"Must see" lists

I've been asked several times about what we want to do and see first now that we are living in France. We've been more focused on settling in and learning to live here rather than seeing the sights, but I do have a list. My list is probably different from that of many other people. It doesn't include the resort cities on the Mediterranean coast, although we may get there eventually, in the winter. The short list doesn't include Paris either, although there are a lot of things there that I definitely do want to see, eventually. No, the top of my French "must see" list has always been the prehistoric cave paintings of Lascaux. 

I've recently learned that you can no longer visit the actual caves. I'm not sure to what extent it was ever possible because a lot of them are really inaccessible, but apparently there is now a recreation that appears very realistic and it avoids the destructive effects of tourism while also making them more accessible to more people. So I still want to go to Lascaux but today we went to an exhibit at the Lille science museum called "Arts & Prehistoire." It was an interesting exhibit featuring cave drawing not just from Lascaux but from many other locations across France and the rest of Europe. There were also on display many objects found in prehistoric sites, carved bits of bone, ivory, and other materials. 

One of the aspects of the exhibit that I really appreciated was the frank admission that we really can not say what any of the paintings, drawings, or objects meant to those who created them because of the vast cultural gap that exists between us and those who created them. Any theories put forth are necessarily shaped by the viewpoint of those in this era who are attempting to ascribe a meaning without any real context. Sometimes a painting of a horse, is simply a painting of a horse. 

That was our Wednesday afternoon excursion. Wednesday morning Bailey and I once again did a nice long hike around the Citadel and visited the dog park. There was just one other dog present and it clearly wanted to run and play. We had a brief but fun bit of off-leash play before continuing on our way. We also encountered a couple who were walking their own dogs but they stopped to ask if Bailey was a Malinois and wanted to meet her. They didn't speak any English and I don't speak any French, but we managed to communicate a bit. Bailey was suspicious of the man in particular but I handed him treats to offer to her and she took them nicely, making it a satisfactory encounter and good experience for all of us.

There were sniffs, play bows, and then they took off running.

Yes, poppies do still grow in Flanders fields.

These were growing as wild flowers in an area around the Citadel.

Lille is in the northern part of France. It is part of the region once known as Flanders, which together with parts of Belgium and the Netherlands has been part of France, Spain, and the Roman Empire throughout its history. I have a lot of local history to learn.