Magazine

Heatwaves, holidays and keeping your pets safe this summer

A vet's expert tips on how to prevent heatstroke, dehydration and car travel risks

French supermarkets accused of higher markups on organic fruit and vegetables

Report says bio shoppers pay more while farmers receive a smaller share

Jordan Bardella smiling in a suit at an indoor launch event

Jordan Bardella is unsuited to be French head of state

Reader lists reasons that far-right politician is not qualified

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Can you really learn a language after 60? This Montpellier tutor says yes

How training the brain through repeated quizzes and self-testing can improve long-term recall

July reading recommendations: three books about France in English

Our pick includes some romantic Paris fiction and a gripping wartime art theft novel

Things to see and do this month in Paris, Carcassonne, Rouen, Juan-les-Pins and Aveyron

Our pick of cultural events to enjoy in France in July

Why an Irish lecturer stayed in France: life, work and challenges in Brittany

Grainne O’Keeffe Vigneron explains why she stayed in France, what life in Rennes is really like, and the biggest challenges for Irish people living and working in Brittany

Rouler en chasse-patate and more Tour de France expressions

The 100-year-old annual bicycle race has long-standing traditions and even its own vocabulary

Narrow street with parked cars, motorbikes, and stone buildings under trees.

French cities split over ‘wild’ street greenery

Supporters say it teaches respect for biodiversity

Beer cheat, peeing, Donald Trump: six facts about the Tour de France

We pick out some little-known stories about the famous cycling race

Explore a magical plant garden in Indre-et-Loire

Dominique and Marie-Odile Birault's garden is devoted to the unique properties of many species

Former opera star helps young musicians hit the right note in the Lot

Meet the retired singer who is mentoring future classical music stars with a residency programme and free concerts

A visit to the mairie in Normandy that is smaller than a bedroom

It is the smallest in France at just 7.83m²

What happened when I sent my parents to explore Villefranche-sur-Mer

Connexion writer Sophie Parsons had fun sending her parents to visit the beautiful Côte d'Azur town

Power to the (shy) people: why citizen assemblies could replace career politicians

Writer and academic Hélène Landemore says ordinary people need to be at the heart of the political process

Man spraying his arm with mosquito repellent

Your feedback on anti-mosquito products in France and tips

Connexion readers share their advice for keeping the pests at bay and to stop bites itching

View through a window into Bistrot Bertha, showing tables, seated customers and a hanging chair.

‘It’s Papy hour!’: Bistrots bring new lease of life to French care homes

Outlets have opened in facilities throughout the country, from Flamanville (Manche) to Fontenay-sous-Bois (Val-de-Marne)

Stone gate in front of a traditional house with a garden and blue sky.

What do French buyers actually want in an old farmhouse?

Columnist Samantha David prepares to sell her home

Crowds of travellers queue inside a Paris airport passport control area beneath overhead signs.

Lack of e-gates adds to EES ‘shambles’ in France

Readers ask why new system has been so challenging to deliver

Learning French: when and why do we say j’peux pas, j’ai piscine?

We look at why people in France talk about swimming pools when saying they are unavailable to make plans

Young,Stylish,Woman,In,Red,Beret,Having,A,French,Breakfast

Do France's traditions get more admiration than they deserve?

Columnist Cynthia Spillman questions the value of café culture, intellectualism and... bureaucracy

Five French novels to read this summer to improve your language skills

France’s rich literary heritage provides near endless pool of novels to choose from

Hands using a laptop with a language choice screen showing British and French flags.

Constantly translating French for all my friends is getting me down

Protecting your time and preserving your energy is not selfish, says columnist Cynthia Spillman

Couple move from Australia to the Somme to save the Lost Diggers house

A trove of World War One photographs was found in the house in Vignacourt

A view of an Urgences hospital sign in France

France’s healthcare paradox: too few doctors, too many treatments

Columnist Sarah Henshaw tries to manage a medical problem without a GP

France should not fall for Kremlin propaganda

Political commentator Simon Heffer examines reasons for growing sympathy toward aggressor

Bordeaux-based Briton is mistaken for famous actor

Author, Ian Ogilvie Forth, was invited to speak at a fundraiser - then realised he had been mistaken for TV star Ian Ogilvy

Woman on grassy riverbank pointing at a fish in clear shallow water

Guess the French phrase behind this photo clue...

Can you work out which idiomatic expression is depicted below?

English-speaking Alcoholics Anonymous in Paris: meetings, hotline and support

Learn how expats can access confidential help for alcoholism

Protester in Paris holds a purple sign reading 'Pas d'excuse pour les prédateurs' at a demonstration.

France's reckoning over child protection is long overdue

The case of 11-year-old Lyhanna is becoming a watershed moment

Guess the French region with the help of this clue: devil in the detail

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

Recipe: Butter bean, Brie & crispy caper salad

A quick, flavour-packed salad recipe for a light lunch or summer meal

Why watching sports on TV is good for your French language skills

You may hear more and more anglicisms but there is plenty of opportunity to expand your French too

Military reenactors in brown uniforms and red berets stand at an outdoor camp

Meet the reenactment groups bringing history to life in France

World War Two and Napoleonic reenactment groups help bring the past to life

Guess the French phrase behind this photo clue...

Can you work out which idiomatic expression is depicted below?

