Mag

Here you will find inspiring articles on nature, food and drink, and culture – the simple pleasures that make living in France such a joy. You can also enjoy bilingual crosswords, quizzes, book and film reviews – plus lifestyle and travel ideas. We have organised articles by subject – read the latest below or browse sections via the blue tabs. The Cx symbol denotes subscriber-only articles.

French Life

Living larders that gave food from the sky

Before gas, electricity, refrigeration or other modern conveniences people scraped a living from the land.

Why I love the ÎIe de Ré

Jessica Knipe has fallen in love with the island off the coast of La Rochelle. Here, she explains why

American playground is tourist hotspot

Known world-wide for its 7km Promenade des Anglais, Nice also has strong links with the US – dating from the 1780s when future president Thomas Jefferson paid many visits while ambassador here and advised Americans to “spend a few days here”.

Tiny library is a big success

This crowded room is perfect for Jean-Jacques Megel-Nuber who had been searching for a new adventure after a life working in the theatre and events – so he set up a tiny mobile library and bookshop and takes it round festivals.

Language

Surprise, surprise: my arms are falling off

Words and idioms to express shock in French - and one well-known phrase you should not use

Name of the rose varies from region to region

Regional differences are all part of the fun of learning French and you should not be surprised if the way certain words are said in your area is different to what you learnt at school.

Inside the work of dictionary publishers

Every year we read how new words have been added to French dictionaries – this year, for example, these include uberization, hipster and burkini – making them a recognised part of the language.

Why do we say ‘pardon my French’?

‘Pardon my French!’ is a quaint English-language expression used to excuse oneself for using a rude word – but why the reference to French?

Food and Drink

The ugly truth about the eggs we buy

Animal rights group L214 has shocked the public into changing their buying habits, forcing supermarket chains to respond by moving away from cage-laid eggs - but there's more to do, a spokesman says

Tasty puy lentil dishes for you to try

Enjoy three delicious meals using the edible pulse grown only in one region of France, which has enjoyed a surge in popularity recently

The spicy basque spirit in Espelette

Piments d'Espelette have been grown in the Basque town since 1650 - but only gained AOC status in 2000

Slice of Mexico the Basques have made their own

Piment farmers will soon get ready to celebrate another harvest of spicy pepper brought to France from central America

Culture

Players to watch in the new Top 14 campaign

Changing rules mean fewer overseas stars are likely to head to France to ply their trade

Mint museum looks at money in all its glory

This month the Paris Mint, Monnaie de Paris, opens its new museum revealing the most valuable and most historic treasures of a collection dating back to 600BC.

Paris held the 1900 Olympic Games but few people knew

More than 58,000 people took part, it lasted more than five months yet hardly anyone knew that Paris was staging the 1900 Olympic Games. It will be different next time round. With Paris set to host its third games in 2024, former BBC Radio athletics commentator Bob Phillips looks back at those little-known first Jeux Olympiques and some of the British achievements there

French Quiz - August 2017

In 1925, which world-famous delicacy from Aveyron in the south of France, was the first French cheese ever awarded protective AOC status?
Which Hollywood film star who is married to French advertising executive Romain Dauriac, opened her own Yummy Pop popcorn shop in Paris in October 2016?
Which modern orchestral instrument is a development of a 17th century French invention called the ‘hautbois’, meaning high(-pitched) wood?
At which French Winter Olympics venue, did French alpine skier Jean-Claude Killy pick up three gold medals in1968?
What term derived from a phrase in a Beatles song, characterised lightweight French pop music performed by 1960s singers such as Sylvie Vartan and Françoise Hardy?
Which breed of dog, known in France as a ‘caniche’ or less commonly a ‘barbone’, sometimes symbolises the nation itself, although it is also claimed by the Germans?
What is the first name of the adulterous doctor’s wife, who is the title character in Gustave Flaubert’s 1857 novel Madame Bovary?
Named after the great French polymath who attempted to perfect them in the 1640s, what kind of instrument – of which around 10 survive - is a ‘Pascaline’?
Built across the western end of the Ile de la Cité in the early 17th century, what is the slightly misleading name of the oldest bridge, over the Seine in Paris?
Every Easter Monday to commemorate an incident when Napoleon’s entire army had to be fed locally, the Haute-Garonne village of Bessières cooks a giant…what?