This French Life

New service on Channel route

A FRENCH ferry company will be taking over the route between Portsmouth and Le Harve from Monday.

The final P&O ferry between the two ports ended this week and it was feared that the route would not be served, but the Paris-based LD Lines will start a no-frills service from Monday, October 3.

Hi-tech trip around Dijon

THE town of Dijon, in the west of France, is offering visitors the chance to take a ‘VisioVisit’ around the streets and buildings of the capital of Burgundy.

Your trip is provided through an interactive guide that you watch on a pocket-PC which is available from the town’s tourist office for €12.

French troops storm seized ferry

TROOPS were dropped from helicopters onto a ferry that striking sailors had taken in protest at plans to privatise the state-run SNCM shipping company.

Special forces from the French army were used to take back the ferry, which had no passengers on at the time, from about 50 protestors who planned to sail the ship into Corsica.

Union bosses said the soldiers had 'defeated a handful of unarmed Corsican sailors' whilst protestors vowed to step-up blockades at ports in the area.

Decline of French in Ontario

A STUDY of the use of the French language in Ontario, Canada, has seen a fall in its importance amongst the population.

Research by the Office of Francophone Affairs says that Francophones in Ontario now account for less than 5 per cent of the population.

Changes afoot in France

I READ many articles about life in France but two caught my eye recently that appear to show change is afoot in the country.

The first covers experiments being carried out in the Alsace region on genetically modified vines with the aim to produce a plant, which can fight disease.

Strike action set to hit France

UPDATE: Low-cost airline Flybe is warning on its website that flights may be hit by industrial action on October 4.
The CGT union, which has led the strike call, has been successful in ensuring the the main groups representing rail workers support the move.
Now it appers likely that aviation staff may also stop work, whilst train services will be disrupted from 8pm on Monday, October 3 to 8am on Wednesday, October 5.

Desire to learn language strong

BRITISH exam board OCR claim that eight out of ten people wished they could speak a foreign language better.

The poll also found that people living in the south-east were much more likely to have tried to learn a foreign language than those in the north.

Buying abroad from the BBC

BBC Breakfast is currently running a week of programmes on Brits moving abroad to start afresh. Business reporter Susannah Streeter has got the terribly difficult task of interviewing people in Montpellier, the Languedoc Roussillon and Spain. But in her defence you can watch the short films again on their site and send in your questions about buying abroad, which will be answered on Friday.

The life of Victor Hugo

ONE of France’s most famous authors Victor Hugo was born in the French Comte region on February 26, 1802.

His major works include the novels The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Les Miserables, but he also wrote many poems.

Aussies welcome in Roquefort

ROQUEFORT cheese can now be eaten in Australia after the government lifted a ban on its import.

The blue vein cheese, made from un-pasteurised ewe's milk and matured in caves in the Aveyron, has had to meet strict guidelines set down by Australian food inspectors.