MAKING YOUR LIFE
IN FRANCE
FRENCH NEWS IN ENGLISH SINCE 2002
connexionfrance.com September/October 2023
MP pushes
Trumpeter Ibrahim Maalouf
Photo: _Eagle Visions Photography / Alamy
‘ ‘No one has ever driver medical tests at 75
overdosed on love’
Is now the Former national coach
time to buy
Philippe Saint-André
- or to sell -
-
in France?
Drop in property prices forecast as sales volumes fall
by Liv Rowland
FRANCE has become a property buyers’
market in many areas, with prices stabilising
or dropping – and it is set to continue.
Buyers who do not need a loan, or just
require a small one, are in a strong position as
mortgage rates are predicted to rise to around
5% this year, limiting the pool of potential
buyers and pushing prices down.
Estate agency network Century 21 says that
this, combined with inflation, saw the aver-
age French household’s ‘property purchasing
power’ drop 18% from summer 2022.
Property-selling coach Maylis Gui­ nebert
said: “We are currently basing price estimates
on what homes were selling for two or three
months ago but we can imagine there is going
to be a 10% price drop, depending on area.
“It’s in flux and no one can say for sure if it
will settle at a five, 10 or 20% fall.”
Achieved prices already fell in some areas
this spring – for example, non-new build
houses were down 2.8% year-on-year in
Montauban (Tarn-et-Garonne), 5.7% in
Nîmes and 0.9% in Brest, data from French
notaires show. Similarly, flat prices were
down 1.3% in Caen and 0.6% in Nantes.
Property spokesman for the notaires
Future of
WW2 bunkers
a dilemma P9
LESS TAXING
Issue 251 €6.25
for debate on
FRENCH
LIVING P4
RUGBY WORLD CUP INTERVIEW Macron faces
a battle over
crackdown on
immigration
IMMIGRATION will be a key po-
litical topic this autumn – and one
of the major subjects of the remain-
ing years of Emmanuel Macron’s
presidency – as debate around a
new law on the subject looms.
Right-wing opposition politicians
propose reinstating a délit (medium-
severity crime) for a non-EU per-
son found to be in France illegally.
This could apply to overstaying a
visa and to the 90/180 day rule.
A délit de séjour irrégulier for
foreigners was removed from the
statute books in 2012, but it is now
proposed to bring it back and make
it punishable with a €3,750 fine and
a three-year ban from France.
Another proposal would remove
the automatic right for children
Edouard Grimond from Lille said: “There has born here to foreign families to
been a trend towards fewer sales across obtain French nationality.
France. We are starting to see a marked slow- The Les Républicains (LR) pro-
ing down of prices, and lowering in some posals would require anyone seek-
sectors, which was not as clear before summer. ing citizenship to show integration,
“This is strongest in Paris. Although prices including speaking French and
are holding up in the most sought-after holi- having knowledge of the nation’s
day resorts and very desirable locations.” culture and history.
The fall is being felt more in medium-sized Currently, this is not applied to
towns than in cities, apart from Paris. people born in France to foreign-
“It is not necessarily the best moment to sell nationality parents.
because there is more risk of price negotiation. They would also give France the
“For buyers, as long as they’re not in a rush right to expel foreigners who are
to buy, it could be a chance to make the most given prison sentences.
of that and negotiate, but as each week is President Macron is known to
potentially seeing a rise in interest rates, it’s a need support from the Right as he
balancing act for those who need a loan.” lacks an overall majority in parlia-
Interest rates have quadrupled in two years. ment – although he has not ruled
Photo: PA Images / Alamy
“We don’t know when this is going to stop out using the controversial 49.3 rule
and there is likely to be a difficult start to 2024. to force the law through.
“At the same time, property in France goes Commentators also say he already
in cycles: it rises and drops, but it always ends faces pressure from Marine Le Pen’s
‘France now has P6-7
up getting going again. far-right Rassemblement National
“We had reached a record in sales and are è Turn to Page 2
now dropping to a more ‘classic’ number.
all it needs to win’
win’
“Property here is still a safe investment and L 14574 - 251 S - F: 6,25 € - RD
those who don’t need to sell generally do not
lose money long-term.” Notaires’ figures show
è Turn to Page 2
Test your P3 Channel ferries P32 British biker
knowledge Electric car battery angry over P4
of roadsigns safety questioned licence swap
2 News
HIGHLIGHTS
News
Shock as some electricity bills soar by up to 400%
Biker‘s licence swap leaves him unable to ride his bike
Carbon score could favour EU-made EVs
Rugby World Cup interview: France’s rise to strength
Water restrictions come too late
Breton nationalist arson attacks ‘fuelled by house prices’ 9
Luggage, pharmacies, gas bills... changes in France
Virtual reality opens up new ways to be a tourist
Comment
Couple tell how they set up successful beer import firm 12
Hornet invasion ‘needs action to save our bees’
Simon Heffer/Nabila Ramdani
Why French peanuts are the future
Readers’ letters
Practical
Your questions
Make sense of French employment contracts
Language: don’t let missed meaning dent confidence
Big growth in car-sharing apps
connexionfrance.com
3
1-11 Property sellers must be patient
4 è Continued from Page 1
5
that foreign non-residents have
6 -7
continued to buy second homes
8 in increasing numbers since
2020. While the proportion of
10 Britons has slowed, they remain
11 the largest English-spea­ king
group: 17% of the sales in 2022,
12-17 compared to 35% in 2015.
Prices in many coastal areas,
13 such as Brittany, Normandy or
14 Vendée, rose during the Covid
15 period as city-dwellers looked
16-17 for more space, but Mr Grimond
said that “away from the big sea-
18-21 side resorts, you can find areas
18 that remain affordable”.
19 Among the coastal regions,
20 Nor­ mandy and Brittany have
21 the lowest prices, followed by
The Connexion September 2023
temperatures of the Riviera in
Agents criticised over rates
1960, which makes previously
neglected areas more desirable.”
He advised sellers to be
ESTATE agency commission rates were recently criticised in a
competition authority report commissioned by the Finance patient. “Until recently, you
Ministry. It suggested rules for the sector be made more flexible. could sell in 30 days; today it’s
It also noted the rise of new property operators, such as 90-120 days. If it’s not sold in
chasseurs immobiliers, who help people find properties, or coachs six months, lower the price.”
immobiliers, who advise homeowners on how to sell. As for the months ahead,
However, Mr Cantin believes the current pressures will put new Ms Guinebert said: “What
models to the test and the traditional agency will prove its value. happens in the US usually
“There has been a frenzy in the market as we reached record sales happens in France a bit later
and prices and some people saw it as an El Dorado, but what really on, and prices have gone down
counts is experience and professionalism,” he said. over there.
President of Paris property sector school IMSI Henry Buzy- “Will it be a ‘collapse’? It’s too
Cazaux says President Macron has not helped the current situa- early to say. But we are going
tion with political policies that, he believes, discourage ownership. towards a crisis, when you see
He cited the ending of housing benefits for homebuyers and the cost of materials and the cost
tougher rules to obtain a state-backed interest-free loan. of living constantly going up.”
Maylis Guinebert of Akom­pagn’Toit, president of a federation of Mr Cantin said the US faced
property coaches, said coaches offer an attractive option in the 7% interest rates, but so far any

24
Occitanie and Pays-de-la-Loire, today’s climate as their fees are not indexed on a property’s sale price drops were modest, linked
Photo: Ichard et Bouillet

a report by the leading estate
PAGES agency federation Fnaim shows.
French living
These boots were made for walking...
Its president Loïc Cantin said:
“We are likely to see a reduc-
tion in sales of 17%-18% this
on France’s Grandes Randonnées year (we predicted 15%) and
Riz de Camargue: in a field of its own price reductions always follow,
Princely residence saved by Englishmen which we’ve been seeing since
Painting through poverty and war: the story of Renoir March. It’s happening subtly,
but not everywhere.”
Exhibition honours wartime nurses
The second-home market is
less affected as there are more
DIRECTORY 22-27 cash buyers, he said. Paca in the
price and are typically cheaper than agencies. to a lack of supply.
“We are new in France, though more esta­blished in English- US property site realtor.com
speaking countries,” she said. “The Finance Ministry has been
looking at what we do and the choices sellers have today.
noted 0.9% year-on-year drops
in June and July but a slight
“For example, there are now ‘neo-agencies’ [usually internet- rebound as of mid-August (up
based] offering a fixed tariff but it can be a promotional price to 1.1% year on year). The Halifax
attract customers and behind it there is still a mandate with a said prices in the UK year on
percentage involved. We work only for the seller.” year were down 2.6% in July.
areas popular with retirees are previously increased the most.” n Banks are reported to be get-
also likely to reduce less due Asked which zones are likely to ting tougher on approving
to an ageing population with have attractive prices for loans to buy second homes.
cash available. foreign buyers, he said: “France More than two-thirds of appli-

“
south and many coastal areas Mr Cantin said interest rates is beautiful, once you get away cations are currently unsuccess-
Dementia care is ‘going backwards’ in France 28
have so far kept their value, and are linked to those set by the from its motorways. ful, according to a study by
French schools: 11 things you might be surprised to learn 29 European Central Bank, which “There are heavenly little spots mortgage broker Pretto.
Towns under pressure to be more dog-friendly 30 intends to increase them again all over: villages with inexpen- It can help to look into letting
Toulouse prepares to welcome rugby fans/Profile 31 If you don’t as an anti-inflation measure. sive property, whether in Cantal, the property when you are not
“The government wants to get Creuse, Corrèze or Tarn. using it – and to tell the bank so
Money / Work/ Property 32-39 sell in six inflation to 2% and we’re not “It is best to choose because it sees it as a source of revenue
months, there yet. The rates could rise you love the surroundings.” and not just expense, says prop-
The Back Page 40 lower again next year, though I hope However, it is hard to find erty website seloger.com.
France’s local bistros immortalised in photos they will stabilise and we will bargains if you want a sea-view. Mr Grimond said that, for
the price return to a similar property He added: “In the 1970s-1980s non-resident buyers, it can help

Contact Us sales volume as 2017-18. people were looking towards if you agree to a mortgage with
Photo: Fnaim

