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Country: France

Distance: 1,674 km

Travel time:  12 days

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Country: France

Distance: 1,589 km

Travel time: 5 days

On postcard: Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower (French: La Tour Eiffel, nickname La dame de fer, the iron lady) is a puddle iron lattice tower located on theChamp de Mars in Paris. Built in 1889, it has become both a global cultural icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world. The tower is the tallest building in Paris and the most-visited paid monument in the world; millions of people ascend it every year. Named after its designer, engineer Gustave Eiffel, the tower was built as the entrance arch to the 1889 World's Fair.

The tower stands 324 metres (1,063 ft) tall, about the same height as an 81-storey building. During its construction, the Eiffel Tower surpassed the Washington Monument to assume the title of the tallest man-made structure in the world, a title it held for 41 years, until the Chrysler Building in New York City was built in 1930. However, due to the addition, in 1957, of the antenna atop the Eiffel Tower, it is now taller than the Chrysler Building. Not including broadcast antennas, it is the second-tallest structure in France, after the Millau Viaduct.

The tower has three levels for visitors. Tickets can be purchased to ascend, by stairs or lift, to the first and second levels. The walk from ground level to the first level is over 300 steps, as is the walk from the first to the second level. The third and highest level is accessible only by elevator. Both the first and second levels feature restaurants.

The tower has become the most prominent symbol of both Paris and France, often in the establishing shot of films set in the city.

History

Eiffel Tower under construction in July 1888

The structure was built between 1887 and 1889 as the entrance arch for the Exposition Universelle, a World's Fair marking the centennial celebration of the French Revolution. Three hundred workers joined together 18,038 pieces of puddle iron (a very pure form of structural iron), using two and a half million rivets, in a structural design by Maurice Koechlin. Eiffel was assisted in the design by engineers Émile Nouguier and Maurice Koechlin and architect Stephen Sauvestre. The risk of accident was great as, unlike modern skyscrapers, the tower is an open frame without any intermediate floors except the two platforms. However, because Eiffel took safety precautions, including the use of movable stagings, guard-rails and screens, only one man died. The tower was inaugurated on 31 March 1889, and opened on 6 May.

The tower was much criticised by the public when it was built, with many calling it an eyesore. Newspapers of the day were filled with angry letters from the arts community of Paris. One is quoted extensively in William Watson's US Government Printing Office publication of 1892Paris Universal Exposition: Civil Engineering, Public Works, and Architecture: "And during twenty years we shall see, stretching over the entire city, still thrilling with the genius of so many centuries, we shall see stretching out like a black blot the odious shadow of the odious column built up of riveted iron plates." Signers of this letter included Jean-Louis-Ernest Meissonier, Charles Gounod, Charles Garnier, Jean-Léon Gérôme, William-Adolphe Bouguereau, and Alexandre Dumas.

Novelist Guy de Maupassant—who claimed to hate the tower—supposedly ate lunch in the Tower's restaurant every day. When asked why, he answered that it was the one place in Paris where one could not see the structure. Today, the Tower is widely considered to be a striking piece of structural art.

One of the great Hollywood movie clichés is that the view from a Parisian window always includes the tower. In reality, since zoning restrictions limit the height of most buildings in Paris to 7 stories, only a very few of the taller buildings have a clear view of the tower.

Eiffel had a permit for the tower to stand for 20 years; it was to be dismantled in 1909, when its ownership would revert to the City of Paris. The City had planned to tear it down (part of the original contest rules for designing a tower was that it could be easily demolished) but as the tower proved valuable for communication purposes, it was allowed to remain after the expiry of the permit. The military used it to dispatch Parisian taxis to the front line during the First Battle of the Marne.

Timeline of events

10 September 1889

Thomas Edison visited the tower. He signed the guestbook with the following message—

To M Eiffel the Engineer the brave builder of so gigantic and original specimen of modern Engineering from one who has the greatest respect and admiration for all Engineers including the Great Engineer the Bon Dieu, Thomas Edison.

1910

Father Theodor Wulf measured radiant energy at the top and bottom of the tower, discovering at the top more than was expected, and thereby detecting what are today known as cosmic rays.

 

4 February 1912

Austrian tailor Franz Reichelt died after jumping 60 metres from the first deck of Eiffel tower with his home-made parachute.

