Visiting beautiful France
Article & photos by Nicco


The natural sight of France countryside impresses Nicco a lot.

今年适逢中法文化年(2003-2005), 旅厦英国画家Nicco特地花了六个星期, 拿起手中的画笔, 记录下夏季法国西部的田园风光. 他希望通过镜头, 告诉厦门的读者真正的法国, 那种巴黎繁华都市之外真正的法国乡村. 图为作者正向编辑介绍法国风情.


Over the last two years many visitors from China have visited France as one of their favorite destinations. Almost all the visitors arrive in Paris, however Paris is not France, just as France is not Paris!



To discover the real France you have to leave Paris heading off to one of the many railway stations in the capital. One choice being Montparnasse, Gare de Lyon or L'Austerlitz. Holding a 15-day or monthly "rail-pass", a small bag with a reasonable daily budget and a phrase book, one can discover France at leisure!



The choice of destinations are enormous according to one's taste-the mountains of the east or southwest, the wild coastlines of the northwest, the deserted beaches on the Atlantic coast with their scattered islands, the vineyards of Bordeaux and the lesser-known wine growing areas of the Cote d'Azur (New!) of the Mediterranean coastline.



Leaving L'Austerlitz railway station in the morning on the first leg of a stay, one tries to arrive in the destination railway station by 16:30 in the afternoon so as to find some simple place to stay for the night. Hotels are plentiful around stations in France and in a 10 minute walking radius(半径范围) one can always find something suitable, simple, clean and comfortable. Eating also is not a problem, since many Chinese and Vietnamese have opened little restaurants within close proximity of most stations. However, the food, in general is not as good as in China! One is better to buy one's food in the so-called "traiteurs"-prepared dishes ideal for taking along when traveling on the train -in certain shops and supermarkets that one finds everywhere. In every town one finds a Tourist Office to help visitors and many of the people speak other languages than French with Mandarin being the fashion to learn now; over 70,000 students in France have been studying Chinese since last year's cultural exchange!



Visiting small towns and villages in France is the ideal way to discover how the French people live their daily lives. One may ask, how does one move around? Bus services are rather irregular in some areas or non-existent! Buy or rent a bicycle or canoe, take your time with a map and explore France at your leisure. If it is in the Summer you should consider purchasing a tent and sleeping bag from the supermarket since you would pay nearly the same for a night in a hotel room! Campsites with clean washing facilities are everywhere or one can find the "Bed and Breakfast" facilities called "Chambre d'Hote" -there you can stay in a comfortable room in a private home at a very reasonable cost including an evening meal!



Whatever one likes, one will find it in France-artists find inspiration in places like Collioure and Ceret in the Pyrenee Oriental region, some enjoy joining the rich and not so famous in the port of St. Tropez, mountain climbers enjoy the Alps, gamblers play the Casino in Biarritz, outdoor enthusiasts canoe their way along the numerous rivers and canals, historians explore the castles on the Loire valley, wine connoisseurs(鉴赏家) explore the vineyards, lovers of Cognac Brandy visit the "Caves" of the Cognac area (many fine bottles have been exported to China the past over 100 years). An experience of visiting beautiful France like this will make the visitor appreciate the country and its people, rather than being on a "forced package tour with strangers visiting the usual tourist sites, staying in clinically overpriced star hotels", which all appear the same. However, luckily now everybody has a choice to follow his or her own requirements.

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