Les Aventures of Madame Beaubien: Confluence

In Lyon, the Confluence is the meeting point downriver between the Saône and the Rhone Rivers. The Lyonnaise seem to dwell on the Confluence. Actually, it was a very industrial area and over the past 15 years or so, the city's Chamber of Commerce converted this area into a shopping center and a museum area.

I walked all the way to the end of the point that marks the Confluence (see photo above) and ceremoniously dipped my hand in the water to become "a part of Lyon," a city I have come to love very much over the past month.

 

Here is an aerial photo of the Confluence.



 

 

And, a close-up of the point.

 

The city erected a sculpture near the Confluence with its motto, "Only Lyon" and its signature lion mascot.  


By the way, the name of Lyon has nothing to do with lions. It is a shortened form of Lugdunum, one of the most important cities of the Roman Empire outside of Rome itself. Nevertheless, the area has been inhabited since pre-historic times. For background on its ancient history, see my blog post on the Gallo-Roman Museum (coming soon).

This very odd-shaped building is Le Musee des Confluences. It is built at the tip of land where the Saône (on the left and the slow river) and Rhône Rivers (on the right) meet: thus, the confluence.

The museum houses very creative exhibits of natural history, evolution, the solar system, anthropology--and even an Antarctica exhibit, which I liked the best. 

Here are some of the other exhibits.