 

1914

A radio transmitter located in the tower jammed German radio communications during the lead-up to the First Battle of the Marne.

 

1925

The con artist Victor Lustig "sold" the tower for scrap metal on two separate, but related occasions.

 

1930 The tower lost the title of the world's tallest structure when the Chrysler Building was completed in New York City.

 

1925 to 1934

Illuminated signs for Citroën adorned three of the tower's four sides, making it the tallest advertising space in the world at the time.

 

1940–1944

Upon the German occupation of Paris in 1940, the lift cables were cut by the French so that Adolf Hitler would have to climb the steps to the summit. The parts to repair them were allegedly impossible to obtain because of the war. In 1940 German soldiers had to climb to the top to hoist the swastika, but the flag was so large it blew away just a few hours later, and was replaced by a smaller one. When visiting Paris, Hitler chose to stay on the ground. It was said that Hitler conquered France, but did not conquer the Eiffel Tower. A Frenchman scaled the tower during the German occupation to hang the French flag. In August 1944, when the Allies were nearing Paris, Hitler ordered General Dietrich von Choltitz, the military governor of Paris, to demolish the tower along with the rest of the city. Von Choltitz disobeyed the order. Some say Hitler was later persuaded to keep the tower intact so it could later be used for communications. The lifts of the Tower were working normally within hours of the Liberation of Paris.

 

3 January 1956

A fire damaged the top of the tower.

 

1957

The present radio antenna was added to the top.

 

1980s

A restaurant and its supporting iron scaffolding midway up the tower was dismantled; it was purchased and reconstructed on St. Charles Avenue and Josephine Street in the Garden District of New Orleans, Louisiana, by entrepreneurs John Onorio and Daniel Bonnot, originally as the Tour Eiffel Restaurant, later as the Red Room and now as the Cricket Club (owned by the New Orleans Culinary Institute). The restaurant was re-assembled from 11,000 pieces that crossed the Atlantic in a 40-foot (12 m) cargo container.

 

31 March 1984

Robert Moriarty flew a Beechcraft Bonanza through the arches of the tower.

 

1987

A.J. Hackett made one of his first bungee jumps from the top of the Eiffel Tower, using a special cord he had helped develop. Hackett was arrested by the Paris police upon reaching the ground.

 

27 October 1991

Thierry Devaux, along with mountain guide Hervé Calvayrac, performed a series of acrobatic figures of bungee jump (not allowed) from the second floor of the Tower. Facing the Champ de Mars, Thierry Devaux was using an electric winch between each figure to go back up. When firemen arrived, he stopped after the sixth bungee jump.

New Year's Eve

 

1999

The Eiffel Tower played host to Paris' Millennium Celebration. On this occasion, flashing lights and four high-power searchlights were installed on the tower, and fireworks were set off all over it. An exhibition above a cafeteria on the first floor commemorates this event. Since then, the light show has become a nightly event. The searchlights on top of the tower make it a beacon in Paris' night sky, and the 20,000 flash bulbs give the tower a sparkly appearance every hour on the hour.

 

28 November 2002

The tower received its 200,000,000th guest.

 

2004 T

he Eiffel Tower began hosting an ice skating rink on the first floor each winter.

 

Engraved names

 

Gustave Eiffel engraved on the tower seventy-two names of French scientists, engineers and other notable people. This engraving was painted over at the beginning of the twentieth century but restored in 1986–1987 by the Société Nouvelle d'exploitation de la Tour Eiffel, a company contracted to operate business related to the Tower.

 

Design of the tower

 

Material

The pig iron structure of the Eiffel Tower weighs 7,300 tonnes, while the entire structure, including non-metal components, is approximately 10,000 tonnes. As a demonstration of the economy of design, if the 7,300 tonnes of the metal structure were melted down it would fill the 125-metre-square base to a depth of only 6 cm (2.36 in), assuming the density of the metal to be 7.8 tonnes per cubic metre. Depending on the ambient temperature, the top of the tower may shift away from the sun by up to 18 cm (7.1 in) because of thermal expansion of the metal on the side facing the sun.

