-
When and why do we say c'est la sardine qui a bouché le port de Marseille?
Marseille, a ship, a very big sardine, and a stereotype
-
Hungry, peckish, stuffed: 11 French phrases to do with food and eating
These phrases help to talk about one of the most important subjects in France - food
-
Rugby vocabulary to know if watching the Six Nations in France
From un tampon to une cathédrale, understand the meaning of key French rugby terms
Connexion Tip: Sound the sirens
At midday on the first Wednesday of every month you will hear a sound to send shivers down your spine.
This is the day France tests its national warning system (réseau national d’alerte RNA) and 4,500 sirens go off simultaneously with a noise most people have not heard outside of war films.
Outside of these tests the network exists to alert the population to the unlikely events of aerial bombardment (nuclear or otherwise), natural disasters such as flooding or man-made ones such as a radioactive leak. Your immediate response should be to find a radio, TV or internet connection and find out what is going on.
