French, is it really romantic?

 　　"When I wanted another word for music, I found only Vienna; and when I wanted another word for 'mystery', I only thought of Prague."

　　- Nietzsche

　　Hemingway in The Feast of the Flow "In "Paris is never finished, and everyone who has lived in Paris has a different memory than everyone else. We will always go back there, no matter who we are, how she changes, or no matter where you arrive." No matter how difficult or easy it is there. Paris is always worth going to, no matter what you give her, you will always be rewarded.”

　　Whenever “France” is touched, “romance” follows. Time has weaved a romantic complex in our hearts dedicated to France through words, movies and various media. Long before we set foot in the land of France, we have been convinced that French people are romantic in nature, French lady is slender and elegant, and French is the world the most romantic language. France seems to have a romantic and elegant small aperture in its name.

　　Later, when I set foot on that piece of romantic land and looked at it with my heart-shaped eyes, I was often asked curiously by French friends, "In the eyes of the Chinese, what are we French? Like?" It's a question that can be answered quickly without thinking, or even touching your toes: "Romantic." The romantic ambassadors look at each other and burst into laughter after looking at each other. Sometimes, they also ask themselves, "Are we romantic?" and the answer is mostly no.

　　With the superposition of time in France, my understanding of France has also been connected from imagination to reality. The original "romantic French" impression was also annihilated in time. The French are "wave" and the French are "slow", but the French are really not as "romantic" as our Chinese compatriots imagined. My French friends and I have discussed the topic of "romance" casually and seriously. Everyone may have their own unique definitions and assumptions about the expression of romance, but according to the romance of our oriental habitual thinking, my French friends and I both Agreed: Chinese people are actually more romantic.

　　Are you a little surprised? After being surprised, before refuting, we should carefully recall and think about it. In China, we often see/hear the way a certain boy confesses his true feelings when he is chasing an attractive girl: in a certain place, use a large sea of ​​flowers to fold a heart, and candles are placed into a heart, various lighting props piece together a heart or "I love you", and a gift surprise prepared by racking our brains, and the gifts usually have the meaning of all kinds of love with good intentions, which is what we do. familiar romance. The French people nod their heads in praise of our romance, but shake their heads to show that French babies can't do it.

　　The French do not consider themselves romantic. But looking at the neighbors around you, you can't compare to Italy when it comes to love words, and you can't match Spain when you talk about passion. But the soft and charming French accent really fascinated a lot of people. Even when speaking English, the unique french accent attached to it made countless people fascinated. There were little hearts flashing in their eyes, and a word floated in their hearts. oh so cute".

　　Although the French do not consider themselves romantic, most of them consider their country to be a romantic country in itself. On a sunny afternoon, with the blue sky above, walking along the Seine River, wandering in the streets and alleys where time has accumulated, those magnificent and magnificent buildings, the history embedded in time, the stories buried in history, even if sitting alone In the roadside cafes, sipping coffee, you can also feel the beauty and romantic fragrance precipitated by the history that fills the air.

　　Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, has the reputation of "city of a thousand towers" and "golden city". It is also the first city in the world to be designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. When it comes to Prague, you may think of Milan Kundera's "The Unbearable Lightness of Life", the ancient astronomical clock, the dazzling red tiles and yellow walls, the romantic Charles Bridge, the movie "Prague Love", Jolin Tsai's "Love in Prague" Prague Square"... This is praised by Goethe as "the most beautiful city in Europe", with picturesque scenery and the intersection of architectural and artistic styles of different eras, no city is so special.

Charles BridgeCharles Bridge

　　The sparkling and beautiful Vltava River divides the city of Prague into two parts. The river spans 18 bridges of different periods, and the most famous of which is the Charles Bridge (Charles Bridge). The Charles Bridge, built in 1357, was built on the order of the Czech King Charles IV, hence the name. It has a history of more than 600 years and is one of the most famous monuments in Prague. There are 30 statues of saints on the stone railings on both sides of the bridge, which is called "Europe's open-air Baroque statue gallery". However, what is currently displayed on the bridge are replicas, and the originals have been transferred to the museum for preservation. Walking on this bridge, watching tourists rush through, admiring art ornaments, listening to musicians singing cheerfully, the scenery on both sides of the strait is intoxicating, Vltava is flowing slowly under his feet, and art is everywhere. Fka's statement that "my life and inspiration all come from the great Charles Bridge" has a different understanding.