 

Wind considerations

At the time the tower was built many people were shocked by its daring shape. Eiffel was criticised for the design and accused of trying to create something artistic, or inartistic according to the viewer, without regard to engineering. Eiffel and his engineers, however, as experienced bridge builders, understood the importance of wind forces and knew that if they were going to build the tallest structure in the world they had to be certain it would withstand the wind. In an interview reported in the newspaper Le Temps, Eiffel said:

Now to what phenomenon did I give primary concern in designing the Tower? It was wind resistance. Well then! I hold that the curvature of the monument's four outer edges, which is as mathematical calculation dictated it should be [...] will give a great impression of strength and beauty, for it will reveal to the eyes of the observer the boldness of the design as a whole.

 

Researchers have found that Eiffel used empirical and graphical methods accounting for the effects of wind rather than a specific mathematical formula. Careful examination of the tower shows a basically exponential shape; actually two different exponentials, the lower section overdesigned to ensure resistance to wind forces. Several mathematical explanations have been proposed over the years for the success of the design; the most recent is described as a nonlinear integral equation based on counterbalancing the wind pressure on any point on the tower with the tension between the construction elements at that point. As a demonstration of the tower's effectiveness in wind resistance, it sways only 6–7 cm (2–3 in) in the wind.

 

Maintenance

 

Maintenance of the tower includes applying 50 to 60 tonnes of paint every seven years to protect it from rust. The height of the Eiffel Tower varies by 15 cm due to temperature.

 

Aesthetic considerations

In order to maintain a uniform appearance to an observer on the ground, three separate colours of paint are used on the tower, with the darkest on the bottom and the lightest at the top. On occasion the colour of the paint is changed; the tower is currently painted a shade of bronze.On the first floor there are interactive consoles hosting a poll for the colour to use for a future session of painting.

 

The only non-structural elements are the four decorative grillwork arches, added in Stephen Sauvestre's sketches, which served to reassure visitors that the structure was safe, and to frame views of other nearby architecture.

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Country: France

Distance: 1,363 km

Travel time:  5 days

Wishing you a Merry Christmas!

Cauterets, Midi-Pyrénées, République française

Cauterets is a spa town, a ski resort and a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in south-western France.

Geography

Cauterets is located 32 km (20 mi) southwest of Lourdes in the beautiful valley of the Gave de Cauterets and borders thePyrenees National Park.

Cauterets is a centre for excursions, the Péguère (2,316 m), the Monné (2,723 m), the Cabaliros (2,333 m), the Pic de Chabarrou(2,910 m), the Vignemale (3,298 m), and other summits being in its neighborhood. Lake Gaube is approximately 1hr and 30 minutes walk from Cauterets or can be accessed by a chairlift from the Pont d’Espagne. The Cirque de Lys is also accessible by cable car from where there are panoramic views over the Pyrenees. Cauterets is also a regular stopover for walkers travelling on the coast to coast Pyrenean GR10 walking route.

Springs

Cauterets is well known for its copious thermal springs. They are chiefly characterized by the presence of sulphur and silicate of soda, and are used in the treatment of diseases of the respiratory organs, rheumatism, skin diseases and many other maladies. The main thermal baths, Thermes Cesar, were opened in 1843 and continue to offer treatments today.

Skiing

Cauterets provides both cross country skiing and downhill skiing. There are 36 km of cross country tracks at Pont d’Espagne and 25 downhill pistes at Cirque du Lys between 1700m and 2500m altitude which are mainly suited for beginners and intermediates. A new cable car was built in 2005 which can transport 2000 skiers per hour to the Cirque du Lys area.

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Country: France

Distance: 1,513 km

Travel time:  9 days

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Country: France

Distance: 1,732 km

Travel time:  9 days

On postcard: Calvados

The French department of Calvados  is part of the region of Basse-Normandie in Normandy. It takes its name from a cluster of rocks off the English Channel coast. The pronunciation varies: in French the final 's' is not mute; in English usually Calvadoss with stress on the first syllable.

Calvados is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was created from a part of the former province of Normandy. The name "Orne inférieure" was originally proposed for the department, but it was ultimately decided to call the area Calvados.

Its etymology is most likely derived from the Salvador, a ship from the Spanish Armada that sank by the rocks near Arromanches-les-bains in 1588. However, others insist that the name Calvados was derived from calva dorsa, meaning bare backs, in reference to two sparsely vegetated rocks off its shore.

After the allied victory at Waterloo the department was occupied by Prussian troops between June 1815 and November 1818.

