Magazine

Neighbourhood group aims to help Americans acclimatise to life in south of France

The American Club of the Riviera has nearing 400 members

Letters: French translations – some good...some hilarious

Perhaps people, not machines, are best at languages, Connexion readers argue

Fort de Brégançon: inside the presidential private island

President Macron is currently enjoying the secluded fortress on the Riviera which has welcomed French politicians for decades

magazine

Veules-les-Roses: a floral village home to the shortest river in France

This coastal Normandy village is dotted with thatched cottages, watermills and rambling roses

Letters: I have no sympathy for heatwave whingers in France

Reader says you just have to adapt your lifestyle and carry on

Letters: France should not look to the US for a way forward

Reader warns against France following the Trump playbook

Learning French: phrases overheard in France during la canicule

From cooking in Marseille to air-con despair, we look at some of our favourite new expressions

Eat like a French local: why baeckeoffe remains an Alsatian speciality

The name of this dish means ‘baker’s oven’ in the Alsatian dialect

Easy-to-eat, juicy wonders: flat peaches are a summer highlight in France

Be sure to enjoy fresh peaches from your local French market this summer

Beaches: the different words for stone in French

Beaches in holiday hotspots such as Nice are famous for their pebbles

Recipe: pea salad with mint and smoked salmon

A quick-to-prepare salad that can be packed up and enjoyed later - perfect for dinner parties and picnics

Letters: This tip makes it very easy to set up a French phone number

Connexion reader reports on the advantage of using an eSIM while in France

Learning French: when and why do we say se fendre la poire?

A fruity phrase for when you cannot stop laughing

Property watch: See what €50,000, €150,000 and over €1m buys Haute-Saône

The sparsely populated department has a growing reputation as a lush and peaceful tourist destination

What happened in France in August 100, 50 and 10 years ago

Here is what was making the headlines this month in 1925, 1975 and 2015

Comment: Visitors battle to open shutters but I know better

Columnist Samantha David notes that unlike her sun-searching relatives she has embraced the use of shutters to keep her home cool

Learning French: unlocking slang for money talk

Talking about money is somewhat taboo in France - but slang expressions for it abound

Comment: Why France is leading the secondhand fashion boom

Columnist Sarah Henshaw notes how French fashion is embracing preloved clothes

Request over garden boundary plants has caused tension with French neighbour

Columnist Cynthia Spillman advises a reader over best approach with neighbour

Recipe: orange and cardamom crème brûlée

A zesty, creamy dessert with a caramelised sugar topping

French cuisine: in praise of herrings and samphire

Peter Bear on this perfect combination which has a rich history and fishy flavour

Recipe: souffléd pancakes with oranges and Grand Marnier

This 'show-stopping' dessert is one of Michel Roux's family favourites

Uncovering France's Easter Island statues

There are five statues in various locations across France

Guess the French phrase behind this photo clue...

Can you work out which idiomatic expression is depicted below?

Trailblazing activist reflects on a life of change in France

Toby Gemperle Gilbert shares her journey from modelling to pioneering the country's first domestic violence helpline

Guess the French region with the help of this clue: An artist at rest

In which of France's 13 regions was this photo taken?

Learning French: what does sursis mean and when is it used?

The word was heard in the recent court case involving actor Gérard Depardieu

Letters: France's new GP video consultation service is really effective

Connexion reader says others living in ‘medical deserts’ could also benefit

Volunteer interpreters help hospital patients communicate in French

Brittany-based association, Maux sans Frontière, aids foreign patients in French hospitals with vital interpretation services

Photos: Explore the animal-themed holiday village in western France

These hen, rabbit and mushroom shaped houses make for a fun place to stay

Peillon: a picturesque village perché in the south of France

Skip luxury shopping in the Côte d’Azur and travel back in time to this little village teetering on a nearby mountaintop

Exhibition: see inside the iconic pavilion of a French prefab architect

Ferdinand Fillod was a French pioneer of prefabricated metal buildings. One of his most famous creations was rescued from ignominy and put on display not far from Perpignan

Learning French: Ça crame and other phrases for when the weather is too hot

Discover different ways to describe the heat in French

Learning French: the origins and meaning of manger les pissenlits par la racine

A deadly dandelion saying

Vent d’autan: the French weather phenomenon said to drive people mad

Superstition says that the wind, which affects the south-west of the country, turns the locals 'crazy'

Breton name bowls: 'People are no longer interested in the traditional craft'

These bowls have become a staple of French cabinets and breakfast tables, but how are they really made?

