标签法国下的文章

南奥索峰的Lac d'Ayous小屋，法国 Lac d'Ayous hut with Midi d'Ossau mountain, France (© Eneko Aldaz/Offset by Shutterstock)

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.

泰河畔伊尔的Les Orgues，法国北加泰罗尼亚 (© SFL Choice/Alamy)

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.

Lantignie的景色，法国博若莱 Lantignié in the Beaujolais region of France (© Jon Arnold/Danita Delimont)

Le Beaujolais nouveau est arrivé!

'Bring us some fresh wine! The freshest you've got—this year! No more of this old stuff.' Steve Martin was joking when his character in 'The Jerk' asked for fresh wine—or perhaps he was talking about Beaujolais nouveau. The red wine, produced in the Beaujolais region of France, is fermented for just a few weeks and requires no barrel aging before it's sold starting on the third Thursday of November. Beaujolais nouveau is a light-bodied red wine, with relatively high amounts of acidity. Located south of Burgundy, the Beaujolais region has a relatively warm climate, so Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, and other famous French grapes don't grow well there. But the fruity Gamay grows vigorously in Beaujolais and is used to make Beaujolais nouveau.

Beaujolais nouveau hit a peak of global popularity in the 1980s when it was heavily marketed. But as more producers tried to capitalize on it, a backlash occurred in the '90s and early 2000s. In 2001, more than a million cases of French wine—most of it Beaujolais nouveau—were destroyed or distilled into hard spirits due to overproduction, shoddy winemaking, and poor sales. (It couldn't have been stockpiled to be sold later—the wine doesn't age well due to lack of tannins and should usually be consumed within six months.) More recently, supply and demand have evened out and its release is celebrated with parties and festivals.

Chapel St-Michel d'Aiguilhe, Le Puy-en-Velay, France (© Jaubert French Collection/Alamy Stock Photo)

Chapel on the rock

Pace yourself—you'll need to climb 268 stone steps to reach the entrance of Chapel St-Michel d'Aiguilhe (Chapel of St. Michael of the Needle). This historic church near Le Puy-en-Velay, France, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that attracts visitors from around the world. It was constructed in 969 by a local bishop and dedicated to Archangel Michael, the patron saint of mountaintops. Even before the chapel was built, the site had spiritual significance, as it was home to prehistoric dolmen (stone tombs) built by the Romans to honor their god Mercury.

This time of year, you don’t necessarily have to climb the stairs to get a good view. If you're lucky, you can hitch a ride from the many hot-air balloon pilots that take to the skies in early November. These enthusiasts gather in Le Puy-en-Velay each year for a festival that commemorates the anniversary of the first hot-air balloon flight.

秋日里通往卢浮宫的杜乐丽花园，法国巴黎 Jardin des Tuileries in autumn leading to the Louvre Museum in Paris, France (© Brian A. Jackson/Getty Images Plus)

Paris is photo-ready this week

Today we're featuring an image of the Jardin des Tuileries and the Louvre to highlight the Paris Photo art fair happening through Sunday at the historic Grand Palais. Paris Photo is the world's largest art fair dedicated to photography. Since 1997, the mission of the fair has been 'to promote and nurture photographic creation and the galleries, publishers, and artists at its source.' Starting today around 200 exhibitors, leading galleries, and specialty publishers, along with Parisian cultural institutions, will give visitors a unique look at both historical and contemporary photographic works of art.

法国塔恩河沿岸的Castelbouc城堡和塔恩峡谷 Castelbouc and the Gorges du Tarn along the Tarn River in France (© Stefan Schurr/Westend61/Offset)

Bidding summer adieu

Today, on the traditional end of the French summer season, we're featuring the wild beauty of the Gorges du Tarn, a canyon formed by the Tarn River in south central France. The Tarn Gorge is about 33 miles long and, at points, almost 2,000 feet deep. It's a popular spot for tourists, especially kayakers and rock climbers. History buffs also find much to explore, including the castles and villages built along—or even carved into—the canyon walls, like Castelbouc in today's image.

Racers pushing past sunflowers in the 2018 Tour de France

Cyclists have been competing in this prestigious, multi-stage race since 1903. The route is changed every year but always includes a mix of terrains and elevations, mostly in France. Originally conceived as a promotion for a newspaper, the Tour is now a worldwide sporting event that draws billions of viewers each year, making it more popular than the Super Bowl. Here, competitors are biking alongside the summertime sunflowers of southern France that are in full bloom during the race each year. This scenic image is a foil to the grueling duration of the race, which covers more than 2,000 miles over a 23-day span. Although athletes are organized into teams, the individual who completes the strenuous course in the overall shortest amount of time wins and gets a cash prize often shared with teammates. This year's race starts in Belgium and will pedal past the iconic sunflowers around stage 16 before coming to a stop in Paris.

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