Originally posted on July 16, 2012 by Canicus

From Rome to Lyon

Today was the transfer from Rome, Italy, to Lyon, France. No photos today, although I guess I could have gotten some airplane window shots of the snow-capped Alps. Then there could have been some shots of the architecture of the corn, harvested hay and industry between Saint-Exuprey and Gare Part-Dieu.

Lyon was once known as Lugdunum, established as a Roman administrative center by Julius Caesar. This was also one of the cities in which Rome operated mints, a few of which coins have ended up in my collection.

Lyon also has an important connection in Christian history. It was here that Irenaeus was bishop. One of the 2nd century Greek Fathers (that is, he wrote in Greek) he knew Polycarp who, it is said, knew the apostle John. This sort of apostolic connection plays a role in one of Irenaeus’ works, “Against Heresies” in which he refutes Gnostic heresies. One of his arguments is that one must look to those sees where the tradition received from the apostles is taught. He uses the Church of Rome as an example. He also argues for the evidence of the four gospels as preserving the apostolic faith. At one time scholars rejected the descriptions of Gnostic belief.

Tomorrow I hope to visit some of the Roman remains in Lyon and the Roman Museum here.

Hotel stories. I left wake up calls at the two previous hotels to be sure I was up early enough to catch my transportation to the next city. Neither actually made the calls. Fortunately, I woke up on my own without the calls.

This seems to be the nicest hotel so far. But like the hotel in Rome, the lobby isn’t on the ground floor. The hotel in Rome was in a building with three hotels. There was no lobby for any of them on the ground floor – which is floor 0 in Europe. The lobbies for the hotels were on floors 1, 2 and 5. (I think there was a floor 6.) The hotel in Lyon has an elevator on floor 0 to the lobby, which is on floor 1. Different elevators go to the other floors of the hotel. To make life interesting floor 1 (the lobby floor) is floor 0 for the hotel. My room is on floor 3, which means I am on the fifth floor.

WiFi is free here, but seem to be flaky. It was working before I went to dinner, but now I can’t connect. I may have to try the lobby to post this.

Canicus Modius