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Reflections on France, Three Months In

So it’s been a little over four months since I arrived here in France. I’m working, but only what I’d typically consider about 1/3 of “full time” and so I’ve had lots of time to unwind and just enjoy myself. Bring newly wed, I’ve also affectionately referee to this time as a “honeymoon” too. That said, there’s a few things that stand out in my mind.

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Front Steps — Photo 56 — Project 365

Front Steps — Photo 56 — Project 365
These crumbling steps were once the front door to a splendid building, dreamed up as a vacation resort for the working class. Things didn’t quite work out that way, with the building used as a hospital during the First World War and being blown up during the Second. Now, only the stairs remain as a lonely testament to that dream.

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Row Houses — Photo 55 — Project 365

Row Houses — Photo 55 — Project 365
Perfect row housing. This is relatively rare in France, where most housing is built around an historic courtyard, rather than parallel to the street. I took this picture because I love the effect of the straight lines and their slight disorienting ability.

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The White Cliffs of Normandy — Photo 52 — Project 365

The White Cliffs of Normandy — Photo 52 — Project 365
Again the amazing French countryside! Maybe you’re heard of ‘the white cliffs of Dover,’ but south of the English Channel, the cliffs are made of the same chalk. Together, the white cliffs and the green sea and the blue sky make for an impressive sight.

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The Shire — Photo 51 — Project 365

The Shire — Photo 51 — Project 365
Not the Shire from The Hobbit, but the countryside just a few miles from where we live. The French countryside is simply amazing, and quite the contrast to the flatness closer to where I grew up. The other amazing thing for me was the fact that everything is still this green into late October. (That has changed only here in late December as everything is now covered in snow.)

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French Protests — Photo 50 — Project 365

French Protests — Photo 50 — Project 365
The strikes here in France seemed to be nearly constant. We spent our first month in France wondering whether we would have public buses the next day and double checking modified inter-city train schedules. When we asked our French friends about it, they would shrug and reply “Welcome to France!” with a wry smile. The retirement reforms (moving the minimum retirement age up to 62) have since passed and with Noël (Christmas) upcoming, things seem to have quieted down considerably.

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The Shoes Left Behind — Photo 49 — Project 365

The Shoes Left Behind — Photo 49 — Project 365

These are the sort of pictures one sees set among the islands of the Pacific, and every time I see one, I want to be there! If pictures tell stories, then I think the story here is this: The shoes represent the responsibilities and rules of “normal life” left behind; Our heroine is left to play out her care-free dreams in the sun and the sand. I think it’s a dream we all have from time to time. In some ways, that life is what I have right now, although both sun and sand have been in rather limited supply; instead I find clouds and gravel. But the ocean is still there!

Tell me the story this picture coveys to you…

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The Cliffs and the Tide — Photo 48 — Project 365

The Cliffs and the Tide — Photo 48 — Project 365
Living right off the ocean is fascinating for me, in part probably because I grew up over 1000km from the sea! Add to that that the ocean is rarely still, continuously moving rocks and sand and sometimes people too. This picture was taken as the tide went out, causing water to drain off the beach. What I love about this picture is its ability to show a camera’s ability to mask scale. How high do you think those cliffs are? 10 feet? 50? 200? In reality, they are about 4 inches tall!

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