Loïc Cantin, “But prices will fall, especially the Riviera for sun, but today hypothèque where the loan is
Subscribe / resubscribe at: Fnaim in those areas where they had Brit­tany, in a good season, has guaranteed against the home.
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55 71 63* Immigration law: will visa rules be reformed?
Adverts: sales@connexionfrance.com è Continued from Page 1 lawmakers so far about any concrete moves isation is needed to look into the matter as
Editorial: news@connexionfrance.com in these areas. there are too many grey areas and no cred-
party in view of the 2027 presidential elec- Linda White, administrator for Facebook ible body can undertake a proper analysis.
Write to: The Connexion, tions. He is, therefore, expected to be open to group How to move to France after Brexit, France’s statistics body Insee says 10% of
Le Grande Bretagne, 30 Av. Grande Bretagne, 98000 Monaco including some LR proposals and has said he which has 3,700 members, said she would the population are immigrants, of whom
@ConnexionFrance is willing to “enrich” the text with additions. “like to see the whole visa application pro- 35% have obtained French nationality.
He told news magazine Le Point that “the cess made much easier and clearer, where Some 48% were born in Africa and 32%
The Connexion current situation isn’t sustainable and we everybody sings from the same songsheet”. in Europe, with those coming from Algeria,
must significantly reduce immigration, She said it would help if rules were clar- Morocco and Portugal being the most
Contributors: Liv Rowland, Ken Seaton, Simon Heffer, Nick Inman, Samantha David,
Brian McCulloch, Justin Postlethwaite, Nabila Ramdani, Théophile Larcher, Gillian Harvey,
starting with illegal immigration”. ified on means tests for self-supporting numerous.
Martin Greenacre, Nick Jenkins Sub-editing: Sarah Henshaw Design: Lynne Spaight EU border agency Frontex says detections of people and pensioners. For example, the Figures for 2022 show some 1.7 million
Proof reading: Richard Henshell Editorial consultant: Bruno Lacombe irre­gular entries into the EU (especially over consulate takes into account factors such visas were issued, more than double the
the sea to Italy and Malta) in the first seven as home ownership but it is unclear exactly number in 2021 but still fewer than the 3.5
Directrice de la Publication (Managing Editor): Sarah Smith months of 2023 rose 13% compared to 2022, how this reduces the amount required. million issued pre-Covid in 2019.
Rédacteur-en-Chef (Editor-in-Chief): Sarah Smith to the highest January-July total since 2016. “At the moment, it is pure guesswork,” Ms The issue of immigration also came to the
The Connexion is published by English Language Media Sarl In their original format, the government White said, and people risk wasting their fore when right-wing politicians accused
Registered office: Le Grande Bretagne, 30 av. Grande Bretagne, 98000 Monaco plans would toughen the law in several areas, time. The amount needed by couples, as people from immigrant backgrounds of be-
Environmental policy: such as requiring a language test to obtain a opposed to a single person, is also vague. ing in the majority in this summer’s riots.
The Connexion is printed on recycled newspaper. multi-year residency card for workers and She added: “I would also back the idea President Macron, however, refused to
Subscribers to The Connexion receive their copy wrapped in those coming due to close family links. of a new visa for second-home owners, draw such a link, saying people must not
biodegradable eco-friendly film. This is fully compostable at home. It would relax it in others, such as bring- and I would like the delay to be reduced confuse “integration”, about which there is
Subscription prices: ing in new kinds of residency card for some between visa appointments and knowing “clearly a problem”, with immigration. But,
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Several senators and MPs previously Articles on immigration regularly appear Macron also reflect conservative ideas,
par le Vous devez en demander told The Connexion they supported adding in many French media. such as a more chronological teaching of
address outside France: €23.80,
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amend­ments to help non-resident second- Jean-Paul Gourévitch, known for his essays history and an expanded focus on civic
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Encart abonnement sur une diffusion partielle. of staying no more than 90 days in 180, the right-wing media saying that “no scien- and discussion of “foundational texts of our
Printed by Rotimpres, who they said contribute to France without tific economist” would argue that immigra- values”. Teachers responded by saying this is
Impressions Rotatives, 17181 Aiguaviva (Girona), Espagne being a burden to the state. tion brings in more money than it costs. He already being done.
All copyright is reserved to the publisher. Reproduction in whole or part of any
text without permission is strictly prohibited. The Connexion cannot accept
Debate on the law would also be a chance says this is because the number of working He also pledged to hold discussions with
responsibility for claims of advertisers or their professionalism. to modernise the procecures for non-EU immigrants is much smaller than those who all political parties to identify areas of
Mensuel Depôt légal – a parution. foreigners seeking to move to France. do not work, or are too young to work. consensus for future laws, saying he may
RCI 10 S 05218 ISSN: 1742 - 6421 CPPAP: 0126 I 85379 We have, however, not had feedback from He claims a new independent study organ- hold referendums on some of the ideas.
 The Connexion September 2023 connexionfrance.com News 3
Confusion over new road sign: have you seen it? Most departments return
A B C – and one village’s novel
idea to slow drivers down
speed limits to 90km/h
MORE than half of France’s
departments have now raised
the speed limit on secondary
roads to 90km/h, according to

Photo: shutterstock_Henry Sy John

Images: Cerema / Wiki Commons Roulex 45 / Wiki Commons Mathgb / Securite routiere the latest list compiled by driv-
DRIVERS report being puzzled by a new “We did not think the signs that were ers’ association the Ligue de
lozenge symbol road sign (above left) used approved fully reflected the use that these Défense des Conducteurs.
to indicate a car-sharing lane reserved for lanes will have, with them being open Fifty departments have exer-
vehicles carrying at least one passenger. also to public transport,” a spokesman cised their right to return the
The signs were tested in Grenoble and said. The symbol is similar to Renault’s speed limit to its previous level,
Lyon and are now also in Toulouse and logo, but a spokesman for the firm said its after it was lowered to 80km/h
Marseille. They will be multiplying across lawyers had looked into the matter but on all secondary roads except

Photo: Facebook / Ca bouge sur Bauné

the country in a four-year trial. decided not to protest. dual carriageways in 2018. Yonne, there are currently
The symbol is mostly used on urban Above are some other signs that can be Since 2019, departmental 411km at 90km/h, but this will
dual carriageways and ring roads with confusing. See below for what they mean: authorities have had the power be extended from November to
programmable overhead gantries, and is A. The yellow diamond means your road to return to 90km/h, but they an additional 1,091km.
switched on in rush hour. Taxis, buses and has priority over cars coming from your must first undertake a study Only seven departments have
emergency vehicles can use the lanes – right, cancelling the priorité à droite rule. evaluating the accident risk on so far chosen to apply the
usually the left lane – without passengers, The latter was fixed in an international the stretches in question. increase to all eligible roads:
as can electric (but not hybrid) vehicles. traffic convention signed in Paris in 1926. The 90km/h limit now applies Puy-de-Dôme, Aveyron, Allier,
Thermal-imaging cameras can identify It was meant to give clarity and avoid A village in west France has unveiled a to 54,836km of road, according Corrèze, Creuse, Cantal and
rulebreakers, who risk a €135 fine. State accidents, however it said countries that surprising solution to speeding – lots of calculations by the association. Ardèche. These areas tend to be
road signs body Cerma said surveillance drive on the left could do as they liked. overlapping squiggly white lines painted Alpes-de-Haute-Provence is rural and not densely populated.
systems will have no problems picking up B. The triangle indicates danger. Its yel- on the road. the latest area to join the list, A study from a government
small children and back-seat passengers. low hue means the danger is temporary. The mayor of Bauné (Maine-et-Loire) raising speed limits on 4% of its research body found that lower-
It said officials decided to change from And the blurry car? Fog or fumes. said the aim is to create confusion and network. In 25 departments, ing to 80km/h saved 349 lives
the usual multi-person symbol signs, Visibility might be temporarily poor; thus encourage drivers to slow down as the limit was raised on less than between July 2018 and February
used for covoiturage parking spaces, to C. This experimental sign, used in 21 they approach a main intersection. 10% of roads. 2020. The Ligue de Défense des
the new symbol because the lozenge departments, is a reminder that motorcy- Reaction comments so far have included Two more departments – Conducteurs claims the study
shape was already in use in parts of North clists can (legally) go between lanes and ‘bizarre,’ ‘dangerous’ and ‘made me feel Gard and Morbihan – have was biased and failed to prove
America to designate car-sharing lanes. imposes a speed limit on bikes doing so. travel sick’. announced they are consider- that the speed limit was the
ing making the change. In main factor.

Shock as some electricity Franco-British teen on track to

bills soar by up to 400%
DOZENS of clients of alternative Joffrey numerous complaints related to Eni,
electricity suppliers have spoken of Faroux as well as Engie.
their shock after receiving adjusted received Providers can raise prices but they
bills of up to €10,000. a bill for must inform clients one month in
In most cases, bills arrived one year €2,900 advance in a “transparent and easy to
after the client’s contract was understand” way, she said.
renewed at a higher price – with “Simply saying ‘Here is the new
Photo: Joffrey Faroux
break mountain-climbing record
A FRANCO-Scottish teenager aims to
become the youngest person ever to
climb the 14 highest peaks in the world.
Alasdair McKenzie, who turned 19 in
June, has so far scaled 10 of the 14 moun-
tains above 8,000 metres, and is hoping to
tick the last four off his list by November.
The record currently belongs to
Mingma Gyabu ‘David’ Sherpa, from
Nepal, who completed the achievement

consumers unaware of the rise. price list’ is not enough for the medi- at the age of 30.
After receiving a bill from Eni for ator. If the price is being doubled, Alasdair is already the youngest person
more than €9,000, Vincent Audigier that should be written. to climb Lhotse and the youngest to
created a collective to represent “If they raise prices, it is their duty climb the five highest peaks – though the
clients in similar situations. They are cussions with the collective, which to increase monthly payments to Guinness Book of Records still needs to
currently in discussions with Eni. she found via the Facebook group avoid large adjusted bills later on.” verify the latter, he says.
Martine, who asked us not to pub- Victimes d’Eni et de leurs manigances. The MNE received 5,000 com- “I want to show to young people that
lish her full name, moved in with her IT consultant Joffrey Faroux had plaints concerning energy prices in everything is possible if you work for it,”
father, who is 78, in March, and the been paying Eni €110 per month for 2022, twice as many as the previous said Alasdair, who was born in Lorient
next month switched electricity pro- the last five years. In August, he year, and says the same trend has (Brittany) to a French mother and
vider. Eni, the previous provider, received a text saying €2,900 would continued in 2023. Last year, many of Scottish father.

