This ad says they go up to H-cup, but their website "Lingerie in the large cup sizes? PrimaDonna, the acclaimed fit" proclaims they stock I cups.
"Baker. It's a profession"
"Why desire comes and goes. Exclusive: Women's real sexual life"
Cheap waffles!
Dog Universe "for all races [of dog]"
The pink doggie sofa is, erm...
Impasse Quinquinet
Church and cloister of St André
Church door
Buttresses
On the abbey
Interestingly, a document on the abbey's 6th century foundation was contradicted by historical reality and shown to be a 9th century forgery to bolster the Church's claims against the Emperor.
Diagram
"In the heart of the kingdom of Burgundy"
Painting details
On cloisters
Cloisters
Capitals
"Return to antiquity"
On Roman inspiration
Funerary inscriptions
Obituary
Cloisters
On the abbey
The church itself was locked. I mentioned this to the guy at the counter in the cloisters, and he gave me the key. Visiting the church, I found out the reason why it was not on the bona fide tourist route - it was really plain and boring. But alright, I got the experience of locking and unlocking a church door. Too bad I was not a hunchback.
"Circles of Silence"
At first I thought this was about abortion or something, but it's actually about illegal immigration.
Annoyingly http://www.cercledesilence.info/ leads to a page in Japanese about the 10,000 hours of practice rule
Nave
40% by the State, 20% by the Region, 20% by the Department, 20% by the City
Restoration - with no EU money. Wow.
Perhaps one could say that this is an example of the State crowding out private enterprise.
Castle on hill (Château de La Bâtie). I did not bother to climb up, not least because of the snow.
River