Smiling person taking a selfie on a sunny sandy beach by the sea

How I moved to France and retrained as a tradesperson

Reader Ceri-Anne Malessa-Thompson, 43, moved to Normandy in 2022

Metal table and chairs on a stone terrace beside a building, overlooking a green valley at sunset.

Oprah Winfrey quote pushed us to realise our French vineyard tourism dream

Château Feely is an organic wine producer with accommodation, offering vineyard walking tours

I’m a French tutor and these are six mistakes that block a beginner’s progress

Common mistakes include translating expressions word for word and not listening to everyday speech

Stone church with a tower in a grassy area among bare trees.

How I challenged a history myth in my French village

Nick Inman's book takes a new perspective on a Huguenot army's 'destruction'

The origins and meaning of barbe à papa

Find out the funny French translation for this fluffy fairground treat

Border checks at Charles de Gaulle airport

Passport not stamped upon leaving France and no biometrics taken: should I be worried?

Entry/Exit System digital border scheme requiring this was fully rolled out on April 10

What does avoir les jambes en coton mean and when should it be used?

We look at why people in France compare their legs to a variety of soft and squishy materials when tired out

Gone to the races: happiness at the Hippodrome

Discover what a day at the races in France is really like, from free entry and betting at the PMU to the food and atmosphere

Waste management is great in some parts of France

Reader describes the ways their local authority helps citizens

Test your knowledge: fun French facts

Try our fun quiz featuring the invention of the modern pencil, Brittany’s galette saucisse and singer Alain Souchon

Five great French cycling routes to enjoy during the summer months

Plan a scenic bike holiday, from La Loire à Vélo and the Atlantic coast to the Canal du Midi, Alps and Alsace wine trails

How a British entrepreneur built a new life at a French chateau

Newcastle woman manages a chateau alongside her businesses, hosting retreats in France and welcoming over 100 women from across Europe

France’s pastry attacks have a language of their own

From throwing flour bombs to getting pie-faced, France’s long tradition of attentats pâtissiers has a unique vocabulary to go alongside

France’s twisted church spires: how many clocher tors are there?

Discover where these unusual churches are found, why their spires twist and how many may exist across Europe

The Périgord dish that some find hard to swallow

Salade Périgourdine is a classic Dordogne salad made with duck gizzards, foie gras and magret

Global light pollution rises but falls sharply in France, study finds

Findings highlight the impact of French street lighting policies on biodiversity, sleep and energy use

Do helicopters drop snakes? Old rumour shapes French environmental debate

Bizarre rumour first spread in 1970s

What to do if a stray cat makes itself at home chez vous in France

A vet explains what to do, from checking ownership and microchips to neutering, I-CAD registration and long-term care

How to identify mustelids in France: polecats, badgers, martens and weasels

A practical guide explaining key features, habitats and tracking signs to help spot these elusive animals

The age of French far-right leader Jordan Bardella is not the point

Readers argue that it is wrong to focus on this aspect of the far-right politician

Close-up of a four-nozzle petrol pump at a service station that dispenses B10 Diesel (yellow), B7 Diesel (orange), E85 'super ethanol' (blue) and E10 petrol (green).

Ethanol swap was great for me in France

Reader is 'chuffed to bits with the conversion'

Free house in France: couple win Creuse B&B on TV competition

Roy and Nichola Legge tell of their experience winning Channel 4's The Great B&B Challenge

Stone gate and medieval walls of Larressingle in Gers, Occitanie, beneath a blue sky.

Follow in the footsteps of famous French musketeer on new Gers cycling route

The 461 km route circles the entire department, through scenic landscapes and historic villages

How to express amazement this World Cup season

The French language really comes alive during sporting events

French football chants and songs you will hear this summer

Learn the meanings behind France’s most famous fan anthems

How to find wine in French supermarkets that is inexpensive and enjoyable

Vigneron Jonathan Hesford gives his advice on finding good value bottles and bag-in-box, plus why Lidl can offer some of France’s best budget buys

Why the French phrase ‘je vous écoute’ opens doors

President Macron recently called on a disruptive audience to listen better while attending a conference in Kenya

Panoramic harbour view with sailboats, waterfront buildings and a city skyline reflected in calm water.

Guess the French region with the help of this clue: the little rock

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

Three recipes to celebrate the French art of barbecue

Master griller Thierry ‘BIG T’ Cornuet, who runs the Bootgrill restaurant in Nice, introduces his superb cookbook The Art of BBQ and provides some simply delicious recipes to try out this summer

‘Village of cats’ in southern France is inspired by an old legend

Story of a young girl and her kittens has influenced the architecture of La Romieu, classified one of the Plus Beaux Villages de France

Artisan cheese of the month, plus a local speciality from Alsace

Pérail, the ewe’s milk cheese from Aveyron and Tarn, was granted IGP status in 2025

Meet the Landes pig farm behind traditional Gascon pork and charcuterie

The family-run business champions short supply chains, animal welfare and high-quality local produce

Best garden lighting and potager tips for June

A stylish rattan lamp and what vegetables to plant and harvest this month

French honey explained: why local honey varies by region and flower

Artisanal French honey is high quality and strictly controlled

Mangetout: which French village rejoices in kidneys for breakfast?

Discover how Saint-Gérand-le-Puy near Vichy marks 'Bloomsday' with kidneys for breakfast in honour of James Joyce, and learn the story behind this unusual French-Irish tradition