Photo: Alasdair McKenzie

sent her father a bill after the account be debited from his account. Only these related to Mint Energie, Mega The family later moved to Chamonix
closure, informing him he owed then did he notice his tariff had Energie and Wekiwi, and involved (Haute-Savoie). “Skiing and mountains
€4,893 on top of the €1,283 he had increased by almost 400% in January. price rises applied to ongoing con- are a passion of the family,” he said.
already paid since last October, even He claims Eni failed to clearly com- tracts, rather than on renewal. Alasdair eventually moved to Tignes,
though he had used slightly less elec- municate the change in advance. “If Clients can switch energy providers where he was part of a ski club until he
tricity than the previous year. they’d said my monthly payments at any time. If you only realise later decided something was missing. Alasdair has just four peaks to go
Martine said she “ended up in tears” would rise to €490, I could have that prices have risen, you can send a “I was missing the mountains. I was adding that he has sometimes climbed for
after reading the bill. Eni claimed it switched providers,” he said. recorded letter contesting the bill, not there every day as I was training all 17 hours to reach a summit.
sent an email informing her father of Eni has since admitted it sent explaining that the information was the time.” He is accompanied by a sherpa, but
the price hike in September, before incorrect bills to 100,000 clients (out not clearly communicated. He began his project when he was 17, says: “I didn’t want to do like everybody
his previous contract expired, which of more than 1 million clients in If after two months the company scaling two 8,000m+ peaks in 2022, and does and give them everything.
she later learned he had filed away, France), the Energy Ministry said. has not provided a satisfactory solu- eight so far this year. “He will carry more as he is stronger
thinking it was an advert. It failed to include the govern- tion, you can turn to the mediator, by Earlier this year, aged 18, he climbed than me, but I will carry my things.”
“On my dad’s account, it says he ment’s price shield measure in the letter or at sollen.fr. Everest. During that time, he has been He is planning to travel to Tibet in
does not want to receive information price, and is reportedly committed to Switching providers does not pre- following school classes remotely. September for the final stage. The trips
by email,” she said. correcting the bills. vent you contesting a past bill. “It’s easy to have motivation when you are funded by sponsors.
She also claims the email was not The bouclier tarifaire (price shield) An Engie spokesman said the com- do what you love and have the opportun- If he achieves his goal, it will just be the
clear, with the new price hidden in a limited prices to a 4% rise in autumn pany applies the price shield to all ity to travel so much to try to finish your start – he eventually hopes to undertake
table on the fourth page, and it said 2021, before rises of 15% at the start eligible contracts, and informs clients project,” he said. the three-year training course to become
the monthly payments would be of 2023 and 10% in August. The a month before the end of their con- When he spoke to The Connexion, he a mountaineering guide and share his
adjusted, which did not happen, price shield applies to the regulated tracts of their new offer. had just returned from Pakistan after passion with others.
despite his contract going from €0.14 tariff, contracts indexed on the regu- “We estimate the client’s annual bill conquering four peaks between July 17 “I’m taking it one project at a time. Once
per kWh to €0.62. lated tariff, and fixed-price offers. and, if necessary, proactively propose and 28, including K2, the second highest I finish this, I’ll run for the next one.”
Martine has contested the bill and Caroline Keller, head of information to adjust their monthly payments to mountain in the world – and without the In the meantime, there is the small
rejected Eni’s offer to reduce it by and communication at the Médiateur avoid significant adjustments later.” use of helicopters, contrary to the increas- matter of the bac, which Alasdair has been
47%. “Eni is not closed off to finding National de l’Energie (MNE) energy Eni did not respond to repeated ingly common practice. “The most chall- allowed to complete over two years, mean-
a solution,” she said, referring to dis- ombudsman, said it had received requests for comment. enging part is the lack of sleep,” he said, ing he should graduate next summer.
 Residency cards /
4 News
Visas / Admin
British biker angry over licence swap
A KEEN motorcyclist is
annoyed and frustrated at being
unable to continue riding a large
bike after ex­ changing a UK
driving licence for a French one.
Kevin White, 69, recently
obtained a French licence in
exchange for his expiring UK
one but it does not include his
‘A’ larger bikes categories.
He said it is preventing him
Photo: Kevin White
from enjoying his favourite pas-
time, which he pursued without
issues for decades in the UK and
has continued since moving to
Nouvelle-Aqui­taine in 2018.
He owns an €18,000 BMW
1200cc bike he now cannot ride.
His case has been further com-
plicated by confusion over the
rules relating to UK licences.
In discussing the problem
with the ANTS agency that
issues licences, it informed him
that France no longer exchang-
es the full ‘A’ category (large
bikes) for foreign licences but
only the lower A2 category for
less powerful bikes.
This must then be held for
two years before the holder can
take a seven-hour course to
obtain the full ‘A’ category.
Mr White said: “Most motor-
cyclists will have a full motor-
Why did S1 holders get
back CSS health top-up?
A NEW analysis of EU social
security rules, especially ECJ
case law, was behind France’s
recent decision to restore access
to the CSS health top-up to UK
and EU pensioners.
We highlighted the problems
last year after readers contacted
us following France’s decision, in
spring 2022, to stop giving com-
plémentaire santé solidaire (CSS)
to S1 holders, based on a strict
interpretation of sections of the
French social security code.
CSS gives free or low-cost top-
ups to people on low incomes.
French social security author-
ity the Direction de la sécurité
sociale (DSS) has now con-
firmed to us that ‘in-depth’
legal analysis of EU law was the
reason for France reversing last
year’s policy.
It confirmed that this includes
British S1 holders, based on
social security coordination
rules in the Withdrawal Agree­
ment (WA).
It also applies to UK ‘new-
comers’, based on the Trade
and Co­operation Agree­ment,
the DSS confirms.
News in brief
n REGULATIONS clarifying how all British adults abroad who
have previously lived in the UK can register to vote in UK general
elections will be laid before parliament next month. They could
be eligible to register to vote from January 2024.
n A READER queried why his Crédit Agricole bank is no longer
willing to give a witness signature for ‘life certificates’, sometimes
required by the UK pension body as proof of continuing entitlement.
UK guidelines recommend someone who is professional or of
‘standing’ in the community but who knows you personally. A Crédit
Agricole spokesman was not aware of any official policy or change
but did not think bank staff had any obligation to offer this.
Kevin and Jennifer
White enjoy touring
with their bikes
cycle licence, and almost cert-
ainly a motorcycle that requires
category A.
“I’m not buying a smaller bike
to ride for two years before
being able to ride the €18,000
bike I’ve already got.”
The website of ANTS (tinyurl.
com/ants-permis) confirms these
rules, but notes an exception for
EU licences.
In many cases, notably with
regard to validity and renewal,
France treats UK licences first
issued before January 1, 2021, as
equivalent to EU ones. This is
based on a 2021 France/UK
agreement on licences.
We tried to double-check if
any rules are laid down regard-
We do not know if this resulted
specifically from inquiries we
made with the European Com­
mission from September 2022,
including asking if the French
policy complied with EU free
movement rules.
The Rift group for Britons’
rights also reports discussing
the issue with the European
Commission last November.
An EU official said: “Fol­
lowing the journalist’s inquiry,
the Com­mission contacted the
relevant French authorities in
De­cember 2022.
“The Com­mission’s view was
that CSS should be provided to
EU and UK citizens – covered
by the WA – who are registered
for healthcare in France based
on the S1 form…
“In their reply, the French
authorities acknowledged that
granting the CSS had been tem-
porarily suspended in spring
2022 but confirmed that the
CSS is a benefit coordinated
under Regulation 883/2004 and
is therefore provided to both
EU and UK citizens (covered by
the WA) with an S1.”
connexionfrance.com The Connexion September 2023
MP wants debate on
both, with a small arrow, which
the UK’s DVLA driving author-
driver medicals at 75
ity told him indicates the tests A FRENCH MP behind plans to “At the rentrée, I want to work
were passed before then. oblige over-75s to renew their on it with colleagues and assoc-
He was told this is because the driving licences has told The iations to see if it can go through
UK did not keep full records of Connexion he hopes the issue or not. Changes may be needed.
tests passed before digital- will be debated, although he “What I wanted was for there
isation of driving records in admits tweaks might be needed. to be debate about the issue, so
the 1970s. Bruno Millienne, 63, from a solution can be found that
“The French won’t accept it, the centre-right Mouvement respects everyone but that helps
because they want the exact Démo­crate, has put forward a prevent accidents. I’m not look-
date, but I don’t know if it’s pos- draft bill proposing that drivers ing to coerce or to annoy peo-
sible. It would be a pain to take must have a medical at age 75, ple. I just want them to be aware
a French test – but even if I do, which should be repeated every of the need to take care.”
I will have to take an A2 test, five years. It might be necessary to
ing motorbike categories, but then wait for two years.” The EU Com­mission has also review the idea of obligatory
no copy was available. He added that his wife, who is proposed that all licences be medicals, he added. He hopes
We also asked the Sécurité 54 and had the exact test dates renewable at 70 but suggests it to obtain cross-party agreement
routière road regulations depart- on her UK licence, has just would then be up to each state to on the way forward.
ment about this but it also received her French one – decide if people should also have He said: “There are not neces-
referred us to the rule on France including both ‘A’ categories. to take a medical or just ‘self-as- sarily more accidents with old
not exchanging the ‘A’ category. A motoring lawyer from the sess’ if they are still fit to drive. people than the young, but for
Mr White, a retired car com- office of Eric de Caumont in French licences do not have to one thing the sanctions are not
pany manager, has since found Paris, Basile Tissot, confirmed be renewed at a specific age, and the same.
a further complication in his that without proof of separate medicals are required only if you “A young driver who messes
case: his licence shows neither tests, it is usual for France to develop certain health cond- up can easily find themselves
‘A’ nor ‘A2’. refuse the categories, as it does itions that might affect driving. with severe punishment.
French driving licence offic- not recognise motorbike cate- Mr Millienne’s idea met with “When older people are
ials have told him it is because gories obtained automatically. opposition from drivers’ associ- involved in accidents where
they believe he obtained his This would apply even for ation 40 millions d’automobil- there is physical injury, they are
motorbike licence automatic- European licences, he said. istes, which called it “profoundly found responsible in 82% of
ally, with his car licence, and unfair” and said young people cases, and I was struck by that.”
this is not recognised by France. n Have you had any issues with cause far more mortal accidents The EU proposal is being
It is because his licence shows licence swaps? Let us know at than the elderly. debated by the European parlia-
the same start date in 1976 for news@connexionfrance.com The MP told The Connexion: ment this month.
‘£13,000 house’ drama Good news
on way for
would not happen here school trips?
DISCUSSIONS have started
between UK and French offic-
A BRITISH newspaper article ials over so-called ‘mobility’
about a Brexit-voting couple issues following the March joint
who can no longer follow their summit, says the British ambas-
dream of moving permanently sador to France.
to their £13,000 (€15,000) This refers to ease of move-
Italian second home was widely ment between the countries,
shared on social media – but whether for work, study or
would it happen in France? other reasons.
A couple in their 60s told the i Dame Menna Rawlings said
of their disappointment at fail- news is expected this year on
ing to obtain visas, saying “we making school visits between
Photo: Screenshot from inews.co.uk
were told Brexit was not going to France and the UK easier.
impact our life abroad; it would Officials are also looking at
be just a matter of formality”. rules on young people from
They said they were told they France completing voluntary
needed to show income of work placements in firms in
€38,000/year and that savings the UK under the VIE scheme.
did not count. There is, as yet, no news
They attempted several appli- regarding more flexible visits
cations, costing £200 each time, How the i newspaper reported the couple’s problems for second-home owners.
and “hassle of having to liaise Savings can also be taken into and leaving, said: “There’s no However, responding to a
with third-party companies”. account to reduce the amount reason to believe retirees question about this by MP
As for France, couples moving of income needed, but the over- wouldn’t be able to live in Bruno Belin, France’s foreign
to the country post-Brexit ini- all amount available should be France or Spain or Italy if they affairs ministry said the summit
tially pay about £220 and must enough to have a ‘decent’ and wish to, just as there are large had brought “a re-engagement
complete an online application ‘autonomous’ life. numbers of French, for exam- of dialogue, including on ques-
then book to take paperwork to France, therefore, appears ple, living in the UK… tions of bilateral mobility essen-
a third-party contractor at one more flexible than Italy, though “There may be some extra tial to our two societies”.
of three UK offices. it remains difficult for low-in- slight complications, such as It added that the summit and
You need to show income come pensioners to move over more forms to fill in.” the recent Windsor Framework
equal to France’s net minimum
wage of €1,383/month, or
as they could pre-Brexit.
Prior to the Brexit referendum,
Meanwhile, a Stronger In
spokes­man said Britons’ future
had brought more “peaceful”
relations, which was an “encour-
€16,214/year. Official websites Vote Leave told The Connexion: rights in the case of Brexit were aging” sign for more construc-
are vague as to how this applies “There are large sections of the unclear, but free movement, tive discussion to come.
to couples, though one visa Spanish or French economy which the Leave campaign dis- Several French senators and
expert told us they are usually relying on people retiring there, liked in the in-bound direction, MPs previously said they
asked for slightly more. bringing pensions and invest- was a “two-way street”. support more flexible visa and
Official sources previously ments. So the idea they will sud- He said: “It is clear that if EU visiting rules for second-home
confirmed to us that couples are denly say ‘we don’t want that citizens cannot live in Britain as owners. A new French law on
not asked to have double the British money’ is not likely.” freely as they can now, it’s immigration, which is an oppor-
amount. The amount needed One leading figure in the unlikely other countries will say tunity to create amendments on
was also said to depend on indi- campaign, Lord Lawson, who ‘that’s fine, but we’ll reciprocate such areas, is expected to be
vidual factors, with home-own- later applied for residency at his by continuing to do everything debated this autumn once the
ership being a positive factor. French home before selling up as we’ve done for years’.” senatorial elections are over.
 The Connexion September 2023 connexionfrance.com News 5
Vax against
cat typhus,
Lavender crops ravaged Carbon score could
urge vets favour EU-made EVs
VETERINARIANS have called TIGHTER rules designed to keep out car, including steel, aluminium and the
on cat owners to vaccinate their Asian and US-built electric vehicles and battery, as well as other materials used to
pets against an epidemic of encourage EU car makers are likely to be manufacture the vehicle.
cat typhus. introduced from January. Added to the calculation will be a
A spate of cases have been Details of the rules, which will be intro- carbon footprint assigned to the factories
reported in Mulhouse (Haut- duced by ministerial decrees, were making parts and assembling the vehicle,
Rhin), Angoulême (Charente) unveiled at the end of July for a one- and to the transport used to move the car
and Liévin (Pas-de-Calais). month consultation period. from the factory to the showroom.
They say kittens should be If they are implemented, one of France’s It is the carbon score assigned to
initially vaccinated from an cheapest new electric cars, the Dacia transport that could make it difficult
Photo: A Aubanel

