Plenty of Nothing

Le Cyclone d'Octobre 1909

This is only one of the eighteen bridges in La Vendée destroyed by the cyclone of October 26, 1909. Source.

1980 Citroën Karin

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Bastille Day

The Rue Montorgueil in Paris, 1878, by Claude Monet. Source.

Mont Ventoux

Petrarch climbed Mont Ventoux on this date in 1336 and then wrote about it. Paul Flandrin painted this view in 1842. Source.

Contre le Gel

Aerial view of French vineyards being heated against a late frost, April 2021. Source.

Rosa Bonheur

Today is the 199th birthday of French animal painter Rosa Bonheur. Source.

Saint-Cloud

Here's a model of the Palace of Saint-Cloud, home of the Emperor Napoleon. It was burned down during the Franco-Prussian War, and now some patriots would like to see it rebuilt. Source.

The Lion of Belfort

Belfort is the corner of Alsace that France managed to hang on to after the Franco-Prussian War. To compensate themselves for losing the rest they built the enormous Lion of Belfort, designed by Frédéric Bartholdi, who also did the Statue of Liberty. There are copies of it in Paris and Montreal. The Lion of Belfort is a two-hour drive from the Löwendenkmal in Lucerne. Source.

Diving Suit, 1882

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Banquet of French Mayors

On September 22nd, 1900, French President Émile Loubet entertained 22,965 guests at the Tuileries Gardens during the 1900 World's Fair. Source.