On 6 June 1944, the Allied forces landed on the beaches of the Bay of the Seine in what became known as the Battle of Normandy.

Geography

Calvados belongs to the region of Basse-Normandie and is surrounded by the departments of Seine-Maritime, Eure, Orne and Manche. To the north is the Baie de la Seine, part of the English Channel. On the east, the Seine River forms the boundary with Seine-Maritime. Calvados includes the Bessin area, the Pays d'Auge and the area known as the "Suisse normande" ("Norman Switzerland").

The most notable places in Calvados include Deauville and the formerly elegant 19th-century casino resorts of the coast.

Culture

The Bayeux Tapestry is on display in Bayeux and makes the city one of the most-visited tourist destinations in Normandy. Juno Beach Centre at Courseulles-sur-Mer, Calvados, commemorates the D-Day landing of the Canadian liberation forces at Juno Beach during World War II in 1944. The cult of Saint Thérèse de Lisieux brings large numbers of people on pilgrimage to Lisieux, where she lived in a Carmelite convent. Every September, Deauville hosts the Festival of the American Movie and the beach resort of Cabourg hosts the Festival of the Romantic Movie. Annually, the city of Caen celebrates the festival of the electronical cultures called "Nordik Impakt" & The festival of Beauregard, just around Caen.

The local dialect of the Norman language is known as Augeron. It is spoken by a minority of the population.

Tourism

Calvados is one of the most visited areas in France because of its seaside resorts which are among the most prestigious in France with their luxurious hotels, casinos, green countryside, manors, castles, the quiet, the chalk cliffs, the typical Norman houses, the history of William the Conqueror, Caen, Bayeux, Lisieux, the famous D-day beaches and numerous museums about the Second World War. The culinary specialties from the verdant countryside of Calvados are abundant: cider, calvados, camembert and Pont-l'Évêque cheeses.

One of the advantage of Calvados is to be at fairly near large urban centers (Paris, Ile de France). Calvados is therefore often preferred for holidays and for weekends and sometimes considered as the countryside of Paris .

Calvados, via the port of Ouistreham, is an entrance to the continent from Britain. There are two airports: Caen-Carpiquet and Deauville-Saint Gatien. The department of Calvados has several popular tourist areas: the Bessin, the Plain of Caen, the Bocage Virois, the Côte de Nacre, the Côte Fleurie and the Pays d'Auge. Several beaches of Calvados are popular for water sports, including Cabourg and Merville-Franceville-Plage.

Paris, République française

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Country: France

Distance:  1,450 km

Travel time:  8 days

On postcard: Melun

 

Melun is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. Located in the south-eastern suburbs of Paris, Melun is the capital of the department, as the seat of an arrondissement. Its inhabitants are called Melunais.

Meledunum began as a Gaulish town; Caesar noted Melun as "a town of the Senones, situated on an island in the Seine"; at the island there was a wooden bridge, which his men repaired. Roman Meledunum was a mutatio where fresh horses were kept available for official couriers on the Roman road south-southeast of Paris, where it forded the Seine.

The Normans sacked it in 845. The castle of Melun became a royal residence of the Capetian kings. Hugh Capet (See also: House of Capet) gave Melun to Bouchard, his favorite. In the reign of Hugh's son, Robert II of France, Eudes, the count of Champagne, bought the city, and the king took it back for the viscount in 999. Le Chatelain and his wife, who had sold the city, were hanged. Robert died there in July 1031.

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Country: France

Distance: 1,586 km

Travel time:  14 days

On postcard: The Jean Moulin Memorial in Caluire

"The Jean Moulin Memorial" in Caluire, on the site where Jean Moulin and his comrades of the High Command of the Secret Army were arrested on the 21st June 1943, is a symbolic site, a place of civic remembrance and a place for the future.
The arrest of General Delestraint "Vidal", head of the "Secret Army" on the 9th June 1943 in Paris, forced Jean Moulin to take interim measures to arrange his successor as quickly as possible and reorganise the army's operations. This was the reason for the meeting in Caluire. Jean Moulin charged André Lassagne with the task of choosing the meeting place, a house built in the 19th century in Caluire et Cuire, to the north of Lyon and rented by Doctor Frédéric Dugoujon.
The stakes were high midway through 1943, as some resistance fighters were anticipating the Allied landings "before the autumn leaves began to fall", and the opening of a second front was eagerly awaited by the Red Army in the East.
The battle against the occupying forces had now become a political battle looking towards the future... the ambitions of some leaders of the "Combat" movement began to emerge and spread at the expense of all the rules for safety.