early age, around eight weeks,
with a second injection a month
later, followed by a booster
jab after one year.
Cat typhus, also known
as feline panleukopenia, is
highly contagious and is
transmitted through contact
with faeces and urine, as well
as objects that have been
contaminated by an infected cat.
It is resistant to heat, as well as
to many common disinfectants,
solvents and detergents.
It does not affect humans but
can severely impair cats’ health,
affecting their organs, intestine
and bone marrow, as well as
causing digestive problems.
Without swift medical treat-
ment, it can be fatal.
Symptoms usually appear
around two to seven days after
infection and include acute
vomiting, diarrhoea and a fever.
Lavender producer Alain Aubanel said farmers
in the south of France face enormous losses
LAVENDER farmers in the south of entirely. It is too early for exact figures,
France could lose up to 40% of this but overall it looks as though 40% of
year’s crop after caterpillars ravaged the expected crop will not be harvested,
flowering fields across the region. which is an enormous loss.”
The caterpillars came from eggs Mr Aubanel said that in the hot, dry
laid by moths blown across the mountains of the south it was likely
Mediterranean by a Sirocco desert wind lavender fields will be in bloom again
in June, and turned some fields into next year, but there might be fewer in
brown twigs within a couple of days of the lowland plains, with cereals or sun-
hatching. They ate the lavender at night, flowers grown in their place.
meaning several farmers were unaware He did not expect widespread pesti-
of the damage before it was too late. cide spraying as a result of the infesta-
Alain Aubanel, president of the tion, as a cold winter would kill any
Comité Interprofessionel des Huiles remaining moths.
Essentielles Françaises, said: “It was Next year, he expects more farmers
incredibly quick and some farmers will use organic farming traps, in which
were not able to react and harvest. scents designed to attract male moths
“Some of the worst-affected areas are lure them to their deaths before they
up in the mountains and in the worst have the chance to breed.
cases farmers lost 80% of their crop. The moths are thought to belong to
“Other areas, on the plains, escaped the Noctuidae family.
Spring, manufactured by Romanian
company Dacia – part of the Renault
group – will be affected.
Car makers are likely to pay close
attention to the rules because France’s
subsidies for electric vehicles are generous
for people earning less than €14,089.
They can receive up to €7,000 off the
price of an electric vehicle if they scrap a
diesel or petrol-powered one.
In the case of some small cars, the subsi-
dy can bring down the price to that of a
similar petrol or diesel car.
The main change is to make the receipt
of government subsidies for the purchase,
or long-term hire, of electric vehicles
dependent on an environmental score
attributed to each vehicle.
A six-point system scoring vehicles
from 0-100 has been developed by the
Agence de la transition écologique
(Ademe). Only cars with 60 points or
more will be eligible for subsidies.
The methodology looks at the carbon
footprint of the main elements of the
for Asian or US-manufactured vehicles to
meet the minimum 60 points required to
be eligible for subsidies.
Teslas – cars built by Elon Musk’s com-
pany – are likely to be affected before the
car factory and battery plants he is build-
ing in Germany reach full production.
Until then, Tesla Model Ys sold in
Europe, priced below the €47,000 eligibil-
ity ceiling for subsidies, will probably still
be made in China or the US.
Meanwhile, Dacia’s Spring, one of
France’s lowest-priced EVs at €20,800 for
its Essential electric 45 and €22,300 for
an Extreme electric 65, is made in China.
The figures are before subsidies, so
drivers could buy Springs for €13,800.
However, the new rules would treat city
cars with fewer than five seats and a top
range of 180km differently from other
vehicles, and it is not yet clear how the
Spring (305km autonomy for city driving,
according to Dacia) would be treated.
Dacia did not respond to requests for an
interview about the new rules.

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 6 Rugby World Cup connexionfrance.com The Connexion September 2023

‘Programmed to win’: how France

Former French Rugby Union star and ex-national team.” He insists the playing home tournament.
talent in French rugby was no Two years ago, a scratch sum-
coach Philippe Saint-André talks exclusively to less exciting during his tenure mer side won in Australia for
James Harrington about how his former team than it is today. What has the first time in a generation.
changed beyond recognition, France have, under Galthié,
and tournament hosts have transformed into he says, is the framework ended losing streaks in
favourites for World Cup victory this autumn surrounding it. Dublin, London, Cardiff,
In 2010, new rules were intro- and Edinburgh.
WHAT a difference four years to the 2023 competition on duced to curb the number of At home, they have beaten
can make. home soil as favourites. They overseas players flooding New Zealand, South Africa,
In 2019, France headed to the finished second in this year’s French clubs in order to Argentina, Georgia and Japan.
Rugby World Cup in Japan in Six Nations, losing only to increase the reservoir of talent Indeed, they have not lost
something that appeared a lot Ireland, the number one- for the national side. a match in France since
like disarray. They had finished ranked side in the world, The rules set a quota for the the rescheduled final round of
fourth in that year’s Six Nations in Dublin. number of joueurs issus de la the 2021 Six Nations against
Championship, winning just Galthié will be among the first formation française (JIFF) in a Scotland.
two games out of five, and had to admit that he has inherited a match-day squad. JIFF players Form like that means Saint-
lost two of the three November golden generation of players. are essentially those who have André is far from alone in his

Photo: Marco Iacobucci Epp _ Shutterstock

internationals in 2018.
It did not look positive for a
nation charged with hosting the
next World Cup in 2023.
As the 2019 tournament
approached, Bernard Laporte,
then-president of the Fédér-
ation française de rugby (FFR),
did his best to manage expect-
ations, telling anyone who
would listen that getting out
of the pool phase should be
considered ‘success’ enough.
Meanwhile, France’s coach,
Jacques Brunel, was a lame
duck, having agreed to step
down after the tournament to
give incoming coach Fabien
Galthié a full cycle to prepare
for a stronger push at the next
World Cup.
In the end, Les Bleus laboured
to the quarter-finals, where
they came within minutes and
a Sébastien Vahaamahina red
card of beating Wales to reach
the last four. It was just enough
to save face.
That was then. Today, 29 wins
in 34 matches later, France head
However, it takes more than
talent to win a World Cup –
France have rarely had a short-
age of that.
Rather, it takes strong leader-
ship and cohesive, organised
coaching, together with support
from the federation, the clubs
and fans. And, of course, good
fortune also plays a part.
A golden generation is, frank-
ly, a bonus.
For Philippe Saint-André, who
coached the national team
between 2011 and 2015, the
difference also comes down to a
complete restructuring of how
the game operates in France.
“We’ve put the church back in
the middle of the village,” he
says. “The French team’s priori-
ty players have time to recover.
They have periods when they
are only available to the nation-
al team.
“Now, a regular in the French
team plays 12 or 13 games for
his club, whereas previously
they would play 20 or 25 times
for their club, plus the French
spent a certain number of
seasons at a French club’s youth
academy before turning 21 or
who have been licensed to play
in France for five seasons before
the age of 23.
“Back then, you could be
French champions with nine
to 15 foreign players [on the
pitch],” Saint-André explains.
“Toulon were French champ-
ions and had only two French
players on the teamsheet.”
The structural changes go
deeper than just players.
“The calendar has been
reorganised, and players are no
longer called upon to play for
their clubs in international win-
dows. They have recovery
periods, development periods,
preparation periods, periods
when they are with their club,
periods when they are only
with the national team.
“The calendar has been
designed to ensure that the best
French players are as
competitive as possible, so that
they can play for the French
France captain Antoine Dupont in action during their Guinness
Six Nations match against Italy in February this year
national team and win trophies
with the French team.”
None of this would have been
possible without a sea change in
relations between the FFR and
the Ligue nationale de rugby
(LNR), which runs the profess-
ional men’s game in France.
“There used to be constant
disagreements,” Saint-André
says. “When I was [France]
coach, the FFR, the clubs and
the league didn’t talk to each
other. But now, everyone’s
pushing in the same direction.”
Galthié has more access to his
players than any previous
coach. He can pick 42 ahead
of every match. He can keep
belief that France are on course
for the Webb Ellis trophy.
“I think it will be France
because they are the second-
ranked nation in the world, and
because they are hosts,”
he said.
“Of course, New Zealand are
always there, and so are South
Africa,” he adds.
So, too, are Ireland, a team
28 for the game, for which he Saint-André would prefer
needs 23. France avoids until the final.
And he and his staff put the “The opening France-New
work in. They coordinate week- Zealand match on September 8
in, week-out on long and short is important,” he says of the
squad lists. They also ‘train to hosts’ route out of the pool
train’, honing their coaching phase. “But, after that? The
methods so that the time they most important thing is to
have with players is not wasted. win the quarter-final, because
“We’ve given Fabien Galthié we’ll play either South Africa
the means,” Saint-André says. or Ireland.
“He’s got a top-notch staff, the “It’s better to face South
best possible means to prepare Africa in the quarter-finals
for the World Cup.” and Ireland in the final because,
This cannot be dismissed as as a general rule, South Africa
tournament host hype. Les is a squad that gets better.
Bleus have gone from ‘top The tougher the matches,
eight would be good’ in 2019 the stronger they become.”
to genuine contenders in their Nevertheless, he believes France,

‘Nice work and I’ve got it!’

Tour guide Nadia Farmer
Tour guide Nadia is ready to welcome
rugby fans to her adopted city of Nice
NICE tour guide Nadia Farmer is
looking forward to a bumper season
as four Rugby World Cup matches
come to the city in September.
After running a successful busi-
delivering movies to apartment traders, the lifeblood of the town, war and turmoil, prosperity and
blocks in Johannesburg and, a self- and realised it could work.” hardship. Tourists are charmed by
taught filmmaker, also freelanced Every morning from Tuesday to the warm and hardworking Niçois
for TV stations. Sunday, Ms Farmer walks from her people, many with Italian heritage
She married twice. In flat to the Neuf Lignes plus French savoir-faire.”
Photo: ArtMediaFactory _ Shutterstock

ness in South Africa, Ms Farmer set
up a French firm 11 years ago, nice-
foodandwinetours.com.
“It took off and this promises to be
my best year ever,” she says. “The
arrival of so many rugby fans will be
a great late summer boost. Here in
Nice, we will host visitors from
England, Wales, Portugal, Tonga,
Scotland, Italy, Japan and Uruguay
for four matches. It’s exciting.”
As she steers visitors around
the historic cobbled streets of Old
Nice, her love for the city shines
through: “I feel grateful to live here.
It’s beautiful, sophisticated, proud
of its heritage, yet always evolving.”
When she was a school student
in Johannesburg, Ms Farmer never
imagined that, at 53, she might
launch a business in France.
The life-changing journey has
been complex. When she left school,
she helped set up and run a business
her late 30s, after her Obliques, the 30m The Old Town was, until the 18th
second divorce, she steel sculpture facing century, the entire city, Ms Farmer
took stock of her life. the Mediterranean on explains.
“I did some hard the Promenade des “It resonates with echoes of the
thinking,” she says. Anglais, with her past and has been compared to a
“I had always loved ‘travelling office’ – an theatre: multiple layers of scenes,
visiting France, so I orange suitcase packed and fascinating, exotic players.”
decided my ‘forever with pamphlets, travel The Romans were early inhabit-
home’ would be here, timetables, snacks and ants. By the 14th century, feudal
if I could make a drinks. lords were in power until, in 1543,
success of it.” Nice cathedral Her four-hour tour the troops of François I laid siege
Ms Farmer has a of Old Nice includes and seized the city.
French passport through her lunch at a local restaurant and takes “If you fast forward to the 19th
mother, who was orginally from in 22 different tastings, including and early 20th centuries, you reach
Normandy, so was able to sort out her own snacks. the era of carnival, entertainment
her paperwork and apply for “I pack my commentary with and excess.
auto-entrepreneur status. history, quirky details and spice it “Nice formed a backdrop for the
“I looked at business ideas and up with a bit of gossip about local ‘performances’ of the British aristo-
thought that, as I’m a good comm- celebrities. I also give clients a cracy during autumn and winter,
unicator, I could be a tour guide. I chance to meet shop-owners and who paraded on the Promenade des
wanted to expand on the usual itin- market traders who have raised Anglais, showed off their finery at
erary and include my own passions: families here and nurtured busi- the opera or conducted their busi-
food, wine, art, people, culture. nesses over many years. ness and romantic affairs. What a
“I talked to local people, especially “The locals have seen Nice through cast of characters!”
 The Connexion September 2023 www.connexionfrance.com Rugby World Cup 7