Letters: Reader experiences of organising a funeral in France

Connexion readers share their advice to ensure the process goes smoothly

Recipe: simple and delicious yoghurt cake

In her pâtisserie cookbook, Gâteau - The Surprising Simplicity of French Cakes, award–winning American food writer, Aleksandra Crapanzano, explores how Parisians shop and bake

Beautiful Loire Valley château gardens celebrate their patron saint

Famous château potagers specialise in the conservation and collection of old vegetable varieties and offer walks and tasting sessions

Guess the French region with the help of this clue: Mastering bastides

In which of France's 13 regions was this photo taken?

Five films and TV shows to improve your French during the August grandes vacances

From summer thrillers to lockdown throwbacks, there is something for everyone this month

Guess the French phrase behind this photo clue...

Can you work out which idiomatic expression is depicted below?

Letters: Readers share their Brexit reset wishlists

Including re-entry into the customs union and restored EU rights

Learning French: mes pensées t'accompagnent and other ways of expressing condolences

Find inspiration for writing sympathy messages

Plogoff: the 'Land’s End' of France

The residents of this westernmost Breton village won a historic victory against a nuclear power plant

Visit this 'remarkable' chateau garden in France

We speak to the owner of a castle in Nouvelle-Aquitaine with an extraordinary history and beautiful gardens

Letters: French import duties on medication are unfair

Connexion reader has to import their treatment from the UK as it is unavailable in France

Comment: France must tread carefully in the age of trial by allegation

The old maxim that you are innocent until proven guilty applies

Learning French: what is the difference between la mer and l’océan?

Understand which words people in France use to talk about the shore

The best fruit trees to plant in your French garden

Columnist Sue Adams outlines the perks of growing your own

Five things they don't tell you about... summer cooking in France

Less about cooking and more about entertaining, here are five French ways to plan a meal alfresco

How to save money on ferries to and from France

From booking early to being flexible on dates, tips for discounted ferry tickets

Inside my 'stylish, soulful and sustainable' hotel renovation in the south of France

Planning a restoration project? We get some eco tips from the owner of a stunning refurbishment in the Aude

Five things to do in France in August

A photo festival, a light show, and a fashion exhibition... we suggest four upcoming events for your cultural calendar

Your feedback on anti-mosquito products in France and tips

Connexion readers share their advice for keeping the pests at bay and to stop bites itching

Learning French: when and why do we say jeter l'éponge?

A phrase to use when acknowledging defeat

Homemade wins but which is the best mayonnaise brand in France?

Consumer magazine tests 15 brands to determine their winner from those available in shops

'I'm worried my husband will leave me for a younger, slimmer French woman'

Columnist Cynthia Spillman advises a reader struggling with insecurity

Guess the French phrase behind this photo clue...

Can you work out which idiomatic expression is depicted below?

Learning French: the origins and meaning of 22 v’la les flics and other police terms

Hearing the number 22 when in France may suggest the police are nearby

Guess the French region with the help of this clue: Boutiques and brollies

In which of France's 13 regions was this photo taken?

How I became an online English teacher after moving to France

Former community safety officer John Mainland, 53, tells how his love of helping others led him in a new direction

Why is good French wine aged in oak barrels?

Jonathan Hesford looks at the types of oak used and the benefits enjoyed by the drinker

Photos: rare otters captured in south of France using nocturnal camera

Recolonisation and protection efforts are paying off in several regions around the country

Spotting storks and egrets in France

Jonathan Kemp observes some familiar birds at Le Domaine des Oiseaux nature reserve near Toulouse

Guess the French region with the help of this clue: Ford thinking

In which of France's 13 regions was this photo taken?

Beating Hearts: a polarising French film featuring violent scenes and 'fabulous diaglogue'

The film stars Adèle Exarchopoulos, François Civil, Mallory Wanecque and Malik Frikah

Our French gîte: we swapped UK traffic jams for a simpler life in Burgundy

Caroline and Richard Williams transformed their lives by relocating to run a guesthouse in rural France

Etoile Verte: sustainable cuisine is rewarded with Michelin stars in France

The 2025 update to the Michelin Guide features 10 'green star' restaurants

French home decor tips: how to create a warm, authentic interior with vintage charm

Designer Zoé de Las Cases shares her ideas on white wood floors, second-hand finds, ambient lighting and seasonal flowers in her book La Maison

Letters: Income rules for French nationality makes no sense

Connexion reader argues that a lack of French-derived income should not be an indicator of a resident's attachment to France

How to buy and cook fish in France

Laura Washburn Hutton reveals selection tips and provides recipe ideas

How France residents can create good memories on a visit back home

Cynthia Spillman gives her tips on making the most of a trip back to native soil

France green news: cigarette recycling, water reserves and ski resort closure

A startup harvests cellulose from cigarette filters, quarries in Brittany are repurposed for water storage, and an Alpine village votes to shut its ski resort amid financial and climate pressures.

