July 18, 2019 They Tax Your WHAT?!?
Yes, it’s true – France, like most European countries, charges its citizens a special tax for owning a television set. For an American, this makes about as much sense as charging a special tax for owning a clock or a set of dishes. The idea is that the revenues generated finance the national broadcasting networks so that they won’t have to show ads. Which they do anyway.
So when you buy a TV, you have to show an ID and register your address, thus authorizing the government to charge you – YEARLY – for approximately $115!
February 22, 2018 Idioms to know!
“Coûter les yeux de la tête” – “it costs the eyes in your head.” Equivalent to the American idiom it costs an arm and a leg.
“Elle a mis son grain de sel.” “She put in a grain of salt” – as in her two cents’ worth.
“Elle m’a posé un lapin” literally means ‘She put a rabbit on me’ In other words, “She stood me up!“
February 11, 2018
Who said learning French was easy?
January 4, 2018 (Happy Birthday, Tanner!)
French fries….not actually from France? And not only THAT, it was actually illegal from 1748-1772 to eat potatoes at all!
Potatoes, coming from Spain, were considered strange and poisonous, with the French even as going as far as claiming the potato caused leprosy and other terrible diseases. The potato was only given to their farm animals and even the poorest, starving peasants were afraid to eat them. The French government was so concerned about the potatoes ill effects that the production and consumption of potatoes was eventually outlawed by the French Parliament in 1748.
December 10, 2017
No wonder I can’t find any Christmas stockings to buy anywhere…In France, children leave out their shoes or socks in front of the fireplace, hoping Père Nöel will fill them to the brim with little presents, sweets, fruit, nuts and anything else that will fit in there. Children with small feet must feel shortchanged. Brendan would have hit the jackpot as a young’un!
https://www.talkinfrench.com/beautiful-town-france/
November 27, 2017 At least 40 percent of the music on private radio stations must be of French origin – since 1996, the country’s top media regulator the Conseil Supérieur de L’Audiovisuel has been enforcing this French law. The CSA also requires half of the French music quota to be less than six months old. Really???
Definition of France = regulations, regulations, regulations. Tightly defined control for the common good.
However, all of the Christmas music I’m hearing around town is DEFINITELY AMERICAN! Just sayin’!
November 1, 2017 The French invented the metric system, the decimalised way of counting and weighing, in 1797.
The original prototype kilo, Le Grand K, is a cylinder made in the 1880s out of platinum and iridium and about the size of a plum, and was the only object known to scientists to have a mass of exactly 1kg. Everything else measured in kilograms is defined by Le Grand K. It’s kept locked away under three vacuum-sealed bell jars in a vault in the International Bureau of Weights and Measures in Sevres, France. Duplicate cylinders were sent around the world and every so often they’re compared to the original. But Le Grand K mysteriously seems to be losing weight: the last time it was weighed in 1988, it was found to be 0.05 milligrams (less than a grain of sugar) lighter than the copies. Hmmmm…..
October 16, 2017 Don’t read this before dinner. (Just click on the link. I know it says the page can’t be found, but if you click on the underlined title below, you’ll go right to it. Don’t ask me. I’m not a coder.)
https://theculturetrip.com/europe/france/articles/11-weird-foods-and-animal-parts-the-french-love-to-eat
October 11, 2017 Unlearn those manners! Your mom told you to keep one hand in your lap when eating. Forget that! In France, you are expected to have those hands in sight on the table during le repas! 
September 24, 2017 About that French custom of “kiss to the left and kiss to the right”…Did you know the number of “air kisses” depends on the location in the country? Some areas have the custom of two kisses and some have three – or even four! Also, no contact is made with the mouth, even on the cheek. It’s just a “mwah!” sound and cheek touching….
September 11, 2017 The French army is the only army in Europe that still has carrier pigeons within its ranks. Kept at Mount Valerien near Paris, these pigeons are intended to be used for communication during major disasters.
August 30, 2017 It is illegal to name a pig Napoleon in France.
August 29, 2017 Until 2012, the entire city of Paris had only 1 stop sign.
August 17, 2017 – It is against the law to carry live snails on a high-speed train in France without their own tickets – in fact, any domesticated animal under 5kg must be a paying passenger in France. In 2008, a Frenchman was fined when he was caught carrying snails on a TGV, although the fine was later waived.
15 reasons Clermont-Ferrand is the best place in France
No, there are no palm trees or beaches. And no, they don’t produce the country’s best rosé.
But… Clermont is a twinned city of Norman, Oklahoma [BOOMER SOONER!]. It’s also surrounded by a major industrial area. Even better (if you can believe it), it’s the home city of mathematician and philosopher Blaise Pascal who tested a hypothesis concerning the influence of gas pressure on liquid equilibrium. The world-renowned Volvic water, sourced just north of Clermont-Ferrand, has an impressively neutral pH of 7.
Not convinced?
Okay, here are the real reasons Clermont-Ferrand is the best city in France.
1. It’s surrounded by 40-kilometer long chain of 80 volcanoes. The last eruption was 8,000 years ago, and scientists say it’s possible it’s about time for another one. How’s that for living dangerously?
2. In the historic city center sits a striking, jet-black 13th century cathedral made out of volcanic rock sourced from this nearby chain. There’s nothing else like it in France.
3. It costs about €3.50 for a pint of beer, a bargain which is a rarity in other French cities. The 35,000 students take full advantage of this fact, making Clermont’s nightlife surprisingly dynamic for its modest size.
4. You can drink said cheap beer in the shadow of the medieval, Gothic cathedral (made out of, I repeat, lava stone) at Place de la Victoire, a lively square lined with bars.
55,000 rugby supporters gather in Clermont’s Place de Jaude for the European Champions Cup rugby final in May, 2015. Photo: AFP
5. A tyre factory might not seem like much of a draw, but the Michelin headquarters brings in professionals from all over the world. That, coupled with the two universities overflowing with exchange students, gives the city an international feel that’s rare for its size and location.
7. The residents, called Clermontois, are crazy about rugby. And for good reason: their team, ASM Clermont-Auvergne Rugby, won the French Championship 2010. At every home match, thousands of revellers in blue and yellow fill the streets and march to the rugby stadium as one loud, boisterous crowd. You don’t even have to care about sport to be part of the fun.
8. Le Rimbaud, a locally beloved bar with a terrace that stretches out over half the square, always filled with boisterous Clermontois, is the place to watch ASM play. Munching on their saucisson, bread and butter is almost a requirement.
9. Jardin Lecoq is the city’s favourite picturesque garden, where free entertainment is provided by swans roaming around and sometimes attacking unsuspecting picnickers.
10. If you love cheese, there’s no better place than Clermont-Ferrand. The Auvergne region produces the best cheeses in France: Saint Nectaire. Bleu d’Auvergne, Cantal… (If you don’t love cheese, stop reading now and never set foot in Clermont.)
11. There’s a boulangerie on Rue du Port where the baker will give you an extra pain au chocolat in return for a smile.
12. There are views like this from Parc Montjuzet, a 25 minute walk from the city center.
13. Forget Cannes. The world’s leading short film festival brings nearly 150,000 people to Clermont-Ferrand each year, and the films are open to the public unlike the aforementioned snobby festival in the south.
14. In fact, Clermont is nicknamed “France’s Liverpool” because of the abundance of music, theater, and film festivals every year, and its more than 800 artistic groups.
15. Clermont-Ferrand remains France’s best-kept secret, so you won’t be bumping into hordes of tourists. At least, until they all read this article…
By Katie Warren