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How slowing down makes you love life in France
Columnist Cynthia Spillman examines the surprising benefits of taking it easy
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The battle between old and new France is now impossible to ignore
Columnist Nabila Ramdani argues that the colonial mindset is still very strong in a country looking to the past
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France’s speed cameras are infuriating – and that’s why they keep getting vandalised
Columnist Samantha David says the devices seem designed to catch drivers out
Rueing regional change
In your Q&A column in the May issue, K.S. asks “Why do people use names for their local areas that do not exist on the map like Périgord or Saintonge?” perhaps forgetting that we do the same in England.
I was born and bred in Wessex, but you will search in vain for any indication of that former kingdom of the West Saxons on an ordinary road map or the Ordnance Survey map today. Similarly, in 1974, the people of Rutland were most annoyed to discover that, according to officials in London, their counties no longer existed.
I suspect you could find similar examples in most countries of local sentiments being crushed by national government policies, but not all local communities are prepared to take such high-handed treatment lying down.
S MORGAN, Finistère
