This French Life

Gourmet moments, or maybe not

Of all the French words or phrases that have been universally adopted, one is first among equals, writes Christopher Strong.

It is the phrase that so perfectly describes social sins, that it has joined such mondiale stalwarts as sex, taxi and radar.

The phrase, of course, is faux pas.

Things to consider when buying French property

FEW people can resist stopping in front of an estate agent's window just to see what properties they have on their books.

Here regular contributor to the site, lawyer Guillaume Barlet, takes a look at some of the things you may need to consider if looking to buy a place in France.

In recent years, French laws relating to property ownership, inheritance and taxes have been subject to dramatic changes. Adaptation is key and these rules are full of traps for the unwary.

Catching up on headlines from France

HERE is a quick look over some of the headlines that have been making the news in France in recent days.

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One for the bug hunters

I HAD to slowly back away from the computer screen after opening an email from reader Steve Pritchard with a photograph of this bug attached.

He is hoping that other readers of the site will be able to identify what type of beetle it is, he saw it whilst out walking near a vineyard at Peyriac de Mer just west of Narbonne (map).

Click on the thumbnail image to get a better view of the beast, and if you know what it is please leave a comment below.

Emergency services in France

WITH the summer holidays here many people will be driving around France either visiting friends or enjoy a week or two away.

But sometimes things don't run smoothly and should something go wrong and you need to call on the emergency services, a little advanced preparation may help.

Warning over travel insurance on airline websites

BE on the look out when booking flights to France as a number of airlines have been found to automatically add travel insurance, a breach of EU rules.

Consumer watchdog Which? Holiday found four airlines were ignoring an EU ruling which states that they cannot automatically add extras such as insurance at the time of booking.

Ryanair service between Bergerac and Brussels

FLIGHTS between Bergerac and Brussels Charleroi are to be launched by Ryanair, with the service starting on Friday, July 3.

The summer service will operate until August 31 and offers two flights a week, on Monday and Friday.

Ryanair recently announced that it would charge passengers a fee to check-in online as it looked to get rid of all its check-in desks and only offer a baggage drop off facility at airports.

TGV route between Marseille and Nice decided

THE route of a new high-speed rail link between Marseille, Toulon and Nice has been agreed, although the first trains are not expected to run until around 2022.

The line will run along the Mediterranean coast, although many had feared another route to the north would be chosen threatening vineyards and landscapes made famous by Cezanne.

Taking the rental route on Zilok

NOW we have all heard of eBay, but what about the French website Zilok which lets you rent items that you are likely to only need to use once or twice?

Conversely if you have pieces of equipment that hang in the shed or barn for the majority of the year, then you can start earning a little money from letting items to other users of the site.

Photos of Euroferries ship, but no website update

THE saga of whether Euroferries will actually operate a service between Ramsgate and Boulogne could be easily turned into a sea shanty the way things are going.

The Euroferries website still features the minimum of information, despite it once talking of launching the route in March, and now photographs of a catamaran bearing the logo and colours of the company have emerged.

Pictures of a catamaran, currently berthed in Gran Canaria, showing the words Euroferries Express down the side have been posted online, whilst Kent based website The Big Blog is wondering if the route will ever materialise.

I will just keep on dropping in on the Euroferries website to see if you can ever buy a ticket.

British man Peter Fuller murdered at Dordogne home

BRITISH businessman, Peter Fuller, was found bludgeoned to death in his Dordogne home on Saturday, the media has already been busy covering the story.

Murder inquiry after golf course designer Peter Fuller is found dead - The Times
Peter Fuller, 67, who built a golf course by his property when he moved to France, had been beaten over the head repeatedly with a blunt instrument, according to a French state prosecution source.