France first-hand: We fostered a 'blind dogs' puppy Nicole Marty talks about a rewarding time for her and partner Gérard with a guide dog in-training
Chronic illnesses, language barriers and French health bureaucracy Advice from an expat who suffers from chronic illness
Career change in France: from police officer to gardener Amanda Freeman explains how she swapped law and order for a more creative vocation in the French countryside Charles Aznavour: Grit and self-belief made the ‘French Frank Sinatra’ ‘Climate change should interest more people than it does’ Right-wing TV news channel in France grows in popularity
Career change in France: Highway maintenance to natural pools Alex Wells explains how building her own chlorine-free swimming pool led to a new role
British D-Day veteran Bill: I want to honour fallen comrades in France The centenarian planned to return to Normandy this June - driven over by a London cab charity. He was just 20 at the time of the invasion and shared his memories of the day with Connexion during one of his interviews
‘I want to show wheelchair users they can travel the world’ Eléonore Vern tells us about her plans for a solo round-the-world trip in an all-terrain wheelchair and why she will avoid Paris
How an American carpenter helped repair Notre-Dame de Paris Peter Henrikson had never been to France before he started work on the cathedral’s roof after it was destroyed by fire
Fixing France: ‘We must face colonial past and revive shared values’ French-Algerian author Nabila Ramdani tells us why ‘Liberté, égalité, fraternité’ must apply to everyone if France is to repair
I moved to France and became an English translator by accident A letter to a magazine editor in 1997 complaining about its poor translation led to a job offer to do better
Sam Goodchild: the British sailor preparing for his first Vendée Globe ‘The French love crazy sailing adventures, I feel at home here’
‘My videos help people find the best deals in French discount shops’ We spoke to the popular social media influencer who films herself hunting for bargains in Lidl, Aldi and Action
‘I set up an invisible disabilities media company after my diagnosis’ We speak to a journalist who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2021 and is now giving a voice to people with less obvious disabilities
‘I hit rock bottom, learned to swim and then swam the Channel’ A childhood dream of swimming the English Channel got Stève Stievenart through divorce and depression France’s ‘Iron man’: ‘I had this crazy dream of flying even higher’ ‘We travel slowly through France in our tiny horse-drawn caravan’ ‘Rugby is the reason for my move to France’
Key points of President Macron’s TV interview last night Subjects included the cost of living, migration, taxes and carbon neutrality as Mr Macron spoke following the visits of King Charles and Pope Francis to France Interview with Ibrahim Maalouf: ‘I compose what comes from my heart’ The Franco-Scottish teen on track to break mountain-climbing record ‘Hand-delivering letters across France is slow and full of love’ Fête Nationale: French aerobatics team delighting crowds for 70 years Meet British singer-songwriter Terry Scott Jr, based in Normandy
The pioneering Brit who was French town’s first foreign councillor Cycle campaigning and city pride were a springboard to role in local politics in Albi
Meet Nicolas Sarkozy’s former communications chief, Thierry Saussez He discusses his brainchild Villes & Villages: où il fait bon vivre, and his business that aims to defeat French pessimism
‘I played bad classical music because the male composer was famous’ We speak to a French cellist about her lifelong quest to put a spotlight on forgotten female musicians
How to avoid the wait for a driving test in France France first-hand: Learning to drive - we speak to Libby Abel, who moved to Brittany as a toddler, about her learning to drive experience
‘The first baby hedgehog we rescued was love-at-first-sight’ We speak to an expert about her hedgehog health centre and how to make your garden more hedgehog-friendly
Paris street cleaner is TikTok sensation with a serious message We talk to the social media star about getting kicked out of the army, being homeless and his viral litter videos
Inside France’s ‘UFO Bureau’ - ‘we explain what people have seen’ We talk to the head of Geipan, a tiny wing of France’s answer to Nasa that inspired a Canal + TV show
French writer reveals secrets of translating a great novel From toning down the swearing to swotting up on Google Street View, re-working a prize-winning book can be a long process
Franco-Australian former water ski star nominated for top magic prize Zatanna tells of magical transition from sport to illusions and mentalism, and how her ‘very British’ show is shortlisted for ‘Oscars’ of the magic world
French abroad are valued as our local ambassadors, says senator UK-based Olivier Cadic says France’s system for support of its citizens abroad is best in world. Brexit caused issues but UK attitudes are much better again, he adds
France’s 84-year-old globetrotting ‘Tintin’ shares his life lessons We talk to a French adventurer about his amazing life on the road, the wisdom he picked up and how he thrived on a dollar a day
