This French Life

Larousse produce an internet road accident

IT looks as though publisher Larousse has been able to fire up some new servers as its attempt to offer a Wikipedia style encyclopaedia is now available.

Earlier this week the news of its launch saw users flock to the site to test it out, unfortunately this disabled the site so that people only saw a holding page.

But it is now up and running, and it was most probably a blessing it wasn't working as to put it bluntly it's a bit of a mess.

Help for your website from Google Doctype

I KNOW many people oversee their own website for their business or holiday home so a new website from Google may prove very useful.

Called Google Doctype it provides a searchable, wiki-style repository of website code, covering things such as simple HTML, through to JavaScript, CSS and loads more (via Google Operating System).

Related article: Tips on using Google

Challenge your knowledge of France

IT is time again to see how in touch with France you are thanks to questions posed by author Andrew Whittaker, who compiled the book Speak the Culture: France.

He has put together ten questions on things that have been in the news, as well as a few brainteasers covering French cinema and the arts.

The list of questions are below, alongside a .pdf that you can print off and take away with you, which you could hand out at a get-together or similar event.

Bust of Julius Caesar found in Rhone

A LIFE sized bust of Julius Caesar, thought to date back to 46 BC, has been found in the River Rhone near Arles.

The culture minister Christine Albanel said the bust was 'exceptional' and that it was believed to be the oldest representation of the Roman emperor.

Other finds recovered by divers at the site include a marble statue of Neptune, dated to the third century, as well as two smaller, bronze statues, and more research of the area is planned for this summer.

Website: Découverte archéologique exceptionnelle à Arles

Discover the history of Air France

EVER since reading the works of Antoine de Saint Exupéry I have had an interest in the world of early French aviation, more for the sheer adventure of it if anything.

So to see that Air France has made available online a number of films charting the history of aviation and the company itself means I'm going to have to find some time to watch them.

Popular buys in the This French Life shop

IF there is one certainty about This French Life many of its readers enjoy learning more about France, be that its people, language or just how to get the best out of living there.

That is what I draw from looking at the most popular purchases made through the This French Life Amazon shop which shows what titles have interested readers the most.

French language news from the Pentagon

DID you know the Pentagon is publishing French language news to support US interests and battle terrorist organisations in North Africa?

I didn't so I was interested to read this article in USA Today that looks at three websites backed by the US authorities, covering the Maghreb as well as South East Europe and Iraq.

Larousse rival to Wikipedia falls at first fence

THE French encyclopaedia publisher Larousse is looking to beat Wikipedia at its own game and launch an online version of its books.

But the first problem Larousse has faced is that its site has fallen over due to the interest in the service following news reports.

Not the best of starts, and to tell you the truth it's not the first time such high profile websites in France have been rendered inaccessible due to popular demand when a new service is launched.

I'll try to keep an eye out for when the site is back up and running so you can take a look around.

Pope plans French visit for September

A VISIT by Pope Benedict XVI will take place in September when he will visit Lourdes to mark the 150th anniversary of the apparitions of the Virgin Mary to Bernadette Soubirous.

His visit will run from September 12 to 15 and he will arrive in Paris where he will perform a mass at Notre-Dame cathedral as well as meet the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy.

Twitter your French life

I AM a big fan of using the web as a way to connect and link up people, something that I hope This French Life does.

That's why I leave the comments open on all the articles, link out to blogs and others on a regular basis and hope people take advantage of the forum to ask questions of others.

But one other method I've been experimenting with is Twitter, which is a mini blogging service that lets you follow what friends and colleagues are doing, as well as provide a useful way to exchange links.

BA's OpenSkies airline to fly JFK - Orly

THE trans-Atlantic subsidiary airline of British Airways, called OpenSkies, has gained approval to fly from Paris Orly to New York JFK.

The Civil Aviation Authority has given the airline its Air Operators Certificate that means the first OpenSkies service could take off as early as June.

OpenSkies was set to fly from Charles de Gaulle but has signed a code-share agreement with French airline L'Avion, meaning the BA liveried service will fly out of Orly claiming it is 'more conveniently located to the centre of Paris'.

Review of French Property - An Insider's Guide

DOES buying a property in France have to be difficult? Well it can definitely be made easier if you have done plenty of reading in advance and have an understanding of the processes involved.

With this knowledge you can then ask questions of the professionals involved, be that estate agents or notaires, as well as focus on the type of property that suits your needs.