One of the things I love about my town in France, St. Etienne, is the scenery.  Most of Europe is known for its architecture, as some buildings have been around since the Middle Ages.  St. Etienne was a mining town, so in terms of buildings, it's pretty basic, no ornate details, towers, etc. like you may see in Paris.  This, though, is a picture from my dorm building when I studied there.

This view is spectacular at night.  It looks like fireflies are resting on the hills, and you can still see stars.  There was one day, probably in November or December, when my friends and I got to our afternoon class early and I looked out the window, and I could see snow on the hills.

I LOVE hills!  Being able to see the tops of them, and on a clear day the foothills of the Alps, just brings me so much joy!  (See the tall building on the right? That was my dorm where the first picture was taken)  I probably like it so much because the hills remind me of the UP, although the Alps are a little more magnificent than the Porcupine Mountains. 

My university did a wonderful job of arranging excursions for us on the weekends.  One weekend, we got on a bus and drove for about an hour to Le Puys to go to a Renaissance Fair.  Now, it wasn't like the ones we have here in the States where everything is organized and there's an agenda for everything.  Here, people showed up in costumes they already had, on horses, setting up booths to sell their goods, and music groups dressed in costumes could be found in various corners of the streets.  This was the view from the top of a statue of Mary with baby Jesus.

I just love it in this part of the country.