On that day, the 21st June 1943, a short time after the arrival of the attendees, around ten men under the orders of Klaus Barbie, head of the Gestapo in Lyon, stormed the premises and arrested all those present. They were taken to the Gestapo's headquarters at the Military Medical School in Avenue Berthelot and then transferred to Fort Montluc before being deported. Jean Moulin was tortured and died in Metz during his transfer to Germany.
In this Memorial, the historical context is reconstructed through a film about the Prefect Moulin - the man himself, the story of his struggle from Chartres to Caluire and the exemplary nature of this patriot and republican in his mission as "REX". The whole story is expanded in a simple illustrated chronological frieze which lays out the key points of reference (dates, men and places) up until the trial of Klaus Barbie in 1987.
The four memorial rooms trace events and concentrate on the values of the Republic as defended by the commitment of the resistance fighters against the occupying forces and Nazism.

The end result of the violent confrontation experienced on the afternoon of the 21st June at 3pm is to provoke reflection on the ever-present struggle between political and religious totalitarianism and the Republic of free and lay citizens.
Moreover, this place of remembrance and history is timeless, in the way it links to the present through the reconciliation and construction of a European Union, born from the spirit of solidarity in the face of tyranny.
The house of Dugoujon was included on the list of historical monuments on the17th July 1990 as a place of major importance for the Résistance.
In 2010, it was renovated by the Département of the Rhône and converted into a Memorial that was opened by François Fillon on the 21st June 2010.

Cute turtle card from Martine

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Country: France

Distance: 1,844 km

Travel time: 7 days

On postcard: Camargue (horse)

The Camargue is an ancient breed of horses found in the Camargue area in southern France. For centuries, possibly thousands of years, these small horses have lived wild in the harsh environment of the Camargue marshes and wetlands of the Rhone delta. There they developed the stamina, hardiness and agility for which they are known today. They are the traditional mount of the gardians–the Camargue "cowboys" who herd the black Camargue bulls used in bullfighting in southern France. Camargue horses galloping through water is a popular and romantic image of the region.

Camargue horses are always gray. This means that they have black skin underlying a white hair coat as adult horses. They are born with a hair coat that is black or dark brown in colour, but as they grow to adulthood, their hair coat becomes ever more intermingled with white hairs until it is completely white. They are small horses, generally 13 to 14 hands (52 to 56 inches, 132 to 142 cm). Despite their small size, they have the strength to carry grown men. Rugged and intelligent, they have a short neck, deep chest, compact body, well-jointed, strong limbs and a full mane and tail.

There exists a strong sense of regionalism in Camargue area, so registration for the horses is treated similarly to an Appellation d'origine contrôlée.

Some researchers believe the Camargue are descended from the ancient Solutré horse hunted during the Upper Paleolithic period. Extensive archeological evidence has been found in the present-day Burgundy region of France. The Camargue breed was appreciated by the Celtic and Roman invaders who entered the Iberian Peninsula. Their genealogy is closely tied with Iberian horses, especially those of the northern part of the peninsula. The original Spanish jaca was probably a cross between the Celtic pony and the Camargue. It was later improved by crosses with northern European horse types and ultimately with the southern peninsular horse, as the Moors spread their influence toward the Pyrenees.

As a result, the Camargue genes probably penetrated the Americas through the influence of the jaca, the warhorse taken to new lands where hardiness was a requirement. Breeds such as the Chilean horse and Criollo show signs of some characteristics that are common in the Camargue breed.

In 1976, to preserve the standards and purity of the breed, the French government set breed standards and started registering the main breeders of the Camargue horse. In 1978, they set up the breed stud book. To be registered, foals must be born out of doors and must be seen to suckle from a registered mare as proof of parentage. Foals born inside the defined Camargue region are registered sous berceau, while those born elsewhere are registered hors berceau ("outside the cradle" or "birthplace"). They have the heavy, square heads of primitive horses, but the influence of Arabian, Barb and Thoroughbred blood can also be seen. The gardians look after the horses, which are rounded up annually for health inspections, branding, and gelding of unsuitable stock.