‘France-UK ‘détente’ only possible if Northern Ireland issue resolved’ Former UK ambassador to France says improving relationship at risk if government continues to support NI bill; warns of EU Entry-Exit System ‘chaos’ next year
‘Stupidity and provocation are trendier than well-articulated thought’ French physicist and philosopher Etienne Klein talks to us about his infamous ‘chorizo’ star tweet, post-truth and if technology is dangerous for democracy
‘We found balance between joy and frugality living off-grid in France’ A French couple have not had a water bill for 48 years but their mission has always been to save the planet rather than save money
‘We sailed to France on a barge and took our time house hunting’ Moving to France on their own boat took the pressure off finding a perfect home for this UK couple
From a rented caravan in UK to buying entire French hamlet for €26,000 The married couple are now restoring the historic buildings – including functioning cider press and communal bread oven – to create a gîte complex
‘I returned to UK from France, did not feel at home so came back’ A Connexion reader tells how she enjoyed her new life in Dorset but after time – especially following the Brexit vote – realised her heart was still in France
Odd guests and bad reviews - eight tips to running a B&B in France We spoke to a Danish couple who moved to France for a quiet life but started a five-star ‘chambres d’hôtes’ instead
The Londoners who ‘fell into the trap’ of buying a big French property Initially seduced by property prices in France, the couple have downsized three times
French conductor Zahia Ziouani fights inequality with classical music The award-winning conductor talks to The Connexion’s Théophile Larcher about beating ‘boys club’ attitudes and the up-coming film about her life
Finding Lucy with French paleontologist Yves Coppens Forty-five years ago, a 3.2 million-year-old skeleton was found in southern Ethiopia that changed our understanding of human evolution forever. Paleontologist Yves Coppens was one of the team that found her. Here, he tells The Connexion about his career
‘Why I’d have moved if my area of France voted in a far-right MP’ British retiree Ian Joiner says a Rassemblement National-run administration would undermine diversity and local cultural life
Hebrew, Spanish, Esperanto: readers speak more than English and French We asked what languages you know and how you learned them following the story of the American who can speak 24
Career change: UK charity CEO close to burnout found balance in France Claudia Ryan-Jones, 52, moved her family to France in 2017 and swapped a stressful job in youth work for a remote admin role and loves it
Organ donation in France: Why it is good to talk about it Working as an organ donation coordinator is emotionally gruelling but very rewarding, says Samantha Alexander, an organ transplant coordinator in the southern Var department
Managing one of France’s biggest charities ‘makes life worth living’ Henriette Steinberg has devoted her life to the Secours Populaire and is now its secretary general. She also manages to find time to run a bookshop
Art of trimmings: The artisans who supplied French and Monaco royals Only one firm specialising in the ancient craft operates in France. Its owners describe the challenges that their business is facing in contemporary times.
'I feel lucky to be among the last British Erasmus students in France' ‘I’ve had the pleasure of observing the daily rhythms and routines of a culture that, despite its proximity to Dover, seems almost alien at times’
Lawyer to chef: My hobby inspired me to open a crêperie in French Alps ‘I had what I now see as a bit of a midlife crisis!’ says American Rachel Howard
Simon Beck: The artist reveals the secrets of his snowshoe drawings ‘When I did my first drawing I was amazed to see how good it looked from a chairlift the next day,’ the former cartographer told The Connexion
Support your local community in France with a guidebook in English A blog can offer a great insight into your town or village but why not expand it to benefit the local community too? Michael Delahaye explains how
International Women’s Day: Three French women who beat the odds To mark the annual March 8 event, we speak to a pilot, a dairy farmer and a ski patroller about the challenges they faced to do something they love
Greenpeace France: Tackling climate change is our priority ‘France is one of the very rare countries with a long coastline which does not yet have even one offshore wind turbine,’ the head of the association in France tells The Connexion
The war is wrong but hate towards us hurts: Russian resident of Nice A Russian woman who has been living in France for seven years tells how she opposes the war in Ukraine - and is saddened by anti-Russian comments on social media
In France you are more responsible for yourself, says UK adventurer A French resident of nearly 20 years, Jerry Gore talks about his life of adventure, climbing mountains, living with diabetes and why he loves his life in the southern Alps
