The lion city...(4/9)

If I have to tick out Paris, I take a deep thought. My beloved city in France? France means much more to me now and the place configures the missing part of my perception about the bits and pieces in this world...well I would consider Grenoble the best city, because of its way of modernisation in infrastructure and the preservation of natural tranquility. Facing a snow mountain can purify a certain contaminated idea and complexity. And then, I would choose also Lyon as a nice city in the hexagon. As the third time within a year to visit the city, Lyon still offered me a rich constitution of warm welcome and fine surprises. Working for its flagship international event of the year, visitors and business people from different countries flooded into the heart of the animal King, and me apart from the installation at the working place, I did 'ride' on the unique bicycle troop of Velo'v in the city to locate and dislocate myself in the map of diversity.

Lyon is intercepted by two rivers named le Saône and le Rhone, and like Koblenz, it has a confluence of two rivers confronting each other. Vieux Lyon maintains quite some buildings of the Middle Age in the 13th century, and the traditional stone-patched horse roads connect the districts into a collage of stories. In each of my visits, I did have a chance to explore and experience the different part of the city, but then the limited time pull me away from a few places I would like to go such as the printing museum, the art gallery, the Lumière Museum and the facade paintings etc. Velo'v is the most acclaimed system for me in Lyon, and the 30-min displacement cycling allowed me to reckon the city in a specific displacement pattern. The network is developed and funded by JCDecaux, "mais oui", this should be a very interactive mobile billboard for advertising.

Biochemistry and medical services are important sectors in Lyon, so as the appear-to-be-obsolete textile industry. When I recall the carpet paintings and silk designs I found in different palaces and chateaux in France, I would recognise the taste of Josephine (see http://zirhc.blogspot.com/2005/08/french-garment-industry-with.html) or the smell of linen favour the royal French enjoyed.

Lyonaises appear to be kind and frank to me, or at least it is the capital of Rhone rather than a capital of the country. The city is touristy, and outdoors lighting design is unique in Lyon. I just have yet a chance to witness the annual lighting night here. The panoramic view from Fourvière is always magnificent to me, and in line with all the European style of vision to the community and the living world, its top view minimises the existence of citizen but symbolises the religious power to the civilisation. Watching the lining troop of flying birds on the spacious sky, there is just room for a meditated moment of breathless freedom.