标签法国下的文章

Bicycle sculptures at the Col d'Aubisque, Hautes Pyrenees, France (© Fco. Javier Sobrino/age fotostock)

Big wheels on a big mountain

Today we're high in the French Pyrenees at the Col D'Aubisque, a beautiful mountain pass topping out at 5,607 feet above sea level. It has special significance to riders and followers of the Tour de France, which starts today in Nice: The Col D'Aubisque is one of the most famous climbs on the 23-day Tour (21 days of racing), with riders clocking around 2,200 miles overall. The road up the pass has grades in either direction that can tilt past 10%. This epic mountain stage was first added to the 1910 race and it's since appeared in more than half the annual Tours, though not this year as it happens.

Just off to the side of the road at the pass, these three giant bicycle sculptures are painted in colors that correspond to the colorful jerseys worn by Tour de France riders. The yellow bike represents the overall time leader's yellow jersey; the green jersey is for the leader in stage points; and the white polka-dot jersey is for the best climber, or the 'King of the Mountains.' It's an apt name for anyone who conquers the Col D'Aubisque, which is an 'Hors Categorie' climb, meaning it is beyond categorization. In other words, it's really, really, hard. While climbing the Col in 1910, French rider Octave Lapize famously yelled at Tour officials, “You are murderers!” Today, motorists can drive over the pass without breaking a sweat, but cyclists still have their work cut out for them.

鸟瞰桑吉奈尔群岛，法国科西嘉 (© sam74100/Getty Images Plus)

伊夫城堡，法国马赛 Château d'If in Marseille, France (© Boris Stroujko/Shutterstock)

A prison fit for a count

Château d'If, off the coast of Marseille, France, was built beginning in 1524 as a fortress by King Francis I because of the tiny island's steep cliffs and strategic location. While the 'château' never gained notoriety defending the ancient port (since it was never attacked), it did become famous as a prison. Surrounded by treacherous currents—like Alcatraz in San Francisco—it gained a reputation starting in the late 16th century as a dumping ground for powerful political and religious prisoners. As far as official records go, none of the prisoners condemned there ever escaped.

However, there is one famous tale of an escape from the château by one Edmond Dantes, the titular hero of the 1844 Alexander Dumas novel 'The Count of Monte Cristo.' And though he is a work of fiction, you can visit Edmond Dantes' cell on the lower level of the prison. The nearly perfectly preserved castle is just a short ferry ride from the docks of the old port of Marseille.

巴黎的先贤祠，法国 The Panthéon in Paris, France (© manjik/Shutterstock)

Under Paris skies

For Bastille Day, aka French National Day, we examine not the titular prison that was the site of beginning of the French Revolution, but another building inexorably wrapped up in that powder-keg moment of French history. That dome in the upper right portion of this photo is the Panthéon. Construction of the building—intended to be a church—began in 1758. But by the time it was completed, the French Revolution was in full swing and the new establishment decided that it should instead be used as a mausoleum for distinguished French citizens, which it remains today.

雾中的卡斯特诺城堡，法国佩里戈尔 (© Infografick/iStock/Getty Images Plus)

杜尔比河峡谷中的Moulin de Corp和小桥，法国Grands Causses自然公园 The Dourbie Gorge Corps Mill and adjoining bridge in Grands Causses Natural Regional Park, France (© Hemis/Alamy)

A gorge-ous mill in the Causses

It may look peaceful now, but on warm days the river below this mill attracts swimmers, kayakers, and the occasional sport fisherman. Moulin de Corps (Corps Mill) connects to a stone bridge that spans the Dourbie River in a gorge deep within the Grands Causses Regional Nature Park of southern France. Built by a French lord in the 14th century, the mill originally produced flour. But by the 20th century it had been converted to the private residence we see in today's picture. The Grands Causses Regional Nature Park is home to hundreds of mills like this one, examples of a cultural heritage that can still be found throughout the Mediterranean agro-pastoral landscape.

薰衣草田和蜂箱旁的向日葵地，法国普罗旺斯 Fields of lavender and sunflowers with beehives in Provence, France (© leoks/Shutterstock)

It's World Bee Day

Today we've buzzed to Provence, France, to enjoy this scenic view brought to you by bees. These hard-working insects are key pollinators of flowers, like the nectar-rich lavender seen growing here. Bees are also critical for the pollination of fruits and vegetables—about a third of the food we eat is a result of honeybee pollination. In the US, honeybees, whether tended by beekeepers or living in the wild, pollinate about $20 billion worth of crops every year. That's a lot of gold—and doesn't even include their delicious honey. So today, on World Bee Day, we invite you to stop and smell the flowers and give a nod to the bees that help color our world.

Beautiful lake in the Pyrenees mountains

The Ayous lakes are a marvel here. Nestled in the heart of the Pyrenees, this set of six lakes provide an unparalleled environment for hiking enthusiasts and nature lovers. In this uncertain times, hiking is not necessarily a top priority, but hope is allowed, nothing prevents us from dreaming of what we will do next. In today's image, we can see the southern peak of Ossau, whose highest point is 2884 meters above sea level, and Lake Ayous, also called Lake Roumassot. Lake Ayous covers an area of 5.1 hectares and can reach a depth of 16 meters in some places.

Calanques de Piana岩层上的一个心形洞，法国科西嘉岛 A heart-shaped hole in the rock formation of Calanques de Piana in Corsica, France (© joningall/Getty Images)

Two rocks and a heart spot

If you really want to earn someone's affections, fly them to Corsica, rent a car, and take a drive on the only road that cuts through the red volcanic rocks of Calanques de Piana. Some call the naturally occurring rock formation in today’s Valentine's Day photo ‘the two lovers,’ while others call it ‘the heart of Corsica.’ (Spot the heart?) Like most affairs of the heart, the path to this geological Valentine is circuitous—it's a winding road, sometimes too narrow to share with oncoming vehicles (the occasional pullovers help). Our vantage point may be a good spot for you to pull over, especially if it’s sunset, to see the rocks aglow as the sun creeps west toward the horizon.

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