Magazine

Learning French: pain bénit and six more expressions to do with bread

Bread is an important part of French culture - no wonder so many phrases are bread-related

French restaurant piggy banks: the old way to save cash

A club épargne is a traditional French savings club, where locals save money in a community setting

Join the club: British Association Côte d’Opale

The association supports Britons in France post-Brexit, fostering cultural integration and offering vital advice on residency and regulations

magazine

How I started painting after moving to France

Reader Cath Wilson describes how taking up a brush has brought her joy and new challenges

Learning French: the origins and meaning of être sur un petit nuage and other cloud phrases

Use this expression when you are feeling on cloud nine

I moved to France and became a fluent French–speaking heating engineer

Reader Stewart Paterson, 62, tells us how he retrained and learned the language

Letters: Check how noisy French heat pump is before buying

Connexion reader has a cleaner and more efficient home thanks to new system

Learning French: when and why do we say découvrir le pot aux roses?

A flowery phrase for when you come to a realisation

Wine books to enhance your tasting pleasure

Jonathan Hesford offers some recommended reads for dedicated wine drinkers

‘I am a gatekeeper of this village’s memory’ – French honorary mayor

Mayor Jean-Pierre Laparra talks to us about representing a town that was wiped out in the battle of Verdun

Letters: Don't expect French language testing centres to have English keyboards

Connexion readers on having to use the Azerty rather than Qwerty keyboards

Tested for you: flower arranging workshop at Château de Chenonceau

Learn how to make flower arrangements at Chenonceau, the only chateau in Europe with a full-time florist

Sam Sauvage: the rising French pop star making a name in the UK

Explore the irresistible charm and catchy tunes of the French artist making waves with his breakout single and new EP

Bordeaux's hidden stories revealed by hand-drawn maps

Architect Nicolas Coury captures Bordeaux's essence through a community-driven, memory-filled map.

Learning French: how native speakers really talk to each other

Nick Inman explores the intriguing divide between formal and informal French, and how mastering both can enhance your cultural fluency

Letters: I get more cold calls since signing up to Bloctel system

A reader discusses her frustrations with Bloctel not fielding cold calls adequately

French architecture: the church that is not a church

Explore the intriguing story of Sainte-Thérèse-de-l'Enfant-Jésus, the unfinished church in Léojac

Five curious facts about Napoleon Bonaparte

Discover five intriguing facts about Napoleon Bonaparte, from his card game antics to his unique accent and more

Letters: There are only poor replacements for BBC Sounds in France

Corporation has closed down foreign access to the service

Learning French: tohu-bohu and more ways of expressing chaos

You might hear these terms being used to describe France’s ongoing political turmoil

French interiors: the Parisian art of stylish living

A sumptuous new book offers an exclusive peek inside some of the capital’s most voguish homes

French artisan cheese of the month, plus a creamy regional speciality

How ceramics saved one of the most beautiful places in France

Moustiers draws crowds of tourists every year, who come to experience its Provençal charm and see its faïence favoured by French nobility

Siblings make sustainable vinegar from Champagne's leftover grapes

Mangetout: dining in Calais, plus oysters for beginners

Our food columnist has a French bistro recommendation and offers some mollusc tips

Learning French: when and why do we say copains comme cochons?

The story behind this phrase actually has nothing to do with pigs

Discover the best French potato varieties and when to use them

How terroir influences their unique flavours and culinary uses

Discover the unique Chasselas grapes of Moissac

Why this glorious AOP grape is September's must-have fruit

Vingt Dieux: authentic cinema devoid of dreamy sentimentality about rural French life

A César-nominated French film recommendation

French recipe: Winemaker's steak

Serve with a simple Pan Sauce, made using the drippings from the bottom of the pan

French cooking at heart: Endive salad recipe

From their new cookbook Marjorie Taylor and Kendall Smith Franchini, of The Cook’s Atelier in Beaune, present some French culinary encouragement and offer a classic recipe to try at home

Comment: It is about time France put social media in its place

Columnist Nick Inman eyes President Macron's bold promise to ban the platforms' use by children if not done by EU

The French school where children learn and study outside

We visit a ‘forest school’ where the focus is on an alternative education model

Why are so many places in Normandy named -ville?

Unique history of region sees many settlements with same name ending

New climate school for Paris

First European school to offer a degree dedicated to the ecological transition

Toulouse data centre's excess heat to warm 27 buildings

Project embraces a virtuous circular economy with sustainable energy use

Property watch: See what €50,000, €150,000 and over €1.5m buys in Saône-et-Loire

This department is known for its famous food and drink

Learning French: the origins and meaning of il n'y a pas le feu au lac

Say this to someone who needs to slow down and relax (maybe by a lake)

British woman in France sends rare Poitou donkey to US for conservation

Sending a rare foal to the US marks a significant step in global preservation efforts

Nature in France: discover the fascinating world of insects

Explore the wonders of French nature with the extraordinary dung beetle, gazés and butterflies

Our French gîte: The peace of Landes is perfect escape from tourist traps

Nigel Bond explains how he deliberately chose somewhere for his gite away from the tourist hotspots

Six films and TV shows to improve your French this rentrée

From cultural references to new vocabulary, watching films in French is essential for your progress

Why this peaceful medieval village in Corrèze makes for a dramatic film location

Saint-Robert is one of ‘The Most Beautiful Villages in France’ with its fortified church and grand residences

HPI final season: the end of a French TV phenomenon

Comedy-thriller starring Audrey Fleurot that gripped France airs final episodes

'People thought we were crazy': producing sustainable French wine using draft horses

Domaine Deprad have gone back to age-old viniculture techniques, employing a small equine army to help produce outstanding wines

Letters: Readers share their own remedies against mosquitoes in France

Solutions range from burning coffee grounds to White Tiger Balm

Do not miss the French le bourru wine season

Columnist Sue Adams discovers a short-lived treat at her local café - and savours the moment

An opportunity for my partner means embracing change in my life in France

Cynthia Spillman confronts a fresh world, as her husband has a chance to get back in the game

French garden notes for September

Jobs in the potager, hedge trimming and French gardening boots to buy

Discover chocolate and coffee coloured plants for a unique French garden aesthetic

From chocolate-scented cosmos to coffee-hued dahlias, find the perfect plants for your French garden

Letters: I fear losing my cheap flights in France

Ryanair has already stopped flying from Bordeaux

Learning French: when to capitalise 'Français' and other nationalities

The rule is easier to understand than it may at first seem

Lyon, the birthplace of cinema and home to vibrant film festivals

Explore Lyon's rich cinematic history at the Musée Lumière and enjoy world-class film festivals like Festival Lumière

RIP Thierry Ardisson, late-night language lover

Explore the legacy of Thierry Ardisson, the iconic French talk show host known for his wit and eloquence

Guess the French phrase behind this photo clue...

Can you work out which idiomatic expression is depicted below?

Comment: Air con clashes with French culture

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

Guess the French region with the help of this clue: Totally tropical

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

Discover the inspiring journey of a stunning French garden transformation

British couple in Limousin overcame personal challenges to create a sanctuary now open to the public

Unmissable September events in France: antiques, art and cinema

Explore top attractions this month, including Lille's antiques fair and Le Havre's art festival

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

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