St. Vitus Cathedral Katedrála sv. Víta

　　St. Vitus Cathedral (Katedrála sv. Víta) is a landmark in Prague. This architectural treasure, built in 929 AD and not officially completed until 1929 AD, has both Gothic style and Baroque and Renaissance features. It is the place where the Czech emperors held coronation ceremonies. , is also a symbol of the Czech national spirit. The Gothic minaret piercing the sky, the exquisite flying relief, the mottled exterior wall with the imprint of time, standing in the present, makes people feel solemn. Walking into the church, the high and spacious interior space is magnificent, the elegant and slender pillars, and the lines that rise straight to the sky. When you are in it, solemnity and holiness are born spontaneously. At the same time, you also deeply feel the insignificance of human beings. Above the golden gate of the church, the "Last Judgment" composed of 40,000 mosaics created in 1370 is the most important artistic treasure of St. Vitus Cathedral. My favorite is the gorgeous stained glass window in the church, by the famous Czech painter Alphonse Mucha. The sun shines through the glass, the colorful light is wispy, and there are thousands of thoughts in the heart. With the ups and downs of light and shadow, we spend our whole life exploring the boundary between ourselves and the world. In a limited time, leaving our mark may be the best tribute to life.

"The City of a Thousand Springs" Aix

　　In the entire Provence region, Aix is ​​the one that wins my heart the most. Aix-en-Provence, known as the "City of a Thousand Springs", is the former capital of Provence and the hometown of Cézanne, the source of inspiration. Some people say that this is the most beautiful place in Provence, quiet and comfortable, quaint and charming. And Cezanne's love for this city is deep in the bone marrow. He once said: "If you were born there, it would be terrible, because there is nothing more attractive to you." The house with the tones of the times, The boulevards with verdant phoenix trees stand, and lovely fountains of all sizes spread throughout the city, and every corner has its own romantic artistic atmosphere. Walking on the street, I bowed my head and was surprised to find the copper symbol of the "C". If you follow it all the way, you can visit Cezanne's former residence, manor and his studio, the small shop where he bought paint, and the coffee shop he often visited.

　　The market in Aix is ​​a must-see. Here, there are wines with the taste of Provence sunshine, mouth-watering almond cookies, fresh vegetables and fruits, fragrant flowers... These colors extracted from nature, come together and wander, there is a kind of wandering in the flow. The sweetness of the land of milk and honey. It is often felt that these lively and real markets are like a window, allowing us to glimpse the real details of local life.

boulevard mirabeau

　　Of course, everyone who comes to Aix will definitely not miss the Cours Mirabeau, which has the reputation of "the most beautiful boulevard in France". Located in the center of Aix, the boulevard of Mirabeau was built in the 17th century and has a total length of about 500 meters. It was officially named after the French revolutionary Count Mirabeau in 1876. Four rows of phoenix trees are planted on both sides of the avenue, green and tall, with luxuriant branches and leaves, which shade the sun above the avenue, and the mottled light and shadow fall on the ground. Walk on it at will, and your heart is filled with joy. There is a cafe called "Two Brothers" on the north side of the boulevard Mirabeau. It has been in business since 1792 and has a history of more than 200 years. It has always been deeply loved by artists and literati. It was frequented by the Shang and naturalist writer Zola. Today the cafe is still very popular with tourists. Here, sipping mellow and rich coffee, looking at the beautiful plane trees, listening to the ding dong of the street fountain, and the blue sky with white clouds floating, this situation reminds me of Peter Meyer's "A Year in Provence" 》: Sunlight is an excellent sedative, and time flows silently like a dream. The days are long and soothing, even a little lazy, and life is so happy!