France - One photo a day (thread open to all)

[pierretoulouse]

Wow those pictures are beautifull, thanks.

[friedemann]

Don't be silly now. It has nothing to do with that. I know many people who move to Strasbourg like they'd move to Nantes or Toulouse. In fact you as in Englishman would probably feel more in a foreign country in Northern Ireland than a Frenchman would in Alsace. I can imagine a Parisian moving to Strasbourg (in fact I know some), but I cannot imagine a Londoner in his/her right mind moving to Belfast.

In reality it just has to do with the idea of "east". In France "east" has a bad reputation. All the bad things come from the east. The Huns came from the East, the Germanic invasions too, and more recently the German invasions. Winter comes from the east. Civilisation is west, barbarim is east. Maybe it's cliché, but in the psyche of people it plays a role. It's not just Alsace. Regions like Lorraine, Champagne, Franche-Comté are not popular among French people. They would hardly spend their holidays there. And it's a bit unfair because these regions have nice landscape and towns too, like everywhere in France.

More broadly speaking, it's something I've always found amusing. In England the regions along the Channel have a very good reputation, people want to move there, they are seen as sunny and fun places compared to the rest of England, whereas in France the Channel coast has not a good reputation, it's really not a place where people would like to move, yet it's exactly the same Channel as the one in England that is so popular. Same with eastern French regions. In Germany the Palatinate, the Rhine Valley with its castles and vineyards are all very popular, they are thought of as one of the best part in the country, yet Lorraine and Alsace which are just the same as Palatinate have no such good reputation in France, and few tourists go there. It's just the southern tropism. These regions have the bad luck of being in the north and east of the country, which is entirely artificial when you think about it, because it they were in the west of Germany or in the south of England they'd be very popular in these two countries.

In Germany it's the same way: The East has no good reputation, because the cold winter, the Russians and the Communism who split the country came from the East.
In the time of the cold war all the land east from the Elbe river was the enemy's land and in the mind of the people begins not far behind Berlin Siberia and the eurasian steppe.

That's in some way strange:
In Germany the people move from the east and the north to the west and the south just as the people in Britain, France and the USA do.

[Goloo]

Today's photo: the port of La cotinière in Charente-Maritime:

[ggl]

Haut-Koenisgbourg Castle (Elsass), during last summer :

[Nijal]

Sehr schön!

[Matthieu]

Originally Posted by Nijal

Loool a fortified church! I have never seen it before!

There is a fortified church of the inquisition not too far from home, if Brisavoine is ok I'll post a few pictures the next days of the Hautes Pyrénées (I'd like to post at least 2).

[Matthieu]

Here is a real fortified church:

[Mishevy]

Where is that??

[Matthieu]

Luz Saint Sauveur

[Mishevy]

A map and a short comment will be welcome next time, Matthieu .

[david chanrion]

this photo was taken in august 2007 La Londe les Maures on the Côte d'Azur
More photos about countrysides & architecture on my blog http://contrairement.blogspot.com/

[ParisianStyle]

Very nice pics ! Thank you !

[steph35]

Brennilis in Finistère, Brittany

image hosted on flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fabsenstylsen/2043465411/

[Cyril]

image hosted on flickr

[skyboi]

One of the most beautiful Countries in the world , no doubt a bout it . Je t'aime La france

[HD]

my favourite part of europe

[paw25694]

awesome bridge soo tall

[skyboi]

OMG, being in a Country where I live with along cold winter ,every time I see a picture with palm tree I am so longing for it man

[HD]

and that's my favourite place in france - menton, cote d'azur

[skyboi]

Oh so beautiful ! I can't wait to go there