This is a very strange story indeed. However, I swear on a stack of French Bibles from the 1600s that it’s absolutely true. I also know that I would have much more credibility if Cheryl had been with me on this outing, but that’s just not the way it happened. Please hear me out!

In Lyon France, there’s a section of the city that’s beautiful and engaging for anyone who likes ancient places. It’s called Vieux Lyon, which simply means “Old Lyon.” That’s where this story is set, and most of the action takes place.

On a sunny Sunday afternoon, I decided to walk from one end of the old city to the other. It’s somewhat long and narrow as it’s sandwiched between the Sâone river on one side, and the cliffs of Fourvière on the other. There are three separate districts as you follow the length from north to south—each one with it’s own center place, or main square, along with a beautiful Gothic church. Since it was Sunday, all of the churches were, of course open, so I planned to visit each one for inspiration, and to snap a few pics.

It wasn’t until I got to the last of the three churches that it finally hit me. Each district is named after it’s central church, which means they are: Saints Paul, John, and George. How is that possible? What are the chances that three of the four Beatles would be Patron Saints in Old Lyon? Uncanny! But then, I began to wonder what happened to Ringo. This little curiosity would have been much cooler if there were four districts, with the last being watched over by Saint Ringo. Imagine. . . the Fab Four represented in boroughs of Old Lyon. Now that would be a good story!

When I returned to our apartment, my curiosity got the better of me. I Googled “Saint Ringo” just for kicks. And as I suspected and you probably already guessed, there is no such Saint. Maybe it would have been difficult to pray to Saint Ringo. Or maybe it would have been an embarrassment for the church if there was a Saint Ringo. The name just doesn’t have the same weight and presence as the others. However, in my research, I think I may have stumbled onto a little-known fact that could change things.

It seems that in November of 2009, researchers at Duke University were experimenting with water repellant leaf behavior. The water bouncing off the leaves of the lotus flower became know as “The Starkey Effect,” (which is Ringo’s last name, in case you forgot). James Dacey reported that “Bizarrely, everybody’s favorite mop-topped Liverpudlian seems to reveal himself in the high-speed photo images of water-droplets being ejected from the leaf surface.” He went on to say “This is the first time he has seen the image of a Beatle in a physics experiment.” What? Are you kidding? Absolutely incredible!

My personal view is that Ringo’s apparition in the water droplet, along with the fact that it was a lotus leaf, no less, qualifies him hands down for sainthood. If that’s not a miracle, then tell me what is?! The mystery of the missing Beatle in Lyon’s “Old Town” celebrity line-up has definitely been solved, as far as I’m concerned. Case closed. In fact, his spooky appearance probably trumps some other saints, therefore, making him perhaps the best and most revered Beatle of them all.

I always knew there was something special about that guy! Spread the word.

Note: You may also be interested in some of our other stories about our time in France.