Snapshots of Besançon

Here are some pictures of the city, as I promised. More to follow as I do more exploring!

This is a view of the river Doubs from one of the bridges:

The other side of the same bridge, looking out to the far bank (not c.v.):

This is the fountain at the Place Jean-Cornet, the inscription as the top reads "Utinam" ("May it please God" in Latin, the city's official motto):

Just a cool scene:

A typical street view -- the architecture is very similar to that of Dijon:

The "Porte Noir" and the spire of the Saint-Jean Cathedral. The "Porte Noir" was recently restored to its original white color -- when I say recently I mean it was unveiled sometime between when I arrived in France on Sunday morning and when I took this picture Tuesday afternoon. It is an "Arc de Triomphe" typical of cities which were once part of the Roman empire. This one was built in the 2nd century CE to honor Marcus Aurelius:

This marker indicates that there once was a Roman theatre in what is now a park:

Inside the Saint-Jean cathedral:

An incredibly elaborate nave:

You can see part of the citadel in the distance:

And see how close the next hill is! Besançon sits in a valley, enclosed by the Doubs on one side and the citadel on the other:

Here's a map to give you an idea. Everything inside the circle of the Doubs (in blue) is the CV. I live between the gare (#3 on this map) and the nearest bridge, but closer to the gare: