Abstract: Direct irradiation of ethereal 2-pyrone leads to bicyclo [2.2. 0] pyran-2-one (4) or, in the presence of 10 added methanol, methyl trans-4-formyl-3-butenoate (5). Lactone 4 reacts thermally with methanol to yield 5-methoxy-2-cis-4-trans-pentadienoic acid (7), ...