France: Vienne

Leaving Dubrovnik turned out to be problematic this time. Our evening flight from Dubrovnik to Lyon was canceled after an hour delay due to window gusts. Easyjet rescheduled us on a flight that was six days out (to Nice, then Lyon). We decided enough of Easyjet and at 2AM, four hours before departure time, bought ourselves new tickets on Air France: Dubrovnik to Zagreb to Paris to Lyon. After a couple of delayed flights, we arrived at Lyon airport 18 hours later than our original Easyjet arrival time. A tram and train ride took us to Vienne.

We had wanted to come to Vienne, on the Rhone River, because of its Roman ruins. They have a theater, a temple, a circus monument, and more. We didn't have time to see the Musée Gallo-Romain on the other side of the Rhone. Vienne itself has an unloved feel, not exactly abandoned. It ranks at the bottom of all French towns we've spent the night.

Getting out of Vienne wasn't easy. The bus we were leaving on never came. Worse yet, we couldn't decide whether Google Maps had the location wrong or the bus was affected by protests in Lyon. Now we are experienced at throwing money at our transport problem. We Ubered to Givors Station and caught our train to Le Puy-en-Velay.

"So long Dubovnik" as we finally take off.


" Hello Zagreb!" (1st below) as we again, like at lake Bled, are unintentionally recreating our 2001 route. Not to mention Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport, also revisited. (2nd below).




Happy to be on the train from Lyon to Vienne, 18 hours late.


The next morning we beelined to the Tourist Office, behind which is a section of the old Roman Road.


And a few blocks away is the Pyramid of Vienne which marks the center of the middle barrier of the Ancient Roman Circus/ Hippodrome track. Wow!




Ancient Roman Temple of Augustus and Livia


Vienne sits on both banks of the Rhone River.


The tourist office gave us the tip to walk up to the Chapelle Notre-Dame de la Salette Belvedere for a free look at the Ancient Roman Theatre and the town. In addition the views to Vienne and the Rhone below are magnificent.






View to Cathédrale Saint-Maurice de Vienne.


View to Musee Gallo- Roman.


We walked back down to town and had a brief look at the Roman Theatre through a hole in the fence.


And walked through the ruins of the Gallo-Roman Forum, now the popular Cybèle Archaeological Garden, on the way home.




The imposing Cathédrale Saint-Maurice de Vienne which features a WWI Memorial with an Art Deco relief of Saint Maurice (3rd below), and pilasters repurposed from Roman buildings (4th below).