My brain was doing weird things this week--hormones? Food issues? The ongoing mystery of my body? At any rate, this is a belated finale for the "Make me talk (in January... er, February)" meme. From selenak: Day of your choice: France - any favourite places/regions/cities? Favourite era of French history to visit if you could?

Commentary first. Much like cultural definitions of human beauty in the USA, in American culture we have an emphasis on western Europe as THE standard for beauty in historical sites. We aren't taught to value the beauty of our own indigenous cultural heritage in the same way, nor to appreciate the beauty of other parts of the world that aren't in that subset of a specific western European aesthetic.

That being said: France really does have SO MANY beautiful places. The French as a whole value their own cultural heritage; also, aesthetic appeal is important to cultivate for its own sake.

Plus, I'll admit, I was always THAT girl growing up: the "I love French!" girl. I read translations of novels by Victor Hugo and Alexandre Dumas BY CHOICE, not because I was assigned to do so. I always wanted to go to France, even though that was a wildly unrealistic (budgetarily impossible) dream for my early years.

So. I think I'll split this into multiple categories. ( Pics back here are mine--so if I didn't have any photos on this computer of a specific place, there aren't any pics. )

Worked on my bike this morning and took a short ride. We're at the top of a hill so riding back home is never fun, especially considering how long it's been since I last rode a bike.

My brain is ready to work on something different for a bit. So... picspam time! I was thinking about the parts of France that the casual tourists don't see. The following photos are a bit off the beaten path, or they tie into a fun experience, or I just like them... Stories included because I like talking about France.

Part One:
( lots of photos behind the cut )