In England, the only breeding herd is at Valley Farm, in Wickham Market, near Woodbridge, Suffolk. Valley Farm is also the home of the British Camargue Horse Society, which represents the Camargue Breed in Britain by maintaining a stud book for British-bred Camargue Horses and registering ownership of Camargue Horses in Britain.

Uses

Their calm temperament, agility, intelligence and stamina has resulted in these horses being used for equestrian games, dressage, and long distance riding, which is growing in popularity in France.

Les cadeaux

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Country: France

Distance: 1,484 km

Travel time: 7 days

Paris, République française

Пари́ж (фр. Paris (пари́)) — столица Франции, важнейший экономический и культурный центр страны, расположенный в северной части центральной Франции, в регионе Иль-де-Франс на берегах реки Сены. Кроме того Париж имеет большое международное значение — здесь находятся штаб-квартиры ЮНЕСКО, ОЭСР и  Международной торговой палаты.

Город был образован в середине III века до н. э. из кельтского поселения Лютеция племени паризиев на месте современного острова Сите. Современное название города происходит от имени этого племени. Первое письменное упоминание о Лютеции встречается в 6-ой книге Юлия Цезаря о войне с Галлией в 53 г до н. э.

Tour Eiffel, Paris, République française

Э́йфелева ба́шня (фр. la tour Eiffel) — дата окончания постройки: 25 октября 1889. Это самая узнаваемая архитектурная достопримечательность Парижа, всемирно известная как символ Франции, названная в честь своего конструктора Густава Эйфеля и являющаяся местом паломничества туристов. Сам конструктор называл её просто — 300-метровой башней (tour de 300 mètres).

Башня является самой посещаемой достопримечательностью мира. Этот символ Парижа задумывался как временное сооружение — башня служила входной аркой парижской Всемирной выставки 1889 года. От планировавшегося сноса (через 20 лет после выставки) башню спасли радиоантенны, установленные на самом верху, — это была эпоха внедрения радио.

Башня воздвигнута на Марсовом поле напротив Йенского моста через реку Сену. На схеме Парижского метрополитена станция: Bir-Hakeim.

Высота вместе с новой антенной составляет 324 метра (2000 год). На протяжении более 40 лет Эйфелева башня была высочайшим сооружением в мире, почти в 2 раза выше самых высоких зданий мира того времени — пирамиды Хеопса (146,6 м), Кёльнского (156 м) и Ульмского собора (161 м), — пока в 1930 году её не превзошел  Крайслер Билдинг в Нью-Йорке.

На протяжении своей истории башня неоднократно меняла цвет своей покраски - от желтого до красно-коричневого. Последние десятилетия Эйфелева башня неизменно красится в т.н. "коричневый-эйфелевый" - официально запатентованный цвет, близкий к естественному оттенку бронзы.

Côte d'Azur, République française

Лазурный берег (фр. Côte d'Azur) — юго-восточный берег Средиземного моря во Франции, расположенный к востоку от города Тулон до границы с Италией. На Лазурном берегу также расположено княжество Монако. Другое название — Французская Ривьера(как часть Ривьеры, расположенной как во Франции, так и в Италии).

Само же название придумал малоизвестный сейчас французский писатель и поэт Стефан Льежар — в 1870 году он издал роман с названием «Лазурный берег»; эти слова пришли ему в голову, когда он увидел «изумительной красоты» бухту города Йер.

Популярностью Лазурный берег обязан приятному климату — мягкая тёплая зима и нежаркое лето. Лазурный берег считается одним из лучших в мире мест для отдыха, что делает отели одними из самых дорогих в мире.

Arc de triomphe de l’Étoile, Paris, République française

Триумфальная арка (фр. arc de triomphe de l’Étoile) — монумент в 8-м округе Парижа на площади Шарль-де-Голля (Звезды).

Высота 49,51 м, ширина 44,82 м, высота свода 29,19 м. Сооружена в 1806—1836 по распоряжению Наполеона архитектором Жаном Шальгреном. Украшена 4-мя скульптурными группами: со стороны Елисейских полей — «Марсельеза» скульптора Рюда (справа) и «Триумф 1810 г.» скульптора Корто; со стороны авеню де ла Гранд-Арме — «Сопротивление» (справа) и «Мир» скульптора Этекса. На стенах арки выгравированы названия 128 сражений, выигранных республиканской и императорской армией, а также имена 558 французских военачальников. Арку окружают 100 гранитных тумб (в честь «ста дней» правления Наполеона), соединенных между собой чугунными цепями.

