« January 2010 | Main | March 2010 »
FLIGHTS between Stansted and Angouleme, operated by Ryanair, have been brought to a close as the airline and airport authorities remain at loggerheads.
Sud Ouest reports that Ryanair has written to the airport saying it will discontinue the route.
But the airport has said it faced being 'blackmailed' by the airline as it has asked for additional funds to ensure it kept the route open.
Continue reading "Ryanair ends Stansted to Angouleme service" »
|
IF you live in south west France then batten down the hatches this weekend as a warning of a storm rumbling through the region has been issued.
The Aquitaine Météo website is advising that coastal areas may see winds of up to 130 km/h, with inland gusts reaching 120 km/h, as a storm passes through during Saturday evening and early Sunday.
The Landes, Gironde, Charente Maritime and Charente are the départements facing the strongest winds, while the Dordogne and the Lot et Garonne may see winds of around 100 km/h.
|
CAN the classic French bistro be saved from extinction? That's the question being asked as figures show the number of establishments has fallen from 200,000 in the 1960s to 35,000 today.
The Guardian reports on how changing regulations, alongside changing tastes, has seen bistros in towns and villages pull down the shutters permanently.
Some people say that the government should step in and prop up the establishments as they play such an important role in the community.
Continue reading "Can French bistros be saved?" »
|
CATCH up with some of the stories that have been making the headlines in France over the past few days.
I save these headlines to Delicious if you are a user, but they are also published to the news in France section of This French Life each day.
Continue reading "A look back over French news headlines" »
|
A CAMPAIGN has been launched to try and save Ryanair flights to Angouleme Aiport after reports the low-cost operator was to end its service.
The English language pages of the Charente Libre website features a report saying that airport bosses were resigned to seeing the Stansted to Angouleme service dropped.
The airport claims that Ryanair is 'blackmailing' it by asking for additional fees to ensure they continue to serve Angouleme, something they refuse to do.
Continue reading "Petition to save Ryanair flights to Angouleme" »
|
IF you are pulling your hair out due to some French civil service procedure or red-tape, then you are not alone.
The office of the Médiateur de la République recently produced its annual report, saying complaints against the civil service by the French public were up 16 per cent last year compared to 2008.
The role of the Médiateur is to try and resolve conflicts between citizens and the administration, without requiring them to go to court.
On the Médiateur de la République website there is an English language section that may prove helpful if you are facing problems.
|
WITH poor savings interest, a struggling pound and an increasing cost in the price of essentials, older couples are opening their doors to help French people with their English.
That's what the Expatica website is reporting as couples help French students with their studies with brief immersion classes, offering language help and advice.
The article says the courses in western France are the brainchild of Christine Predery, who set up a not-for-profit organisation called Bringing People Together to help French anglophiles get in touch with English families.
|
THE landscapes, and other works, of Turner are predicted to draw the crowds to Le Grand Palais, in Paris.
An exhibition brings together a hundred paintings as well as studies and engravings from major British and American collections, the Louvre, the Prado and the Tate Britain.
Turner and the Masters, runs in Paris from February 24 to May 24, 2010, after its inauguration at Tate Britain last autumn and before moving on to Madrid this summer.
|
THE campaign is growing to save the Anglophone Library of Montpellier (Bibliothèque Anglophone Montpellier) which was abruptly closed by the University Paul Valéry at the beginning of the year.
A petition with more than 1,000 signatures has already been compiled in an attempt to reopen the library which is home to a collection of over 30,000 books, films and magazines.
Campaign updates, and future plans, are being posted to the What's on Where in Herault website, with volunteers looking to make the library a cultural centre.
|
ARCHANT Life France is hosting its annual advice and information exhibition on moving to France in Harrogate between May 14 and 16, 2010.
Show visitors will be able to meet market professionals such as estate agents, tax advisers, mortgage lenders and removal and currency exchange companies.
Free seminars led by experts will run throughout the show, offering house hunters an opportunity to have their questions answered face to face.
The French Property Exhibition website provides more, and details on registering for free tickets.
|