Things I love about France, but hate about researching

It has been awhile, but I thought I would weigh in with some random thoughts while I'm here in one of my favorite cities in the world.

I had been meaning to submit a regular feature on the blog describing things I love about France. Since Abe has waxed so eloquently about the food, the list will be considerably shortened in the interests of avoiding redundancy. But one thing I love is night illuminations of the buildings. Lyon is especially good at it. Walking around this city at night is a real treat. The bridges are all lit differently, the buildings illuminated tastefully and often in different colors, and the stones just seem to glow. It brings out features in the architecture you don't notice during the day. Although we don't get to experience it this trip, Lyon's real claim to night illumination fame is on December 8 - the Fete de la Lumière. The festival of lights is a yearly tradition that dates back to the end of the nineteenth century. It seems that to celebrate the dedication of the Cathedral Fourvière and the completion of the statue of the Virgin Mary attached to the Cathedral, city officials had planned a festival for August 8. But the sculptor did not finish the statue on time. So they rescheduled for December 8. Then the weather that day was horrible and city officials again canceled the celebration. Late in the day, when the weather suddenly cleared, the people of Lyon were so excited that they began lighting candles, placing them in all windows, carrying them into the streets, and milling about. The Festival of Lights happened spontaneously, after all.

Each year, then, the city recreates that celebration. Candles are distributed to every apartment and business in the presqu'ile, to be lit and placed in windows that evening. The buildings are illuminated in a particularly interesting way - different every year. (One year, lights were cast in such a way that you could see the entire color spectrum and it caused all sculpture on the building to jump out in hyper-high relief. It was amazing.) People wander from landmark to landmark drinking vin chaud (mulled wine), eating waffles or crepes, and having a great time. If you ever travel to France in December, try your hardest to make the festival of lights!

Another thing I love is French sign art. They often find the perfect graphic depiction of what you should and should not do (turn off your cellphone in the train, allow your dog to relieve himself in this part of the park, etc.). Even illiterate and foreign viewers should have no problem understanding. Of course, despite the excellent depiction of where you should (and by inference should not) allow your dog to relieve himself, one thing I dislike about France is their stubborn refusal to curb their pets! Yuck.

As for my research, things are proceeding apace. Here in Lyon I am mostly looking for more information about the so-called Lyon Plot of 1851. I am also finding interesting information about revolutionary legislation to help refugees and deportees from the colonies in the late nineteenth century (particularly from formerly-French Canada - the Acadiens - and from Saint Domingue - modern Haiti). The municipal archives here in Lyon are quite a pleasant place to work. I have never been to them before, but am quite pleasantly surprised. The staff has been very helpful, too. Today one of the archivists decided I was paying too much for photocopies so he charged me only half the normal amount. Saved me about 20 dollars!

On my commute, I have had a lot of time to observe fashion here. Now I will wait until Paris to give my final vote, but early returns are not favorable. Most of what I see is supposed to look very worn. Men's jeans have seams all over them - up, down, across - and the stitching is in both white and yellow. Often half of the button-down fly is exposed. Very complicated construction, not very attractive. Boys and girls both wear clothing with incomprehensible English on them, like "Street star 3" or the image to the right. (What is this telling us happened in Alabama in 1969? Why did it only go 37 km?) Many men are wearing polo shirts with argyle and numbering on their chests, as if they belong to some bizarre sports team on which they are the number 3G. It really makes no sense. Let's hope the Parisians are doing better.

That is all for now... I'll have more to say later.