Une ville collineuse

So Nevers isn't situated like a typical French city, at least as far as I learned about French cities in geography class. According to my teachers, most important and successful French cities are modeled in the same layout as Paris: they follow a circular pattern through the middle of which a river flows. This layout privileges transportation of goods and people, and puts the central source of water within easy reach of the whole population. In Nevers, however, because of a small hill on one side of the river, la Loire, only a very small part of the city conglomeration stradles the river. The centre ville (center of town) seems to radiate more from the Cathedral, which sits on top of the hill. The Cathedral, a two- part construction (one part dates to the Tenth Century and the other to the Sixteenth Century), finds itself at the heart of the city, right next door to the Palais ducal and a really stunning lawn and park. In any case, for me to get to the center of town, as I live just to the north of the peripheral boulevard that encircles the centre ville, I usually take my vélo (bike) around the boulevard down to the river and then slip in one of the side streets to the centre ville.

To explain more about a typical French town, much like Paris, many towns at one time had medieval murs (walls) to protect their inhabitants. As the murs became ruins, they fell and disappeared for the most part, but the development of towns is still strongly marked by their presence. In the mid-twentieth century, many towns connected their roads to State highways, following the outline of the old murs and ending up with convenient boulevards (wide avenues suitable for flowing traffic). That way, French cities generally have marked differences. The first of these is generally a mix of everything from sixteenth-century brick and wood houses to nineteenth-century Napoléon III design. The latter of the two is characterized by a sadder, less romantic and more utilitarian aesthetic. Furthermore, the center of town usually privileges foot traffic, whereas the exterior, much like many American cities, is made more sprawling by the combination of the desire for more personal family space and the convenience presented by the voiture (car).

As far as my placement in Nevers is concerned, the high school where I work, Lycée Raoul Follereau, is to the exterior of the boulevards, directly to the north. Françoise lives just to the east of the high school, so I spend my day time on this exterior section, and then go in to the centre ville if I need something from somewhere other than la banque, la poste, or le supermarché. Whether on foot or vélo (bike), I have a couple of different paths to choose from when heading in the direction of centre ville. Going à pied (on foot), I prefer to take a sinuous route through residential neighborhoods, as I rather like spying on people's jardins (gardens). A l'inverse (Conversely), when I take my bike, I tend to follow the major roads, as the chemin (path) is much more direct. Furthermore, the major roads have plenty of rondpoints (roundabouts), which are too fun to whiz through on two wheels. If I'm on foot, it takes me about 30 minutes to get to the Cathédrale, whereas on bike I'm there in closer to ten minutes.

The title of this post, "Une ville collineuse," means "A hilly city." As I was explaining in the beginning of the post, the Cathédrale sits atop a hill. There is one very famous street that leads directly to the side door, which climbs this steep hill all at once. There is also, however, just à côté (next to) this street, a large staircase that takes one from the bottom of the hill to the top. Having taken both paths on bike, I must confess I find the stairs more manageable, although there's something about the street, with its multiple antique shops and its nursery school, that is also quite charming. From this high point on the north side of the Loire, Nevers gains not only two picturesque inclines but also a beautiful park opposing the Palais ducal (The Ducal Palace, where lots of administrative offices are held) with an overview of the river valley.The centre ville is characterized without a doubt by this unique topography.

This hill in the town center is not the only hill in Nevers, however. Leading outside of the centre ville to the North, near my house, is another considerable rise in elevation. The town has chosen this high point as the site for its communal cimitière (cemetary). I can pass by it on my way home if I like, although its overly large superficie (surface area) is a bit overwhelming, so I think the one time I looked at it will suffice for a while. The other consequence of the hill to the north of the city is a great expenditure of energy at the end of a bike ride home. Françoise told me that she doesn't monte (climb up) the hill on her bike, she prefers to walk, but I think I'm too stubborn to get off my bike. Each time I take the last turn towards the house, I prepare to use what little force I may have left after a long day to get my way all the way up the incline. It makes for a good endurance builder, I suppose. On the other side of things, it's very exciting to start off a trip to town with a huge incline leading into a careening acceleration.

Alors (so), if you're planning a visit to Nevers any time soon, don't forget to stretch your mollets (calves) and certainly bring a camera to capture the panoramic views depuis la petite colline (from the little hill)!

A très bientôt, mes amours,

Megan