Musee Gallo Romain

Posted on 14 April, 2012 by Graham Miln

The Musee Gallo Romain at Fourviere, Lyon, is a museum showcasing the Roman past of the Rhône region in France. The museum is located next to two impressive amphitheatres.

One of Lyon's amphitheatres

We have been to the museum a few times over the years and the exhibits no longer grab my attention. I find the collection difficult to absorb; it lacks an easy narrative to follow and guide you along.

Detail of Roman carving

Collection of Roman era glass bottles

What continues to delight is the building itself. It is a five story concrete monster embedded inside a hill. The walls, floors, and ceilings flow around and down to guide the visitor from the first floor to the fifth floor below. The building is full of smooth curves and arches.

Spiral staircase inside Musee Gallo Romain in Lyon

Flowing concrete structure of the Roman museum in Lyon

I had fun putting together a short film of the museum. I am continuing to play with my camera to learn what works and what does not. The resulting film is below and available in High Definition on YouTube.

This is my first film that uses music licensed from MobyGratis.com. The sound track makes a huge difference to this film. I deeply appreciate Moby’s project to help non-commercial film makers gain access to high quality music.

The Progression of Spring

Posted on 12 April, 2012 by Megan Miln

The first spring flowers started to appear about a month ago, and we have seen a steady stream of blooms since.

Poppies in centre of a tree lined boulevard

The most surprising thing for me has been watching the progression of the flowers. Each variety seems to bloom for a brief week or two before being replaced by something new.

A poppy amongst spring flowers

The daffodils, which were the first to poke up through the grass, have now mostly gone. Next were the flowering trees, covered in pink and white blossoms that have since been replaced by bright new leaves.

And this week, the gardens are filled with opening poppies swaying at the slightest breeze.

Newly opened poppies

Green is Returning

Posted on 9 April, 2012 by Graham Miln

Having arrived in a bleak winter freeze I have been keen to see the return of greenery to the trees and plants around the city. The last two weeks have fulfilled my wish and suddenly greenery is emerging everywhere.

The once frozen lake of the main park in Lyon, Parc de la Tête d’Or, is now surrounded by vivid green grass.

Grass next to the lake in Lyon's main park

Greenery in Parc de la Tête d'Or, Lyon

Most welcome of all is the return of greenery on the trees lining the boulevards of Lyon.

Tree lined boulevard in Lyon

First green leaves showing on a boulevard in Lyon

Both the boulevard photos above were taken at lunchtime over Easter weekend when the city was unnervingly quiet. I was able to stand in the middle of normally busy streets to capture moments impossible on any other day.

Turtles in Parc de la Tête d’Or

Posted on 9 April, 2012 by Graham Miln

Parc de la Tête d’Or has a sizeable collection of turtles in a pond near the field of deer.

My understanding, is that the turtles have been given to the park by members of the public who are no longer allowed to keep them as pets. This pond is an anonymous drop off point for these now illegal pets.

Turtle lifting itself out of the water

The limited sun bathing areas are crowded with turtles and they try to crawl all over each other. The resulting slow speed collisions and collapses draw a constant crowd of spectators.

Turtle swimming with its head just out of the water

Turtles swimming in a pool

Palm Sunday

Posted on 1 April, 2012 by Graham Miln

The Roman Catholic Church is celebrating Palm Sunday today. For the last week, street stalls have appeared near churches selling palm fronds and cuts of another plant. Given the large number of people carrying the greenery this lunch time, I imagine at least some stalls are doing a good trade.

Street stall outside Basilique de Fourvière

We walked up to Basilique de Fourvière passing a handful of marshals guiding the Urban Trail runners. We only saw a few runners and they looked suitably exhausted for their efforts.

Basilique de Fourvière is still being renovated inside, so the opportunity to peek in at the scaffolding was unexpected. The church was open and a service was ongoing.