Magazine

Comment: Air con clashes with French culture

Columnist Nabila Ramdani reacts to Marine Le Pen's call for a 'major air-conditioning equipment plan'

Learning French: on ne va pas se mentir has become a linguistic tic

Filler phrases have been likened to 'window dressing'

A quick guide to the perfect French press coffee

Learn about the history, technique, and places to shop for a rich, full-bodied brew

magazine

Comment: Aggression in French schools must be stopped

Teacher Clara Villanueva describes the current climate in classrooms and some solutions to the problem

Interview: French forensic pathologist on groundbreaking Paris Catacombs study

Philippe Charlier talks about leading the first scientific study into the millions of skeletons buried there and ponders why the Western world is both fascinated and terrified by death

Why rap artists are the new French poets

Julien Barret - an author with a particular interest in rap music and the French language - tells columnist Théophile Larcher how the meaning of words is shaped by culture

The Silver Spoon: discovering the culinary roots of frog soup

Featuring more than 2,000 recipes, this is one of Italy's most influential cookbooks

Discover France's summer cheese and a sweet teatime delight

Explore the refreshing Cantal jeune cheese and buttery La Fouace bread, perfect for warm days

Comment: France lags behind on local swimming pools despite headlines

Columnist Sarah Henshaw misses the 'comprehensive coverage' for local pools she enjoyed in the UK

Five things they don't tell you about… la rentrée

The official end of the summer holidays in France brings a mixture of relaxation and return to work

Learning French: 'Le Grand Large' and more grand expressions

English-speaking visitors to France assume this intriguing coastal name translates as 'The Big Big'

Comment: The time is ripe for another widespread protest in France

Columnist Simon Heffer looks at the burgeoning Bloquons tout movement and the failure of the government to take decisive action

Buying a French chateau: 'I was only half-serious, then I fell in love!'

The castle, tucked in the Vallee d’Ossau, was up for sale at €599,000 when Ms Jasinski bought it

Learning French: charbonner and more phrases to describe hard work

Our columnist Justin Postlethwaite highlights the many ways of describing 'serious graft' when in France

Erbalunga: France’s hotspot for the earliest summer sunrise

Visit this Corsican fishing village in September for an unforgettable experience... just remember to set the alarm

Neighbourhood group aims to help Americans acclimatise to life in south of France

The American Club of the Riviera has nearing 400 members

Album review: Tiens, voilà mon best-of by Louane

The singer's new limited edition collection features France's 2025 Eurovision Song Contest entry, Maman

Letters: French translations – some good...some hilarious

Perhaps people, not machines, are best at languages, Connexion readers argue

Tour Alta: the new landmark making waves in Perret’s post-war Le Havre

The tower block sits within a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has sparked conflicting reactions

Fort de Brégançon: inside the presidential private island

President Macron is currently enjoying the secluded fortress on the Riviera which has welcomed French politicians for decades

Veules-les-Roses: a floral village home to the shortest river in France

This coastal Normandy village is dotted with thatched cottages, watermills and rambling roses

Letters: I have no sympathy for heatwave whingers in France

Reader says you just have to adapt your lifestyle and carry on

Letters: France should not look to the US for a way forward

Reader warns against France following the Trump playbook

Learning French: phrases overheard in France during la canicule

From cooking in Marseille to air-con despair, we look at some of our favourite new expressions

Eat like a French local: why baeckeoffe remains an Alsatian speciality

The name of this dish means ‘baker’s oven’ in the Alsatian dialect

Easy-to-eat, juicy wonders: flat peaches are a summer highlight in France

Be sure to enjoy fresh peaches from your local French market this summer

Beaches: the different words for stone in French

Beaches in holiday hotspots such as Nice are famous for their pebbles

Recipe: pea salad with mint and smoked salmon

A quick-to-prepare salad that can be packed up and enjoyed later - perfect for dinner parties and picnics

Five French-speaking YouTubers who cover trending topics

These content creators talk fast and use jargon, but watching them can be a good way of tapping into hot topics

Letters: This tip makes it very easy to set up a French phone number

Connexion reader reports on the advantage of using an eSIM while in France

Learning French: when and why do we say se fendre la poire?