Why does France have so many quirky motorway sculptures?

Giant boars, cockerels, horses and strange geometric shapes - all can be traced back to a law that says a certain amount of the budget for new infrastructures must be spent on art

Magazine

Neighbourhood group aims to help Americans acclimatise to life in south of France

Letters: French translations – some good...some hilarious

Fort de Brégançon: inside the presidential private island

Veules-les-Roses: a floral village home to the shortest river in France

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Why British binationals may want to make sure they have a UK passport

Taxe foncière bills arrive for French property owners: how to check bill is correct

French citizenship refusals due to foreign income: exceptions possible for retirees

What is the meaning behind these sombre roadside signs in France?

Ryanair expected to be back in Bergerac next year says airport operator

Chikungunya, dengue fever, zika: how many cases in each French region this summer?

Two die as rockfall crushes family car on popular route near Chamonix

Letters: I have no sympathy for heatwave whingers in France

Letters: France should not look to the US for a way forward

Learning French: phrases overheard in France during la canicule

Eat like a French local: why baeckeoffe remains an Alsatian speciality

Easy-to-eat, juicy wonders: flat peaches are a summer highlight in France

Beaches: the different words for stone in French

Recipe: pea salad with mint and smoked salmon

Letters: This tip makes it very easy to set up a French phone number

Learning French: when and why do we say se fendre la poire?

Property watch: See what €50,000, €150,000 and over €1m buys Haute-Saône

Three French-themed books to read in August

French vinaigrette: how to choose the best oil, vinegar and mustard

Stork nests in south-west France to cost rail operator €1m

What happened in France in August 100, 50 and 10 years ago

Franco-British biathlete chooses Team GB

Toulouse exhibition celebrates the elegance of French air travel

Interactive quiz: 20 questions on France

'Our French farmhouse was rebuilt by hundreds of helping hands'

Jardins Ouverts: explore this beautiful French garden in Pays de la Loire

Comment: Visitors battle to open shutters but I know better

Learning French: unlocking slang for money talk

Comment: Why France is leading the secondhand fashion boom

Request over garden boundary plants has caused tension with French neighbour

Recipe: orange and cardamom crème brûlée

French cuisine: in praise of herrings and samphire

Recipe: souffléd pancakes with oranges and Grand Marnier

Uncovering France's Easter Island statues

Guess the French phrase behind this photo clue...

Trailblazing activist reflects on a life of change in France

Guess the French region with the help of this clue: An artist at rest

Learning French: what does sursis mean and when is it used?

Letters: France's new GP video consultation service is really effective

Volunteer interpreters help hospital patients communicate in French

Photos: Explore the animal-themed holiday village in western France

Peillon: a picturesque village perché in the south of France

Exhibition: see inside the iconic pavilion of a French prefab architect

Learning French: Ça crame and other phrases for when the weather is too hot

Learning French: the origins and meaning of manger les pissenlits par la racine

Vent d’autan: the French weather phenomenon said to drive people mad

Breton name bowls: 'People are no longer interested in the traditional craft'

Letters: Reader experiences of organising a funeral in France

Recipe: simple and delicious yoghurt cake

Beautiful Loire Valley château gardens celebrate their patron saint

Guess the French region with the help of this clue: Mastering bastides

Five films and TV shows to improve your French during the August grandes vacances

Guess the French phrase behind this photo clue...

Letters: Readers share their Brexit reset wishlists

Learning French: mes pensées t'accompagnent and other ways of expressing condolences

Plogoff: the 'Land’s End' of France

Visit this 'remarkable' chateau garden in France

Letters: French import duties on medication are unfair

Comment: France must tread carefully in the age of trial by allegation

Learning French: what is the difference between la mer and l’océan?

The best fruit trees to plant in your French garden

Five things they don't tell you about... summer cooking in France

How to save money on ferries to and from France

Inside my 'stylish, soulful and sustainable' hotel renovation in the south of France

Five things to do in France in August

Your feedback on anti-mosquito products in France and tips

Learning French: when and why do we say jeter l'éponge?

Homemade wins but which is the best mayonnaise brand in France?

'I'm worried my husband will leave me for a younger, slimmer French woman'

Guess the French phrase behind this photo clue...

Learning French: the origins and meaning of 22 v’la les flics and other police terms

Guess the French region with the help of this clue: Boutiques and brollies

How I became an online English teacher after moving to France

Why is good French wine aged in oak barrels?