became the team to beat

who have lost three World Cup
finals, now have the quality
both on and off the pitch to go
one better than their counter-
parts in 1987, 1999, and 2011.
For Saint-André, one man
will be a “determining factor”:
Antoine Dupont.
The French captain is widely
regarded as one of the greatest
players of all time, having won
the World Rugby Men’s 15s
Player of the Year award and
three Six Nations Player of the
Championships, the most by a
French player.
He has also taken home four
trophies in his career, including
two Top 14 titles, the European
Rugby Champions Cup and
the Six Nations.
“When he’s playing, he’s
got an 80% win ratio,” says
Saint-André.
“We’re starting the World Cup
with the best player in the world
on our side, not in a team
we’re playing. That’s a reassur-
ing sign.”
That said, and although rival
teams build their gameplans
around stopping the Toulouse
scrum-half, Saint-André insists
Les Bleus are far from a one-
future of French rugby looks “We have some very good aground, extending his coach-
bright too. coaches and we do everything ing run longer than he had
In July, the men’s under-20 we can to develop our young anticipated.
squad claimed the World Rugby people, our best players, our “I’ve been on the touchline
U20 Championship title for a youth and those who represent for three years, and it will
third time in as many competi- the club. And then, of course, be good to take a step back,”
tions, beating Ireland 50-14 in the French team.” Saint-André says.
the final to emulate their coun- Saint-André himself is step- “[English coach and former
terparts from 2018 and 2019. ping back from day-to-day player] Richard Cockerill will
Several of those 2018 and 2019 management of Montpellier to take over a team that’s very
champions, including Romain become the club’s director of humble, because we’ve had a
Ntamack [now injured], Arthur rugby again. complicated season.”
Vincent and Cameron Woki, On his watch, Montpellier It is regularly claimed that
have already made the step up to won a second Challenge Cup in the French league is a meat
the senior squad. 2021 and the Top 14 title for the grinder.
The 2023 cohort, led by Lenni first time in their history It runs for 10 months of the
Nouchi, Marko Gazzotti, in 2022. year, over 26 rounds, plus three
Baptiste Jauneau and Nicolas However, last season, their weeks of play-offs.
Depoortère, will no doubt be first as French champions, There is little respite, but that
looking ahead was more is what makes it so special,
to the 2027 difficult. Saint-André insists.
World Cup in They fin- “It’s the toughest, the most
Australia with ished 11th in competitive [league] – the long-
anticipation. the league and est in world rugby.
In the mean- never serious- “There’s never an easy match,
time, clubs will ly looked like so it’s a competition where
continue to play challenging you fight. You can’t let your
their part for the title. intensity drop by 15% or 20%,
in nurturing Saint-André or you will get punished.
French talent. was always “That’s what makes the Top 14
They are driv- a reluctant so beautiful, so hard, so tough,
en by the coach at so difficult.”
increasingly Montpellier. But the question on everyone’s
tight JIFF rules, He only put lips is not concerned with the
Photo: Newscom / Alamy

player squad. which today on the track- league, but rather World Cup
“[Prop] Uini Atonio is import- limit clubs in suit again trium ph. Philippe Saint-André holds the Challenge Cup trophy after
ant too. Grégory Alldritt the Top 14 and after Xavier And of that Saint-André Montpellier beat Leicester Tigers at Twickenham in 2021
[typically the number eight in ProD2 to 13 Garbajosa was has no doubt. “The World
France’s back row] is important. non-JIFF play- sacked in Cup is coming to France,” Saint-André’s outstanding career
All eyes will be on French
The two Toulouse hookers ers in their sen- early 2021, he says.
coach Fabien Galthié’s team Senior player: Coach:
[Julien Marchand and Peato ior squad and set intending to “It’s going to be difficult, it’s
1988- US Romans Péage 1998-2002 Gloucester RFC

Photo: Action Foto Sport / Alamy

Mauvaka] are important.
“Never has a French team
arrived at a World Cup with
such a wealth of players, with
players who were world champ-
ions at under-20, who have
been programmed to win.” The
a minimum step down going to be complicated, it’s
average of 16 JIFF players per from his suited-and-booted going to be tough. 1988-1997 AS Montferrand 2002-2004 Bourgoin-Jallieu
matchday 23. director role only for a short “However, there are certain- 1997-2000 Gloucester RFC 2005-2009 Salle Sharks
“As a result, we’ve invested in interregnum period. ties – and one is that France is 2009-2011 RC Toulon
training, we’ve invested in our However, plans to bring among four nations that can France’s national team: 2011-2015 Equipe de France
training centres, in our acad- Franck Azéma from Clermont become world champions.” 1990-1997: 69 matchs 2021-2023 Montpellier HR
emies,” says Saint-André. in as a replacement ran Toulouse prepares: Page 31

Scrummy half: exploring match city’s foodie side Advice for supporters
THE BRITISH consular service is putting
Sally Ann Voak gets a taste more threatening than brigands parts of Nice’s heritage. Among teams in place in cities where matches are being
of what Nice holds instore from the nearby mountains.” famous painters to have lived here held in case of problems for the 150,000 expect-
People learned how to prepare are Henri Matisse, while Niccolò ed UK visitors.
for rugby supporters anchovies in different ways, with Paganini played his violin at 23 Rue UK Ambassador to France Dame Menna
pasta or vegetables. Some 300 years de la Préfecture and Hector Berlioz Rawlings said they are “expecting a very big
Photo: Sally Ann Voak

EARLIER this year, I joined a group
of tourists from the US and Canada
to devour Nadia Farmer’s (see left)
local knowledge – along with her
stuffed veggies, mineral water, wine,
local orange blossom bread, chilled
limoncello and freshly baked
meringue tarts.
“If you want to shop for more
snacks en route, look for the Cuisine
Nissarde label depicting a girl and
her basket of vegetables,” Ms Farmer
advised us.
“This means the store has at least
three specialities that are based on
authentic old recipes and tested by
a panel of local connoisseurs.”
As we entered the Old Town away
from the heat of the beach, we began
to relax.
Les Grandes Caves Caprioglio on
Rue de la Préfecture was our first
stop. Established in 1910 and still
run by the fourth generation of the
same family, it really is huge.
You can try robust country wines
from Var, 40 different organic wines,
bottles from Burgundy, Côtes du
Rhône and a full range of delicious
Nadia Farmer
explains Nice’s
food heritage
Provençal rosés. I spotted Churchill’s
favourite champagne and their cellar
also holds a bottle of Romanée-
Conti for €20,000.
We left with a selection of chilled
wines to be enjoyed around the oak
barrels outside the shop.
Ms Farmer also whipped out a
freshly baked baguette and a rustic
feast of farm cheeses and charcut-
erie, which we had picked up from
Susanne, the cheesemonger at Cours
Saleya open-air market.
As we nibbled our bread and olives,
we learned that anchovies, the most
important ingredient in a salade
niçoise, became a diet staple in the
city during the 17th century.
“Necessity, rather than taste, made
fishermen haul in this little fish,
which swims near the shore,”
Ms Farmer told us.
“Venturing further out into the
Mediterranean for larger fish was
highly dangerous. Pirates were even
later, they are still a popular choice
in local restaurants.
Just along the street from the wine
emporium, we stepped into Maison
Auer, Queen Victoria’s favourite con-
fiserie. Its sumptuous interior is
virtually unchanged since 1820.
“She would order sweet treats for
guests and often pop in on the way
to the opera house opposite to select
chocolates, marrons glacés or can-
died fruits,” Ms Farmer told us.
“More recent customers have
included the late Jean-Paul
Belmondo, who used the shop as
a backdrop in the 1984 comedy
Happy Easter.
Just before noon, we waited for the
midday cannon to fire from the top of
Castle Hill. “The daily shot is a
reminder that we should all rest and
eat, even those enjoying the sunshine
on the beach” explained Ms Farmer.
“Legend has it that a Scottish lord
had the cannon installed at his own
expense in 1861 to remind his
wandering wife that it was lunch-
time,” although this fanciful story
has since been debunked.
Art and music are also important
composed music on Castle Hill.
These days, Elton John has a villa
here, which Ms Farmer points out.
With its baroque churches, the
great bell of Sainte Réparate
cathedral ringing out, a chapel or
convent on almost every street and
regular festivals and services, the
Old Town also preserves its religious
faith quite splendidly.
Our tour included a visit to Ms
Farmer’s favourite holy site in the city,
the Église Sainte Rita.
“Rita was a 15th century August-
inian nun from Umbria, who was
canonised in 1900. Italians still come
from all over the world to visit this
church and I love her because she is
the patron saint of impossible caus-
es! Never give up – a good motto for
all of us.”
Especially, I suspect, for the rugby
fans among us.
Stade de Nice plays host to
four Rugby World Cup matches:
September 16: Wales v. Portugal
September 17: England v. Japan
September 20: Italy v Uruguay
September 24: Scotland v. Tonga
presence of fans supporting one of the four
nations represented by our teams”.
“It’s a big event for France, a fantastic moment
in the relationships between the two countries
because rugby is such a shared passion.”
Her key advice to visitors coming from the UK
includes to take out travel insurance and check
validity of your Ehic travel health card (or apply
for a new Ghic card, if necessary). See gov.uk/
foreign-travel-advice/france for further tips,
including how to check your passport validity.
You can also sign up for email alerts.
Dame Menna advised also to “follow the advice
of the local French authorities, get to the stadi-
ums early, check what you can and can’t take in,
and then sit back and enjoy the rugby”.
The UK’s France travel advice page will have
a specific World Cup section and the Rugby
World Cup 2023 app will also be useful, she said.
Those needing urgent consular help should call
01 44 51 31 00 or approach French officials and
ask for the consulate.
The Australian government’s website
smartraveller.gov.au also includes tips for
transit between host cities and local laws.
The Irish Department of Foreign Affairs mean-
while has published a leaflet with tips and key
contact details at Ireland.ie/rwc, including an
emergency Rugby World Cup phone line.
 8 News connexionfrance.com The Connexion September 2023

Water restrictions coming in too Support for

industry to
late as 40 areas are on ‘crisis’ alert save water
A DOZEN industrial sites across
France have been selected to lead
CONTINUING water short- than 10,000m3 (7,000m3 in efforts to save on water. They will
ages have highlighted the limits Pools, watering: How do usage controls take place at homes? some areas) a year must be benefit from state support to evalu-
of France’s reliance on temp- AGENTS from the Office français de la biodiversité declared. There is also a lack of ate and improve their water use.
orary restrictions for homes (OFB) check that local water restrictions are followed. inspections when restrictions By the end of the year, they will
and businesses. They mostly focus on agricultural uses, which con- are put in place, Mr Rousselot be joined by an additional 35 sites,
As of mid-August, 78 depart- sume the most water, followed by industry, and areas said, with often only 10 agents as part of a plan to reduce water
ments were affected by water where there is the greatest strain on supply. in charge of covering a whole use by 10% by 2030.
restrictions. The local prefect decides which uses to focus on and department. Ignoring the rules Potential solutions include modi-
Forty were on ‘crisis’ alert, might also target people watering their gardens or is punishable by a fine of up to fying manufacturing processes,
meaning water is limited to filling pools, for example. Inspections on individuals €1,500 for individuals, or and using rainwater or treated
essential uses, such as drink- are more difficult because the number of agents is €7,500 for businesses. wastewater.
Photo: shutterstock_BearFotos

ing, hygiene and fighting fires.
While July saw heavy rainfall
across much of the country,
this was not enough to make
up for a dry winter.
At the start of August, 72% of
groundwater tables were below
usual levels for the time of year,
similar to the situation in 2022.
Rain during the winter is the
most effective for recharging
water tables, as during the
summer, most of the rainfall is
absorbed by plants instead of
filtering through the ground.
Jean Rousselot, freshwater
manager at WWF France, said:
“Restrictions are the final part
of the strategy – crisis manage-
ment. They are more effective
the earlier they are taken.
“We saw in 2022 that certain
limited, but they might happen if the mairie or a “Even when fines are issued They are all sites that consume
neighbour has reported illegal water use. they are not always a deterrent large amounts of water, in areas
So far this year, the OFB has carried out 6,000 as the financial benefit of irri- where the resource is under pres-
inspections related to the amount of water being used, gation can be even greater,” sure, and which have the potential
of which 90% were linked to restrictions imposed by Mr Rousselot said, adding, to reduce their consumption.
prefectures. Breaches were identified in 7% of cases. however, that a large majority They include the TotalEnergies
You could be fined for watering a The rate of breaches is lower than last year, when 12,000 of farmers follow the rules. refinery in Loire-Atlantique, and
garden in areas with restrictions inspections were carried out, according to the OFB. As a result of shortages in the Isigny Sainte-Mère dairy coop-
August, 67 communes had to erative in Calvados.
prefects began preparations in geological research office said 2017, apart from in 2021.” In a be supplied with water via a Industrial uses represent 4% of all
January or February, whereas that last year, “in zones where report published this summer, tanker, and 18 more by bottles. water consumption in France.
others didn’t get around the it hadn’t rained for several France’s supreme audit institu- In 2022, more than 1,000 areas Industry has already reduced water
table until May or June, once weeks, the restrictions tion the Cour des comptes had to implement temporary use by 17% since 2018.
the issue was already present.” appeared to have slowed down concluded that reducing the solutions. The programme is part of the
A lack of reliable data meas- the lowering of groundwater amount of water extracted is Shortages also have an effect series of 53 measures announced
uring water levels is another levels.” “the only solution” for manag- on tourism: the Refuge de la by President Macron in March
obstacle to good decision- Mr Rousselot said the reli- ing future shortages. Selle mountain accommod- aimed at saving water.
making, he added. ance on restrictions shows that The court also identified ation in the Alps had to close Rainfall is expected to decrease by
“For a river, one point might the situation is unsustainable. weaknesses in the state’s in August after its water source 16%-23% by 2050, while river levels
be taken to represent 1,000km “In a normal system, we should inspection of water extracted dried up completely. could fall by 10%-40%, according to
so you lose finesse.” use them once in five years, but for purposes such as irrigation, You can see restrictions in the Explore 2070 study, conducted
A spokesman for the BRGM we’ve seen them regularly since since only extractions of more your area at vigieau.gouv.fr. between 2010 and 2012.