Со времён правления Людовика XIV прямая дорога соединяла две королевских резиденции — парижский дворец Лувр и Версальский дворец. Название этой дороги — «Триумфальный путь» — не устарело и сегодня: на одной оси стоят здесь три арки — Каррузель возле Лувра, Триумфальная арка на площади Этуаль и Большая арка, построенная уже в нашу эпоху в ультрасовременном квартале Дефанс.

В декабре 1806, сразу после Аустерлицкого сражения, Наполеон распорядился соорудить на парижском холме Шайо триумфальную арку в честь военных побед, одержанных Францией во время Революции и в период Первой империи. Целых 2 года ушло на сооружение фундамента. В 1810, когда новоиспеченная императрица Мария-Луиза должна была торжественно въехать в столицу по Елисейским полям, на каменном фундаменте была наспех сделана из досок и сурового полотна «декорация» будущей арки. Наполеон не дожил до окончания строительства Триумфальной арки: оно завершилось лишь в 1836 г., в царствование Луи-Филиппа.

15 декабря 1840 под аркой проехал траурный кортеж с прахом Наполеона, доставленным с острова св. Елены. Позднее торжественной погребальной церемонии с остановкой под сводами Триумфальной арки удостоились после своей кончины Тьер, Гамбетта, Виктор Гюго, Лазар Карно, Мак-Магон, генералы Фош и Жоффр, генерал Филипп Леклерк, маршал Латтр де Тассиньи.

Подняться на верх Арки (50м) можно, одолев 286 ступеней; панорама, открывающаяся на город, стоит того.

Belle-Île-en-Mer, République française

Бель-Иль (фр. Belle-Île-en-Mer, брет. Enez ar Gerveur, лат. Vindilis) — остров в Бискайском заливе у побережья французской Бретани. Во время правления Наполеона I назывался также Островом Жозефины (фр. Île Joséphine).

Административно остров входит в департамент Морбиан. Постоянное население — 4,7 тыс. жителей (1999). В летний период население многократно увеличивается за счёт отдыхающих, многие из которых имеют здесь дачи.

Бель-Иль расположен в 14 км от мыса Кирбон. Это самый крупный остров у побережья Бретани: площадь — 83,76 км². Средняя высота — 40 м. Леса, в древности покрывавшие остров, сведены.

Остров был населён людьми более восьми тысяч лет назад. В IX веке принадлежал графству Корнуай. В XVII веке остров был куплен суперинтендантом финансов Франции Николя Фуке, который начал превращать его в неприступную крепость. Впоследствии, когда Фуке постигла опала, Бель-Иль был сдан королю. В литературе история борьбы вокруг острова затрагивается в романе Александра Дюма «Виконт де Бражелон».

Бретонский язык в живом общении сохранялся на острове до 1960-х или 1970-х годов (дольше всего - в приходе Локмариа); отдельные носители были живы еще в конце 1980-х годов. Диалект острова относится к ваннской диалектной группе.

Île-de-Bréhat, République française

Иль-де-Бреа или Бреа (фр. Île-de-Bréhat, брет. Enez Vriad) — остров у северного берега Бретани, образует одноимённуюкоммуну округа Сен-Бриё департамента Кот-д’Армор.

Площадь острова невелика — 3,09 км², но это самый крупный остров одноимённого архипелага.

Климат острова морской умеренный, с мягкой зимой и нежарким летом. На острове произрастают многие виды, свойственныеСредиземноморью: гортензия, лавровое дерево, мимоза и даже эвкалипты. Также встречаются и северные виды — вереск и дрок.

Геологически остров сложен из «розового» гранита (Берег розового гранита). Живописность местности привлекает туристов, прибывающих на остров и архипелаг обычно паромом. Кроме природных, на острове есть и такие достопримечательности как маяки Ля-Круа, Паон, Розедо, Эо-де-Бриа, часовни Сен-Мишель и Керанру, мельница Дю-Бирло и Цитадель (старая крепость).