Day 30 of our 'virtual 'bike ride. Lyon to Vienne. 21.9 miles

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Still breezy but dry again this morning. From Clitheroe it was up to Bashall Eaves, Rabbit Lane, Mitton, Whalley, Billington, Barrow, Four Lane Ends, Worston, Chatburn and home.

Our virtual journey would be leaving Lyon on the ViaRhona cycle path. The ViaRhona cycle path links Geneva to the Mediterranean Sea and roughly follows the River Rhone. (We partly followed this from Geneva to Nimes In 2013) So it's 20 miles along the side of the Rhone. Gentle cycling watching life on the river.

The small city of Vienne was the capital of Roman Gaul. It has preserved a rich built heritage from its long past, including monuments dating back to ancient times: the imposing Temple of Augustus and Livia built in 1BC; the vast 1st-century AD Théâtre Antique, one of the largest theatres in Roman Gaul; and the Garden of Cybele with its Gallo-Roman archaeological remains, among others. The city also boasts beautiful medieval heritage that you can discover by strolling through the old, narrow lanes and visiting the many listed buildings, including the Romanesque Saint-André-le-Bas Church with its superb cloisters decorated with carved capitals, and the Romanesque Gothic Saint-Maurice Cathedral, built from the 12th to 16th centuries, which has a breathtaking western facade with three Flamboyant-style carved portals depicting the holy history. We had two night in Vienne in 2009 and so had a day to wander many of the sights mentioned above and we climbed to the top of Mount Pipet where a chapel and statue of the Virgin Mary stand and there's a fantastic view over the city rooftops, Rhône Valley and, in the distance, Pilat mountain range!

Photos show:Catherdrale Saint-Maurice, looking up at Mount Pipet, looking at the view from Mount Pipet, looking down on the Theatre Antique, the Temple of Augustus and Livia, Our Lady of Pipet and the Cirque Romain de Vienne.

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