Charcuterie Rise in solar panel scams Restaurant prices depend

from Corsica AS ELECTRICITY prices
awarded extra
rise, so too does the popular-
ity of solar panels, proving
fertile ground for unscrup-
tomers. A 2018 investigation nique is to make clients sign on what diners can afford
by France’s anti-fraud body, an order form when they
the DGCCRF, revealed that believe they are simply
many renewable energy agreeing to a feasibility study.

EU protection ulous companies.

There are numerous recent
examples in the French press
FOUR Corsican of people who have fallen
charcuterie items victim to scams.
Photo: shutterstock_ Kelly Ermis
companies choose names
that are similar to national
agencies to cause confusion.
They sometimes use terms
such as agence, contrôle or
When looking to install
solar panels, you should be
wary of salespeople who call
or knock on your door, and
you should check any claims L’HOMME Tranquille in Le

have been grant- One couple said they spent commission. about available grants. Mans looks like any other rest-
ed protected geo- €27,900 to install solar panels Others have been enticed You should not sign any- aurant, but there is a difference:

Photo: Samir Tine

graphical indica- that proved to be faulty. by offers to install panels for thing immediately, and you here, not everyone pays the
tion (PGI) status The installer, who had €1 when no government can evaluate any quotes at same price.
by the European claimed to be a partner of grant schemes are able to tinyurl.com/solardevis. There are clients solidaires, Samir Tine
Commission. Figatelli energy company Engie, was fully cover the cost of instal- The GPPEP association who can afford to pay full price
Pancetta, impossible to get hold of. lation. In practice, this is represents victims of scams. for a meal, and clients bénéfic- meals to the homeless and to
Saucisson sec, Bulagna and Figatelli – Claiming to have a part- usually funded by a consum- There are 325,939 solar iaires, who pay €1 for a main or other vulnerable people.
all under the l’Ile de Beauté label – have nership with a recognisable er credit loan the client panel systems set up for per- €3 for a three-course meal. After lockdown they wanted
been added to the European register, organisation is one of many agrees to take out upon sign- sonal use in France, 77% The restaurant re-opened in to continue, but with a profes-
which features 1,643 foods. techniques used to trick cus- ing.Another common tech- more than a year ago. October after being bought by sional chef and waiters.
They join coppa, lonzo and jambon the association L’Esprit de They were on the lookout for

Boiler ban U-turn expected

sec charcuterie that obtained European Barbara. The association’s direc- an opportunity for a year and a
protected status in 2021 under the tor, Samir Tine, wanted to create half before the owners of
same label name. a venue where people from all L’Homme Tranquille said they
Not everyone was happy when the walks of life could mix. were looking to retire.
French authorities approved the applic- PLANS to ban the installation of replace- sumers. Replacing an old gas boiler with a “Nobody can tell who is who,” In 2021, the association had
ation for the produce. ment gas central heating boilers by 2026 are very efficient modern one averages €4,000, he said. “The food on the plate launched a café solidaire, where
Many believe it will create confusion expected to be dropped after the government while a heat pump costs around €12,000. is the same for the doctor on people can go for social and
as there is already a protected desig- ran into opposition from energy suppliers, Meanwhile gas supplier Engie and distribu- the next table.” professional support, and where
nation of origin (PDO/AOP) certific- boiler-makers and the building trade. tion operator GRDF said the plan would He even shared more than one they must go for an assessment
ation for Corsican charcuterie. An announcement confirming this is due this cause an imbalance in energy supplies and example of beneficiaires and before benefiting from the low-
The geographical criteria are stricter month and follows a two-month consultation an over-reliance on electricity at a time when full-price clients who have cost meals.
for the PDO label, as all stages of pro- period, where critics of the plan took it apart. shortages mean old coal-fired stations are struck up conversations and “The idea is also that some-
duction must take place in the area, Builders and heating engineers pointed out being brought back into use. They say, too, ended up keeping in touch. body who is not used to going
whereas the PGI is more concerned that the government’s favourite replacement, that the emerging biogas industry will be “The restaurant is near the to restaurants can start to rein-
with recognising local savoir-faire. heat pumps, simply cannot be installed in killed off if demand for gas falls. station, so people staying in tegrate into society.
Whereas PGI (IGP in French) status some buildings because of space and noise Gas boiler-makers pointed out that CO2 hotels on work trips often come “We have our regulars who
guarantees that the meat is 100% considerations. emissions would be reduced by as much as here to work, and there are come every week.”
French and was processed in Corsica, Gas boiler-makers were also up in arms, half if old gas boilers were replaced with some very entertaining Any leftover food is donated to
PDO certification guarantees it was highlighting the contradiction of shutting modern ones. Research is currently focus- conversations.” charities, which organise
‘grown’ and processed on the island. down an industry largely located in Europe sing on ‘hybrid’ boilers, which combine a The association was created maraudes – rounds where they
Several other Corsican products have and where France has several big manufac- small heat pump with gas, and are therefore after France’s first lockdown, feed people living on the street.
PDO status, including vin de Corse, turers, in favour of heat pumps, where parts even more efficient than modern condensing when Mr Tine, who worked for It is also possible to purchase a
Patrimonio and Ajaccio wine, brocciu come from Asia. gas boilers. Both GRDF and Engie are spon- Pôle emploi at the time, joined meal for someone by donating
cheese, honey, and olive oil. Another factor, they say, is the cost to con- soring research into hybrid boilers. other volunteers in serving to the association.
 The Connexion September 2023 connexionfrance.com News 9

Breton nationalist arson attacks Drones to carry medical samples

‘fuelled by anger at house prices’
A demonstration took place in July

RECENT sabotage and arson attacks on
property in Brittany do not mean a
resurgence of the Front de Libération de
la Bretagne (FLB) of the 1960s and
1970s, a local journalist believes.
Erwan Chartier, editor-in-chief of
political prisoners, including 19 mem-
bers of the FLB.
The acronym has reappeared in recent
years in the form of graffiti, and in 2021
the group claimed responsibility for
more than a dozen attacks against
a McDonald’s employee was killed in an
explosion in Quévert. The ARB did not
claim responsibility, and the main sus-
pects were eventually acquitted.
Mr Chartier, who has also written
about other nationalist and regionalist

Brittany newspaper Le Poher, also main-
tains the anger is directed at Parisians
and other French second-home owners,
rather than at foreign buyers.
A letter to media outlets claiming to be
from the FLB said the group has been
responsible for six attacks since 2022.
The most recent involved setting fire
to a second home in Trébeurden (Côtes-
d’Armor). Other action took place in
Caurel, Landunvez, Concarneau, Morlaix
and Le Palais.
The group behind the letter claimed to
have “resumed the fight for the Breton
people”. The letter included a photo of
three people in balaclavas posing in
front of a Breton flag.
It was signed by three people, most
likely under false names, and continued:
“Remaining in the homeland has never
been so difficult. The housing crisis is just
one of a number of ways the French colo-
nial state has its grip on our homeland.”
The group promised it would “not
stand by and watch Brittany disappear
without a fight”.
The FLB had been inactive since 1981
when then-president François Mitter-
rand granted amnesties to numerous
second homes and “profiteers from the
tourism industry”.
Police are investigating whether the
new claims are opportunistic or if there
is a concrete link to the incidents cited.
According to Mr Chartier, however,
there is a difference between past attacks
and recent action.
“Even in the 1990s, we’d see photos like
this one, but the people had weapons,
and there were bomb attacks. Here, they
are starting fires. It’s not the same.”
In 2006, Mr Chartier published Le
dossier FLB, an investigation into the
actions of the FLB and the Armée répub-
licaine bretonne (ARB), which replaced
it. The groups were behind dozens of
attacks, starting in the 1960s.
“Towards the end of the 1960s, they
were among the principal regionalist
terrorism groups, ahead of the
Corsicans,” he said. In 1968, the FLB
blew up a garage housing CRS riot
police vehicles in Saint-Brieuc.
“Attacks were not intended to kill
people but to publicise the group’s
political demands. The new FLB seems
to be the same.”
Political violence ceased in 2000 when
Photo: CH de Valenciennes
movements in Europe, says the recent
action reminds him of Welsh militants
who set fire to English-owned holiday
homes in the 1980s, though the FLB in
the 1960s went further in making bombs.
While the latest generation of militants
has chosen to reference the older FLB A GROUP of hospitals and medical We try to scrape as many minutes
rather than the ARB, Mr Chartier centres is planning to transport as possible off the wait
believes it would be inaccurate to say the medical samples by drone to allow for results.
old FLB is back. “I met around 100 for quicker diagnosis. “That is why we are always on the
activists for my book, but I have no con- Test flights are expected to begin lookout for new technologies.”
tacts in this new strain,” he said. this autumn between the hospitals The drones will also allow the
“They are trying to capitalise on the in Valenciennes and Maubeuge, in laboratory to save money and
real problem of rising house prices. Here northern France, pending the reduce carbon emissions by up to
on the coast, it is practically impossible go-ahead from the civil aviation 99%. They can carry up to 3kg and
for young Bretons to buy a house, even authority. will travel at 150km/h and 120m up.
their parents’, which creates significant This will reduce the journey from They will be able to take off
frustration.” 45 minutes by car to 25-30 minutes directly from Maubeuge hospital,
The tactics echo attacks against second and provide more reliable testing. but can only land near Valenciennes
homes in Corsica, where they make up The flights, in partnership with hospital, with a smaller drone or
almost 30% of all properties. In March, French startup Délivrone, will allow bike finishing the journey, as the
the FLNC militant group claimed blood, urine, stool and cerebro- area is too densely populated.
responsibility for 17 attacks in the last spinal fluid (used to diagnose men- The aim is to have the air link
year, including on several second homes. ingitis) samples to be sent between operational next year.
In Brittany, 12% are second homes, the GCS SHAB laboratory’s sites for If the Air Shab project is a success,
half of which are owned by residents of analysis. it could eventually serve the labor-
the region or of nearby Pays de la Loire. Pierre Houssin, who is leading the atory’s four other sites in the region,
30% of owners live in Ile-de-France, and project, said: “With meningitis, for in Divion, Liévin, Hénin Beaumont
7% live abroad. example, every minute is precious. and Denain.

