https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from France in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed It's well known that there is a lot of cheese in France and that French people in general are fond of cheese, but did you know about the cheese 'families'? https://www.thelocal.fr/20191219/france-facts-there-are-eight-cheese-families-in-france Thu, 19 Dec 2019 11:28:23 +0100 france-facts-there-are-eight-cheese-families-in-france France is a world leader in plenty of things and the country can boast Nobel Prize winners and international garlands galore - but it also has a more bizarre claim to fame on the world stage. https://www.thelocal.fr/20191213/france-facts-a-study-of-french-postmens-testicles-won-an-international-science-prize Fri, 13 Dec 2019 11:12:48 +0100 france-facts-a-study-of-french-postmens-testicles-won-an-international-science-prize The French have something of an international reputation for being fond of a strike - but did you know that Paris once had a Place de Grève (strike square)? https://www.thelocal.fr/20200320/france-facts-paris-once-had-a-strike-square Fri, 20 Mar 2020 12:00:00 +0100 france-facts-paris-once-had-a-strike-square The French - well let's be honest Parisians - have something of an international reputation for being rude, but one French town values manners so much that is has made them compulsory. https://www.thelocal.fr/20191223/france-facts-good-manners-are-compulsory-in-one-town-hall Mon, 23 Dec 2019 09:00:00 +0100 france-facts-good-manners-are-compulsory-in-one-town-hall Most people we know in France are pretty happy to be here, but some 137 people can truly be said to be living in Misery. https://www.thelocal.fr/20191224/france-facts-there-is-a-place-in-france-called-misery Tue, 24 Dec 2019 09:00:00 +0100 france-facts-there-is-a-place-in-france-called-misery It's on one of two things everybody knows about absinthe - it's green and if you drink too much you hallucinate. But scientific testing has proved that one of those things is false. https://www.thelocal.fr/20191219/france-facts-absinthe-doesnt-make-you-hallucinate Thu, 19 Dec 2019 09:48:32 +0100 france-facts-absinthe-doesnt-make-you-hallucinate France has many things that are confusing to foreigners - la bise, bureaucracy, andouillettes - but one of the most complicated and confusing rules is priorité à droite. https://www.thelocal.fr/20191216/france-facts-you-have-to-give-way-from-the-right-except-when-you-dont Mon, 16 Dec 2019 09:00:00 +0100 france-facts-you-have-to-give-way-from-the-right-except-when-you-dont Now readers of The Local are of course polite and courteous souls who would always give up their seat on the Metro for pregnant women, the elderly or disabled - but did you know there is a strict pecking order for who gets to sit down first? https://www.thelocal.fr/20191212/france-facts-pregnant-women-have-to-stand-up-for-veterans-on-the-metro Thu, 12 Dec 2019 09:00:00 +0100 france-facts-pregnant-women-have-to-stand-up-for-veterans-on-the-metro France has many stunning beaches - it's one of the reasons the country is so popular with tourists - but one stretch of coastline in Brittany has its own very strange claim to fame. https://www.thelocal.fr/20191211/france-facts-theres-a-beach-where-garfield-phones-have-been-washing-up-for-30-years Wed, 11 Dec 2019 09:00:00 +0100 france-facts-theres-a-beach-where-garfield-phones-have-been-washing-up-for-30-years The French healthcare system is acknowledged as one of the best in the world, but did you know that in some circumstances the French government will even reimburse spa days? https://www.thelocal.fr/20191210/france-facts-the-government-might-pay-for-your-spa-days Tue, 10 Dec 2019 09:00:00 +0100 france-facts-the-government-might-pay-for-your-spa-days The mayor in France plays a crucial role, whether its in a tiny rural village or running a big city like Paris. But there are six towns in France that have a mayor but no residents. https://www.thelocal.fr/20191209/france-facts-six-mayors-are-responsible-for-towns-with-no-residents Mon, 09 Dec 2019 09:00:00 +0100 france-facts-six-mayors-are-responsible-for-towns-with-no-residents Like all EU countries, France gets to send a number of elected representatives to the European Parliament - but did you know that France has five 'reservists'? https://www.thelocal.fr/20191206/france-facts-france-has-five-spare-meps Fri, 06 Dec 2019 09:00:00 +0100 france-facts-france-has-five-spare-meps Travelling by train in France is usually a great experience (when there isn't a strike on) - but did you know that you need a ticket not just for yourself but also for all non-human companions? https://www.thelocal.fr/20191204/france-facts-snails-need-a-ticket-to-travel-on-a-train Wed, 04 Dec 2019 09:00:00 +0100 france-facts-snails-need-a-ticket-to-travel-on-a-train France has a well established reputation as the country for lovers, but our new series exploring the lesser known - and frankly sometimes unbelievable - side of the country looks at one very unusual legal precedent. https://www.thelocal.fr/20191203/france-facts-sex-with-a-stranger-is-a-legal-part-of-a-business-trip Tue, 03 Dec 2019 09:00:00 +0100 france-facts-sex-with-a-stranger-is-a-legal-part-of-a-business-trip