From chateau to treehouse: How Covid changed our French B&B business Andy and Natalie Solomon share their story of how the pandemic transformed their hospitality business
French-British snowboarder Charlotte Banks aims for Olympic success With the Winter Olympics officially kicking off today, the 2021 snowboard cross world champion tells us about her Anglo-French upbringing and switch to team GB
Meet the woman who inspired Netflix’s 'Emily in Paris' Critics have dubbed this new show as clichéd and “frankly misleading” but Rebecca Leffler, the real American in Paris, tells how it's really quite true to life
How I changed career: TV researcher to English teacher in France From Nothing Hill to Perpignan, Louise Sayers tells us how professional life can sometimes be wonderfully surprising. ‘I have found my niche,’ she says
Reader experiences: Dealing with a burglary in France Readers offer advice to others who may find themselves in the same situation and need to deal with police and insurance issues
Boom in eco-villages in France for those seeking simple community life A far cry from the hippy communes of the past, 'écolieux' offer the chance to escape the rat race and embrace self-sufficiency
Brash, seductive, vibrant: How foreign residents describe Marseille Marseille is regularly in the news for the wrong reasons - crime, poverty and gang shootings - we ask readers who have made it their home about life there
Who are the Covid vaccine doubters in France? We ask a researcher France deconfined too quickly, August is going to be hard, and France must convince doubters of vaccine benefits, says a member of a collective of health professionals aiming to provide factual information about Covid-19
‘I knew I would be an actress but writing was my private ambition’ She was well-known as an actress before making her name as an author, but Carol Drinkwater says writing was always her first love
The campaigner who is changing the world - one petition at a time Change.org director Sarah Durieux talks about giving power to the people and choosing your battles
Thomas Pesquet: From training in Moscow to lift off in Florida Today is T-minus zero for France's 'rockstar astronaut,' the first French commander of the ISS. From the archives, read our 2011 interview back when he was a 32-year-old commander-in-training
France's corruption problem: Why Sarkozy trial is just the beginning We need further cases like the one against the former French president to root out corruption in other high places, says anti-corruption association
Former French ambassador to the UK: ‘Brexit was big shock’ 'The French in the UK had a sense of being abandoned. They said, ‘yesterday we were Londoners and today we are foreigners’
Ken Follett: I love France but I couldn’t be an expat there The multiple best-selling author tried living in France after his first big success but left after three years as he missed the “all the sort of pleasures of life in London”. Yet, there was a more fundamental reason
'I am the novelist I am because of Carcassonne' Novelist Kate Mosse speaks about Carcassonne and her second novel in a series set there during the Wars of Religion
President Obama interview on French TV Former President to discuss his first term at the White House during 30-minute interview that coincides with the launch of the new volume of his memoirs
Why is a French hamlet called Fleur d’Ecosse? One reader asks: I was travelling in the Hauts-de-France region and was intrigued by a hamlet called Fleur d’Ecosse in the commune of Ennetières-en-Weppes. Do you know the history behind this name? H.D.
Europe's largest Japanese garden is must-see French marvel Connexion reveals the fascinating history of the Parc Oriental de Maulévrier and talks to its head gardener.
Coronavirus: Swiss doctor leads review into French response Connexion talks to the doctor who gave hand sanitiser to the world about his latest role – leading an independent review into France’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.
In conversation with world champion kayaker, Manon Hostens What makes an elite athlete? World champion kayaker Manon Hostens reveals a few secrets in this interview.
Behind the scenes at Paris' La Buvette plus exclusive recipe In her new book, Camille Fourmont, the owner of a beloved Paris wine shop, bar, and café, shares the secrets of effortless entertaining. Here she talks about her inspiration and La Buvette’s special atmosphere.
Behind the scenes at Gîtes de France's new B&B project Carole and David Movrel run Gîtes de France’ s best city break chambre d’hôtes , in Mont-de-Marsan, Landes. We spoke to Carole about how the project came to fruition.
French President's wife Brigitte Macron gives rare interview The President’s wife spoke about her life alongside the French head of state, how she fulfils her role, and the capacity in which she influences her husband, Emmanuel Macron.
The doctor who gave sanitiser free to the world The doctor who developed hand sanitiser and worked to spread its use cheaply around the world has told Connexion of his satisfaction at seeing his invention helping the fight against Covid-19.