Future of WW2 bunkers a

dilemma for coastal towns
EIGHTY years after Nazi Germany built its
system of fortifications along the French coast,
many towns are still unsure what to do with the
Think local for your
financial planning.
physical remnants of this painful history.
While mostly associated with the Normandy
beaches, the Atlantic Wall system of coastal
Photo: shutterstock_ Traveller70

defences, built between 1942 and 1944, stretched

from Norway to France’s border with Spain.
Some of the sites have become museums and
memorials, but many of the remains have been
forgotten or left to deteriorate.
Jean-Loup Ménochet, a historian and tour guide
based on the Basque coast, said: “In France, we
have a very negative image of the bunkers, except
in Normandy, where they are linked to D-Day
and victory.”
The area was heavily fortified, partly in response
to Operation Myrmidon, an abortive raid on
south west France in 1942, and partly to protect
the transport of iron ore from Spain.
“Biarritz was also chosen by the Nazis as an
R&R resort for soldiers,” Mr Ménochet said.
Several fortifications were built into the cliffs in
Biarritz. “These large underground facilities were
extremely well developed, with a system for
recycling air, cisterns, and electricity.
“Near the aquarium, there are two command
posts that were dug into the rock, and which are
in perfect condition.”
These structures are virtually unique for the
Atlantic Wall, he said, built over five levels and
using complex technology such as an automatic
flamethrower system. “The problem is, the town
of Biarritz doesn’t want to talk about them. Certain
towns look to utilise the bunkers as historical
monuments, and others prefer sun and surf.”
Many towns lack the funds to transform the
sites into public spaces. In the case of Biarritz, he
believes a lack of willingness is the main obstacle.
A bunker at Néville-sur-Mer, Normandy
wonderful event spaces. The Biarritz facility could
make an extraordinary contemporary art gallery.”
Numerous bunkers were also built on the
Now you’re living in France, your UK adviser Talk to the people who know
is unlikely to have in-depth knowledge of the
beaches of the Basque coast and here, too, Mr 0 805 112 163 (N0 Vert)
Ménochet says a negative image has endured due intricacies of the French tax and succession
to a lack of communication. regimes, which change frequently. UK france@blevinsfranks.com
“For older people, they symbolise the horrors of planning solutions could backfire in France.
war. For younger generations, there is sometimes And post-Brexit, UK-based advisers are
a slight interest, but mostly there is an aversion: generally not regulated to advise EU residents. www.blevinsfranks.com
they are dirty, graffitied, used as public toilets.”
To further complicate matters, many of the Blevins Franks advisers live locally in France
inland structures are found on private land. and are regulated and authorised to provide
For the 75th anniversary of the Normandy advice here. They have built up years of
landings in 2019, photographer Antoine Cardi first-hand experience of living in France and
took a series of photos of sites where fortifications the local regulations. They react quickly to tax
had been destroyed or built upon. and succession reforms, updating and guiding
Mr Cardi, who trained as a historian, said: clients whenever necessary.
“Today, they are leisure facilities like mini-golf
courses, houses, or we see nothing at all.
“In Ouistreham, there is a casino built on the INTERNATIONAL TAX ADVICE • INVESTMENTS • ESTATE PLANNING • PENSIONS
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services under the Investment Services Act and authorised to carry out insurance intermediary activities under the Insurance Distribution Act. Where advice
teered or were forced to build the Atlantic Wall. is provided outside of Malta via the Insurance Distribution Directive or the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive II, the applicable regulatory system
differs in some respects from that of Malta. BFWML also provides taxation advice; its tax advisers are fully qualified tax specialists. Blevins Franks France
Over the past two decades, retiree Jean-Paul SASU (BFF), is registered with ORIAS, registered number 07 027 475, and authorised as ‘Conseil en Investissements Financiers’ and ‘Courtiers d’Assurance’
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German military sites being converted into who was part of the STO forced labour system.
 10 What’s new connexionfrance.com The Connexion September 2023

Luggage, chemists’ services, gas charges... the changes in France

1: Chemists’ services
PHARMACIES, nurses and
midwives are now able to
prescribe and administer a
range of vaccinations to adults,
though children under 11 still
need a prescription from a
following the abolition of the
regulated gas tariffs in July.
The CRE has suggested an
average price of €0.10512/kWh
for cooking and hot water
contracts, down from €0.10700
in August. For heating, it rec-
will include a greater focus with Nannybags, a left-luggage
on the act of writing, as well network, to allow people to Jura spider survey
as national assessments in leave their luggage or bags at READERS living in or visiting
French and mathematics for dedicated sites in stores in the Jura in the coming weeks
CM1 pupils. Paris, Marseille and Lyon. are being asked to take part in
The service is currently being a survey about the wasp spider,
5: Bullies moved tested in 19 outlets, chosen for which is harmless to humans.

Photo: shutterstock_ Buquet Christophe

doctor or paediatrician.
The measure aims to enhance
vaccination coverage.
There are also plans to give
pharmacists more responsibility
for testing for certain diseases
and renewing prescriptions.
2: Fraud issues
THE SIGNAL Conso app,
which helps consumers report
problems with traders and
businesses, is to be made avail-
able in English and French in
time for the Rugby World Cup
in September.
Fraud officials at the
directorate-general for comp-
etition, consumer affairs and
fraud watchdog also partnered
with European Consumer
Centre France on a set of FAQs,
answering queries and remind-
ing visiting consumers about
ommends €0.08218/kWh,
down from €0.08406.
This includes tax but not sub-
scription costs. Clients with
contracts indexed on the CRE’s
benchmark price will benefit.
4: Back to school
CHILDREN in France will go
back to school on September 4.
This year’s rentrée will see
youngsters in CM1, CM2 and
6e classes face several changes,
as part of the Ministry of
Education’s efforts to enhance
preparations for the collège
stage of education. Changes
Dental charges to rise
PATIENTS will be left to pay for a
greater proportion of dental costs from
October 1: 35%-45%, up from 30%.
It means social security coverage will
THE NEW term will enable their long opening hours and
schools to move students proximity to busy areas.
involved in bullying to other According to Franprix, more
establishments, following a than 100 suitcases were deposit-
decree published in August. ed in three days at a test store
The move, aimed at bolster- in Paris’s 1st arrondissement.
ing deterrents against school
bullying, comes after two 7: EV charging costs
teenagers died by suicide. EUROPEAN charging network
It also permits action against Ionity has cut recharging rates
cyberbullying in cases where in France by 10 cents, helping
students at another school are electric car drivers to offset
being targeted. the recent 10% increase in
electricity costs.
6: Leave your luggage The German company’s ultra-
SHOPS belonging to the fast charging stations will now
Franprix chain have partnered charge at €0.59 per kWh, com-
pared to the previous €0.69.
Ionity has 50 charging stations
in France out of a Europe-wide
network of more than 400.
8: Free check-ups
THE flagship free health
Photo: shutterstock_ Mikheyeva Volha
Three organisations, includ-
ing the Autun natural history
society and Burgundy wildlife
observatory, are seeking to
learn more about the creature’s
regional distribution across
Bourgogne-Franche-Comté.
The survey is set to run until
Wasp spiders in Jura grow October 15. To take part, visit
to about 15mm tinyurl.com/juraspider.
who are eligible should be con- ing €50 grants to people aged
tacted by Assurance Maladie, six to 30 who sign up to a
when they are able to make an sports club, has been renewed
appointment. until the end of the year.
The check-ups will be Those eligible include child-
extended to the other age ren whose families receive the
groups next year. ARS back-to-school grant,
young adults who receive the
9: Train tickets AAH disability grant, and
IT IS now possible to pay for students eligible for a bursary.
train tickets in three instal-
ments, over two months, on 11: Pension reform

their rights in France.
3: Gas charges down
GAS prices should fall in
September after the CRE
regulator published its updated
benchmark prices.
This estimation is meant to
guide suppliers and consumers
fall to between 55% and 65%. check-up programme is due
The rest is usually covered by the to launch in October, starting
patient’s mutuelle, if they have one. with those aged 45-50.
The government estimates that the The scheme will eventually
additional annual cost to complement- offer a free health check to
ary health insurance firms could be people in three ‘key’ periods of
around €500million. They are expected their lives – 20-25, 45-50, and
to increase premiums as a result. 60-65 – as part of a greater
focus on prevention. People
the SNCF website or app. FROM September 1, new laws
This option is available for that will gradually increase the
ticket purchases of at least national retirement age to 64
€150, but it does come with an by 2030 come into force.
additional cost of 1.5% of the Those born on September 1,
ticket price. 1961, are the first to be affect-
ed, while successive genera-
10: Sports grant tions will have their retirement
THE Pass’Sport scheme, offer- age increased by three months.

Are you a contractor or thinking New Covid vaccination Dates for your diary

of working remotely from France? campaign this autumn September 1: Spain’s Renfe
begins operating high-speed
daily trains on its Lyon-
THE new Covid vaccination France, but more so in the busy Barcelona route. Marseille-
campaign will launch on tourist regions of Ile-de-France, Madrid will follow in October
October 17 and run alongside Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Provence-
If you are planning on working the usual seasonal flu campaign. Alpes-Côte d’Azur, Occitanie September 1-10: American
People over 65 and those at and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. Film Festival in Deauville
from home in France as a freelancer,
Are you a contractor or thinking of working remotely from
contractor, or for your existing France? risk of developing severe forms A spike in Covid cases is also September 27-October 1:
Dinard British Film Festival
of the disease will be eligible for expected as children go back to
UK employer and have concerns
a free booster at the same time school in September.
If regarding compliance,
you are planning social from home inas the flu jab (one in each arm).
on working The most recent figures September 2-3: Braderie de
charges
France as aorfreelancer,
declaring contractor,
your work This includes pregnant women revealed the weekly number of Lille, one of Europe’s largest
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for your existing& UK
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have the and have and people with chronic ill- people going to A&E with flea markets
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concerns solution. compliance, social charges nesses
or or immunodeficiency. suspected Covid infections rose
declaring You must wait six months from 979 to 1,547 between September 8: Hosts France
As youryour work then Challenge
English-speaking Umbrella& Co. have kick off the Rugby World
thecompany
perfect solution. since your last vaccination or August 7-13. This is thought to
in France, we can provide infection. Pfizer and Moderna be due to Eris (or EG.5), a sub- Cup against New Zealand
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giving If an epidemic resurgence is Layné hospital in Mont-de- September 15-17: The 40th
under ourfreedom
you the Portage Salarial regime
to freelance giving youobserved
without the in the meantime, the Marsan, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, European Heritage Days with
freedom to freelance
the worry without the worry of self-
of self-employment date might be advanced. and Arcachon hospital in free visits to monuments
employment
in France. in France. There has been an increase in Gironde recently reinstated the
reported cases in every region, wearing of masks for patients, September 20-22: King
according to Santé publique staff and visitors. Charles III and Queen
• Employee, Health, Unemployment & Retirement Camilla will make their first
benefits
n Employee, Health, Unemployment
• No administration
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Online tool to tackle ID theft official visit to France

September 23-24: Pope

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l’Emploi en Portage Salarial)
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Upload your documents, paying a property deposit to
Portage Salarial) September 20-24: Fête des
select a watermark unique renting a car.
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then download the document than 200,000 people become
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 The Connexion September 2023 connexionfrance.com News 11
Virtual reality brings new ways to be a tourist
TOURIST sites are adopting Canadian guides lead FRENCH NEWS IN ENGLISH SINCE 2002
innovative technologies to let virtual visits of Juno Beach
Subscribers save money

Photo: Orange/Emissive - Eternelle Notre-Dame - 2021

people experience them even
when visiting is physically
impossible.
It means, for example, that + benefit from exclusive
visitors to Paris can admire
Notre-Dame Cathedral, which daily web articles
is not due to reopen to the
public until December 2024,

thanks to virtual reality (VR).
The Eternal Notre-Dame
experience allows you to
explore the cathedral over a
span of more than 800 years,
from the beginning of con-
struction in the 12th century
to the fire in 2019 and its
future reopening.
Visitors are equipped with
a VR headset and backpack
inside a 500m² space.
The experience is designed to
appeal to both “those who live
a stone’s throw from Notre-
Dame, and those who have
never seen it in their life”, said
Louis-Xavier Nicolas, commu-
nications director at Amaclio,
oped in terms of roaming
around: visitors can move
about and explore Notre-Dame
while the guide is speaking.”
The experience is currently
available at two Paris sites:
under the square of Notre-
Dame and at La Défense.
Organisers expect to replicate
it in Asia and the US in the
coming months and are looking
into producing similar experi-
ences for other monuments.
Mr Nicolas does not, how-
ever, believe technology can
Photo: CJB-L.Benoist
Visitors step inside Notre-Dame
thanks to virtual reality
soldiers landed on D-Day, We didn’t just want to have a
offers live virtual tours with a guide standing in front of a
Canadian guide. The aim is to camera,” Ms Quintal said.
make the centre more access- The main issue, she said, has
ible, both to Canadians who been internet problems, but the
are unable to make the journey centre now sends users a link Here are some recent subscriber
for financial reasons and to
people who would have diffi-
to test their connection.
“It’s not the same as a Zoom
web-only articles:
culty accessing the bunkers. call. The 360-degree live video n Warning over scams n What is new ‘pinky’
The Covid pandemic, which requires a better connection.” around obligatory car electricity meter being
forced the centre to close for Région Normandie financed checks in France installed across France?
20 weeks, inspired them to half of the €40,000 investment. n Steaks, ham, salad: n Will facemasks return
think more seriously about Since the start of the year,
supermarket products to hospitals across
solutions. Catherine Quintal, there have been two tours per
who oversees the centre’s tour week in English and two in recalled in France France amid Covid rise?

