Viva la Difference
The French language makes a distinction between "masculine and feminine objects" - people use le for masculine things/persons and la for feminine things/persons. Lyon, in the region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, has two navigable rivers, the Rhône and Saône that converge to the south of the historic city centre. The Rhône is designated masculine, le whilst the Saône, feminine la. This is said to be because the Rhône is a larger, busier, strong flowing river, whilst the Saône is much gentler and quieter. Apparently this accounts for the number of male/female sculptures around the city that represent ‘la difference’.
Viva la Difference
The French language makes a distinction between "masculine and feminine objects" - people use le for masculine things/persons and la for feminine things/persons. Lyon, in the region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, has two navigable rivers, the Rhône and Saône that converge to the south of the historic city centre. The Rhône is designated masculine, le whilst the Saône, feminine la. This is said to be because the Rhône is a larger, busier, strong flowing river, whilst the Saône is much gentler and quieter. Apparently this accounts for the number of male/female sculptures around the city that represent ‘la difference’.