The crow of the Gallic rooster

Three Thoughts on Travel in Europe

Du Peijun

The Roman Empire called the place today in France Gallia, and Gallus Another meaning in Latin is rooster. During the French Revolution, the rooster replaced the lily, the symbol of royal power. The flag of the First French Republic had the image of a rooster on it. During World War I, the rooster was used as a symbol of the French nation's resistance to the Prussian invasion. Since then, the rooster has been famous as the mascot of France, singing throughout the world.

France is a country known for its romance and elegance. When our bus enters France from Italy via Monaco, you can immediately feel the country's aristocratic atmosphere and the temptation of diverse international elements. Nice, Cannes, Annecy, Dijon, Paris, all the way through, it seems that everything will become more charming and legendary in an instant. Sunshine, sea water, beaches, red wine, coffee, and beautiful women are all fascinating and exciting.

Nice and Cannes have some of the most beautiful, wonderful and enchanting beaches in the world. Some people say that Nice is the center where rich people gather in the world. Since the 19th century, European royal families, British nobles, Russian tycoons, Indian princes, etc. have come here one after another. They integrated Italian Renaissance-style architecture into a variety of seaside villas, luxury hotels, museums, art galleries, gardens, fountains, flowers, and palm trees. The British built the "British Promenade" on the seaside in Nice. The neat and tall palm trees on both sides of the avenue have become a unique scenery, which is quite tropical. We swam and played on the beaches of Nice and Cannes. We took a walk on the "British Promenade". We took pictures on the red carpet in front of the Palais des Festivals at the Cannes Film Festival. We took an ancient train through the intricate streets and alleys of Cannes, with different scenery at every turn. Of course, the best viewing platform is the clock tower at the highest point of the old town of Cannes. We sat under a huge parasol, facing the sea and sipping fragrant coffee and red wine. The charm of Cannes and the blue of the Mediterranean made us intoxicated and intoxicated.

The deepest impression left on us by Annecy is the city’s Lake Annecy. Annecy is surrounded by mountains and rivers, backed by the Alps. To the south is Lake Annecy, known as the purest in Europe and as dazzling as emerald blue. The lakes formed by the melted snow in the Alps, the canals passing through the city, the green mountains in the distance, and the nearby green trees and flowers form a paradise-like beauty. Annecy is like a classical and elegant young woman. The closer you get to her, the more you are attracted by her temperament. The most famous Bridge of Love in Annecy tells the story that Jean-Jacques Rousseau, the great French Enlightenment thinker in the 18th century, spent the happiest and most romantic time in his life with Mrs. Warren here. Walking, biking, swimming and boating on the shores of Lake Annecy, looking at the rolling Alps in the distance, will undoubtedly make you count the time to say goodbye, just because of the reluctance in your heart.

Dijon is an artistic city full of cultural heritage, a world-famous gastronomic city, and the starting point for the Burgundy wine region to explore its small town scenery and fine wines. Dijon retains many luxurious palaces and ruins of old nobles; it is a well-known wine country in France and has world-famous wine. We specially visited a private winery and his vineyard on the outskirts of the city. The storage in the winery cellar was amazing. Because they were originally stored in the place of origin, our Yichang Taizhou Chamber of Commerce Belt and Road Study Group bought several pieces of wine at once. We thought we would take them back home, but we didn’t expect that we would drink them all as soon as we arrived in Paris. Fortunately, our president also has a bottle hidden away. The snail meal in Dijon is said to be mouth-watering and delicious, but after tasting it, we felt it was too much. The most spectacular thing is the endless vineyards. The most eye-catching thing is the beautiful trams that run through the city.

The last stop of the Yichang Taizhou Chamber of Commerce’s Belt and Road Europe tour is Paris. The cruise ship sails leisurely on the Seine River. The urban area on both sides of the Seine River in Paris from the Pont de Siller to the Pont de Jena is located in the center of Paris and was included in the World Heritage List in 1991. The most famous buildings here include Notre Dame Cathedral, the Louvre Museum, the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower, as well as the Champs Elysées that runs through them. Paris is world-famous for its architectural art, historical sites and beautiful cityscape.

Our bus traveled along the Champs Elysées and the banks of the Seine. We saw various splendid architectural arts from the 12th to the 20th centuries, and saw neighborhoods of different eras and styles in the past. It is the trajectory of the development and changes of architectural art in Paris over the past hundreds of years. In the Palace of Versailles, the glory of Louis XIV, the "Sun King", once impressed the world. Under the Arc de Triomphe, Napoleon even took over half of the European continent and stood out among the others. The Place de la Concorde records the bravery and self-confidence of the French people. They will make some noise here from time to time to show off the strong fighting spirit that roosters are born with. "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity" is the logo on the French national emblem. They never flinch in the pursuit of freedom and equality: yesterday's revolution, today's strike, the French have always been at the forefront of the world. Therefore, France is a country that is soft on the outside and strong on the inside. ?

Paris is the capital of art and flowers. Whether in the room, on the balcony, in the yard, or in the store, in front of the display window or on the roadside, there are flowers blooming everywhere, and there is a charming fragrance everywhere. As for the colorful flower shops and the park filled with flowers, it is even more interesting to stop and admire, and never want to leave.

The most intuitive thing is that Paris is a world-wide consumer center. For people who are keen on shopping, Paris is a paradise to satisfy their shopping desires and a hell to vomit blood in their wallets. Whether you want luxury goods or affordable goods, whether you want to look like a top trendy person or prefer low-key simplicity, this place will always satisfy you. In particular, the large number of high-end fashions, perfumes, cosmetics and Bordeaux red wine are the favorites of Paris, which receives an average of more than 100 million foreign tourists every year. But the French themselves are not so high-profile. More than 80% of the cars running on the streets are domestically produced hatchback cars such as Peugeot and Citro?n.

However, France’s social security cannot be complimented. France accommodates a large number of immigrants from Africa and other countries, but it also brings hidden dangers to social security. In France, the most common thing our tour guides tell us every day is to keep an eye on our wallets, and we don’t even forget to tell us when we get off the bus at a highway service area to go to the toilet. We personally experienced the scene where thieves openly stole tourists’ backpacks at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, and encountered the bad luck of having their wallets stolen by thieves at the Palace of Versailles. We called the police, but the security guard shrugged and said: The police will not care about it and can't do it. There are too many such things in Paris.

Some people say that in Europe, because of France, there is no romance and elegance anywhere else. If one admires romance and elegance, he will be charming, both personally and nationally. France's status remains strong, partly because of its charm. Despite the unrealistic exaggerations that surround France as a romantic city, you won't be disappointed when you get there. The temperament of the rooster is pride. Many countries have had an arrogant golden age, but only France has continued this pride, like a rooster, with its head held high. Foreigners speak of Parisians and, although they invariably say they are arrogant, do not expect them to correct themselves.

Although the rooster is endowed with the qualities of pride, vigilance, and bravery by the French, compared with the lion representing Britain and the eagle representing Germany, the Gallic rooster cannot help but give the French Bringing some embarrassment and helplessness. But in 2018, the Gallic Roosters can still sing all over the world and stand out from the crowd, because they proudly won the Hercules World Cup at the Moscow Football World Cup.