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Comment: French passengers applaud the pilot for more than just relief
The tradition persists in France much to the bemusement of travellers from the UK and US
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Comment: US-style hen parties are one import Paris can do without
Columnist Nabila Ramdani is sceptical of a decadent new trend among American influencers
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Comment: Leaders of France and Britain start to talk tough on immigration
Columnist Simon Heffer notes that public opinion appears to have shifted on both sides of the Channel
Meet the raccoon dog
Whilst staying near Bordeaux last week (near Arbis) we were lucky enough to see a flock of over 100 storks... simply amazing... They were possibly white storks but flying too high for us to positively identify.
We also spotted a racoon dog (positively identified!). We had never heard of this animal and enjoyed watching it at the edge of the vineyard.
Jon and Marie BASFORD, Mayenne
The raccoon dog (which is unrelated to an actual raccoon, called un raton laveur), is indiginous to East Asia. A tree climber, it is often hunted for its fur.
In France, where it is called as a chien viverrin, it is rarely spotted and was classed as endangered in 2016.