La Petite France

One of the most charming and best-preserved historic areas used to be home to the fishermen and craftsmen of the city. Today it swarms with tourists, cafes, and shops.

Here is one of the many pictuesque sites in the La Petite France district.

Even the fire station for the district is quaint.

And even the fire trucks are small and energy efficient.

More energy efficiency: sleek tram lines cut through the center of this historic city.

And bicycles are everywhere, with their own traffic lanes in most places. Men, women, old, young tear around on their bikes. I have yet to see anyone wearing a helmet in this country.

Good thing they also have a national health care system, in which everyone is taken care of and nobody has to depend on the crazy system of private health insurance we have in the U.S. Here's the big hospital in the historic city, still a functioning hospital.

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