A fruity phrase for when you cannot stop laughing

Property watch: See what €50,000, €150,000 and over €1m buys Haute-Saône

The sparsely populated department has a growing reputation as a lush and peaceful tourist destination

Three French-themed books to read in August

A novel set in Provence, a recipe book and a French language-themed colouring book

French vinaigrette: how to choose the best oil, vinegar and mustard

Making your own vinaigrette is simpler than you think

Stork nests in south-west France to cost rail operator €1m

SNCF says birds nesting in overhead lines present safety risk

What happened in France in August 100, 50 and 10 years ago

Here is what was making the headlines this month in 1925, 1975 and 2015

Franco-British biathlete chooses Team GB

Athlete Chloé Dupont discovered a healthier sporting environment with the British biathlon team

Toulouse exhibition celebrates the elegance of French air travel

New exhibition shows off the enduring style of Air France

Interactive quiz: 20 questions on France

Which is the oldest city in France? Who invented pink Champagne? - How many can you get right?

'Our French farmhouse was rebuilt by hundreds of helping hands'

Discover how a New Zealand-English couple transformed a dilapidated farmhouse into a vibrant home with the help of 145 volunteers

Jardins Ouverts: explore this beautiful French garden in Pays de la Loire

Briton Angela Rowlands' Mayenne garden is open to the public in September

Comment: Visitors battle to open shutters but I know better

Columnist Samantha David notes that unlike her sun-searching relatives she has embraced the use of shutters to keep her home cool

Vision of a princess: spectacular and pioneering garden in Normandy

Le Jardin de Vasterival, located on the coast not far from Dieppe, is considered to be one of the most beautiful gardens in Europe

Learning French: unlocking slang for money talk

Talking about money is somewhat taboo in France - but slang expressions for it abound

Comment: Why France is leading the secondhand fashion boom

Columnist Sarah Henshaw notes how French fashion is embracing preloved clothes

Request over garden boundary plants has caused tension with French neighbour

Columnist Cynthia Spillman advises a reader over best approach with neighbour

Recipe: orange and cardamom crème brûlée

A zesty, creamy dessert with a caramelised sugar topping

French cuisine: in praise of herrings and samphire

Peter Bear on this perfect combination which has a rich history and fishy flavour

Recipe: one-pot rainbow ratatouille

Add a twist to this classic dish featuring vibrant vegetables and fragrant herbs

Recipe: souffléd pancakes with oranges and Grand Marnier

This 'show-stopping' dessert is one of Michel Roux's family favourites

Uncovering France's Easter Island statues

There are five statues in various locations across France

Guess the French phrase behind this photo clue...

Can you work out which idiomatic expression is depicted below?

Trailblazing activist reflects on a life of change in France

Toby Gemperle Gilbert shares her journey from modelling to pioneering the country's first domestic violence helpline

Guess the French region with the help of this clue: An artist at rest

In which of France's 13 regions was this photo taken?

Learning French: what does sursis mean and when is it used?

The word was heard in the recent court case involving actor Gérard Depardieu

Letters: France's new GP video consultation service is really effective

Connexion reader says others living in ‘medical deserts’ could also benefit

Volunteer interpreters help hospital patients communicate in French

Brittany-based association, Maux sans Frontière, aids foreign patients in French hospitals with vital interpretation services

Photos: Explore the animal-themed holiday village in western France

These hen, rabbit and snail shaped houses make for a fun place to stay

Peillon: a picturesque village perché in the south of France

Skip luxury shopping in the Côte d’Azur and travel back in time to this little village teetering on a nearby mountaintop

Exhibition: see inside the iconic pavilion of a French prefab architect

Ferdinand Fillod was a French pioneer of prefabricated metal buildings. One of his most famous creations was rescued from ignominy and put on display not far from Perpignan

Learning French: Ça crame and other phrases for when the weather is too hot

Discover different ways to describe the heat in French

Learning French: the origins and meaning of manger les pissenlits par la racine

A deadly dandelion saying

Vent d’autan: the French weather phenomenon said to drive people mad

Superstition says that the wind, which affects the south-west of the country, turns the locals 'crazy'

Breton name bowls: 'People are no longer interested in the traditional craft'

These bowls have become a staple of French cabinets and breakfast tables, but how are they really made?

Letters: Reader experiences of organising a funeral in France

Connexion readers share their advice to ensure the process goes smoothly

Recipe: simple and delicious yoghurt cake

In her pâtisserie cookbook, Gâteau - The Surprising Simplicity of French Cakes, award–winning American food writer, Aleksandra Crapanzano, explores how Parisians shop and bake