In our next issue...

one of the project creators.
It lasts 45 minutes, and
features interactions with a
number of characters who have
contributed to Notre-Dame
over the centuries, including
Guillaume d’Auvergne (Bishop
of Paris from 1228), carpenters
and stonemasons, while a
VR version of architect
Eugène Viollet-le-Duc explains
the choices behind his
19th-century restoration.
“It’s much more powerful for
the viewer than a simple narra-
tor,” Mr Nicolas said.
The historical attention to
detail and presence of a virtual
guide set the experience apart
from other VR projects, he
said, while there is also an
important interactive element.
“It’s the only experience in
the world which is this devel-
Mont-Saint-Michel abbey is 1,000 years old
AN AUTUMN of concerts and conferences
is planned as Mont-Saint-Michel’s famous
abbey celebrates its 1,000th birthday.
Construction began in 1023, and it has
since become one of France’s most-visited
tourist attractions. Some 2.8 million people
replace the real-life experience:
“The most important thing is
the stone, the reality. This is
complementary, and allows us
to experience past events that
are difficult to comprehend
during traditional visits.”
The production was created
by the Orange Group, Amaclio
Productions (known for pro-
ducing light and sound shows
such as La Nuit aux Invalides),
artistic director Bruno Seillier
and VR company Emissive.
The visit costs €30 (reduced
tickets at €20), with 30% going
towards organisations oversee-
ing the cathedral’s restoration.
Other tourist sites offer virtual
experiences for people who are
unable to travel. The Juno
Beach Centre, on the site in
Normandy where 14,000
Canadian and 8,000 British
guides, said: “Part of our miss- French. The virtual tours are
ion is imparting the memory paused over the summer and
to as many people as possible.” during school holidays to focus
It also contributes to the
centre’s sustainable develop-
ment strategy by limiting its
on in-person tours, but they
will resume in September.
Technology can also be used
Your questions answered
carbon footprint. to enhance in-person visits. n Is it really risky to pay n ‘Separation’ marriage
It teamed up with Caen-based Earlier this year, a four-legged someone in cash for work regime is noted in house
company Twelve Solutions, robot named Rocket made its completed at your home? deeds: what does it mean?
which developed a cart fitted way through Besançon’s n Do personal credit n I have an S1 form so
with a computer and a 360- 17th-century citadel, capturing
degree camera. The guide can 360-degree images that will be
reports exist in France? why is bank taking social
wheel this around the site and digitalised. Visitors will event- n Is it possible to have charges off my interest?
beach. Visitors at home can ually have access to augmented UK car breakdown cover n Can a non-EU student
explore the view while the reality experiences, allowing while living in France? have a part-time job?
guide is speaking, and ask them to see what the fortress
questions, which will appear
on the guide’s tablet.
was like when Vauban first
designed it, for example.
PLUS KEY POINTS OF...
The only part that is pre-
recorded is the bunker visit, as
The Eiffel Tower also
unveiled an augmented reality
France’s different legal options
the walls are too thick for the experience this year to mark to protect a vulnerable person
wifi to work. the centenary of Gustave
“We had to think how to
make the tour more relevant.
Eiffel’s death (see tinyurl.com/
eiffelvisit). We are
only old
it being associated with Brittany, including
in a 2015 school textbook. In 2018, the
when we
mayor of Mont-Saint-Michel caused con-
troversy by hoisting the Breton flag next to
the Norman one.
think we
are, says
Photo: Adrien Le Toux / Alamy

visited Mont-Saint-Michel in 2022, of 4. The monument was built with the same
Photo: Yazemeenah Rossi

whom 1.3 million visited the abbey.
The island is so popular that the Unesco
World Heritage site introduced discount
parking at certain times of the day in August
to try to regulate the flow of tourists.
President Emmanuel Macron visited the
abbey in June to mark the millennium,
including a tour of The Archangel’s Abode
exhibition. This comprises 30 works of art
and religious objects that shed a light on
the monument’s history. It will continue
until November 5. Other events this month
include a free dance performance, and a
stone used for pavements in London and Paris.
Granite from the Chausey islands off the
coast of Normandy was also used in many
old houses on Jersey.
model, 67
Mont-Saint-Michel was once a prison 5. The island was once nicknamed the
legend. The first Benedictine monks settled
there in 966.
‘Bastille des mers’ (Bastille of the sea), as it
has at various points been used to house
+ We look at France’s
2. There used to be a railway line, albeit only
prisoners, including during the Revolution.
Inmates included clerical opponents of the amazing hiking routes
10km long, across the bay to the feet of the regime and other political prisoners. It did
city’s walls. La ligne de Pontorson au not close until 1863. These and many more practical tips and topics
Mont-Saint-Michel was run as a tourist about life in France + full access to our website

concert by pianist Sofiane Pamart.
The full programme of events can be
found at tinyurl.com/MSM1000.
To mark the anniversary year here are
some lesser-known facts about the site:
1. Its history goes back more than 1,000 years.
The first church was built there in 709 – a
year after the Archangel Michael appeared
to the bishop Aubert in a dream and asked
him to build a sanctuary on the island,
then called Mont-Tombe, according to the
subscribe
attraction between 1901 and 1938, with 6. It has an English counterpart, a tidal
five to six trains a day during high season. island called St Michael’s Mount in
Cornwall. In the 11th century this site
3. Mont-Saint-Michel is at the centre of local was given to the Benedictine order of
Subscribe now at connexionfrance.com
rivalries, as people in both Normandy and Mont-Saint-Michel, and construction of
Brittany claim it as their own. a church began in 1135.
It did indeed belong to Brittany after the to receive the October edition at your home and
Treaty of Compiègne in 867 ceded the area 7. Lamb from the salt marsh meadows near
to the then-kingdom. The following centu- Mont-Saint-Michel was registered Appellation
benefit from full access to our web articles.
ry, Normandy regained control of the tidal d’origine protégée (AOP) in 2013. The high Only €69 to a French address
island, and today it belongs to the Manche salinity in the grass gives the meat a
department. However, that has not stopped distinct taste that is considered a delicacy. Or call
call Nathalie on 06 40 55 71 63
 12 Careers connexionfrance.com The Connexion September 2023

‘Euro-fizz and Belgian rocket fuel’ – my

quest to fill the gap in French beer market
beer import business.
France first-hand: Before we moved, I contacted the
local mairie to check they would be
‘Don’t bother with email’: Four tips for budding importers
Setting up an happy with me obtaining an alcohol
licence and running a business from
1. Do your homework, advises Matt. Check out both the
costs involved if you are importing goods, along with

import business the property. I also established a rela-

Interview by Annaliza Davis
Matt Erlanger, 59, moved
to France in 2015 with
his wife Pauline and has
since set up a successful
beer import firm. He
tionship with some initial suppliers
and carriers.
Once we were settled in the house
and the gîte was up and running, I
took some advice from a company
that offers guidance in English for
problems related to living in France.
It was a few hundred euros well
spent as they checked the viability of
my plan and steered me towards the
various official departments.
the many potential delays, especially for food and drink.
“If possible, find a supplier within the EU, as it will make
your life a lot easier.”
2. Canvass opinion and take advice where you are not sure.
“Even if you speak fluent French, there is a whole new
vocabulary and different ways of doing things that you
might not expect,” says Matt.
3. Start as simply as possible. “It is best to start with the
most straightforward option and move up when neces-
sary, as it is far more difficult to step back. I began as an

Photo: Matthew and Pauline Erlanger

explains how he got his
company off the ground
and has found new ways
to grow it
FROM the outset, our attitude was
I registered as an auto-entrepreneur
in January 2017 and held our first
open day on April 1 that year, inviting
our community, friends and local
businesses.
Beer Bière, as the business is called,
started small and local. I began by
supplying bottles to bars and restaur-
auto-entrepreneur, and have since upgraded to entreprise
individuelle in order to attract larger customers.”
4. Prioritise face-to-face contact. “Whenever you need to
get something done, I would always advise making a
visit in person, or at the very least picking up the phone.
Emails just seem to fall into a black hole!”

‘man cannot live by gîte alone’, so on
moving to France from the UK, we
immediately looked for additional
income streams.
I already understood costing, pricing
and logistics, thanks to 25 years in
SMEs [small and medium-sized enter-
prises] and wholesale. I simply need-
ed to choose the right product.
To narrow it down, I asked myself
“
ants, opening a shop, and then taking the variety of products on offer, which
a stall at the local market. sit nicely between the euro-fizz and
The first evolution came when Belgian rocket fuel.
an English pub opened nearby and We were welcomed first by our
I started bringing in 30-litre kegs. immediate neighbours, who are
Then came Covid, which closed almost all French.
down my hospitality customers, so Bringing British beer to Gradually, we met some fellow Brits
I offered local home deliveries with whose homes are scattered around the
contactless payment and parcel wine country has mostly commune. Often, this was quite by
deliveries throughout France. chance – while queuing in a shop

Photo: Matthew and Pauline Erlanger

what I would miss most when I moved
to France that others might be missing
too. For me, the answer was beer – it
was one of the first things I looked
forward to on returning from holiday.
This dictated the type of property
we wanted to buy. Having initially
house-hunted in Cognac and
Dordogne, our third search brought
us to Lot-et-Garonne, where we took
a liking to the countryside and
happened upon a property in Caubon-
St-Sauveur that ticked all our boxes.
It offered a place to live, a separate
gîte with a pool, and a space to run a
Finally, I started to sell in super-
markets, became TVA-registered,
and I now have a weekly stall at
three markets: Duras, Monségur
and Sainte-Foy-la-Grande.
The notorious French bureaucracy
has not been as bad as people led me
to expect. I have found everyone I
contacted to be most helpful, from
the tax office to customs, the chambre
de commerce and the mairie.
Brexit presented a huge challenge, of
course, mostly incurring a lot of extra
costs at every stage. Thankfully, we
were settled and trading before the
been regarded with
bemusement and
good humour
Matt and Pauline Erlanger
transition period ended. It would
be more complicated now, but France
is still open. You just have to knock
harder – and longer – on more doors.
People sometimes ask if we have had
negative responses from the French
or having a coffee at the market.
It has certainly helped that I speak
very good French.
Pauline is trying hard to learn the
language and finds that wishing to
communicate is sometimes all it takes
to make friends.
People who initially apologised for
not having any English are now trying
about moving here or choosing to in return and sharing the joy of our
run this business. In fact, the reverse mutual improvement.
is usually true. Bringing British beer These days, I am known locally as
to wine country has mostly been ‘Beer Matt’ while Pauline is ‘Madame
regarded with bemusement and good de la Bière’. This makes us chuckle
humour. My French customers love and feel totally at home.

Career change: Pastime picked up from a friend inspired local workshops

In our series featuring Jen Ainsworth home in Bridgnorth. It was a running classes for English- on others I will go for a stroll
people who have at work New directions: tiny area so, as I progressed, I speakers. While I had ‘school on the beach – I have flexibility

changed career after Nursing to moved into the greenhouse.

By the time we moved to
French’, I was not confident
enough to give effective lessons
that was never available to me
in the UK, where I would often
moving to France, glass fusing France, I was ready not only to in French. However, I did not work 12-hour shifts.
create my own art but to share want to limit my classes to I loved my time as a nurse –
Jen Ainsworth, 61, as we were able to buy a prop- my passion for fused glass with English-speakers forever, and knowing you are making a
explains how a move to erty outright, the financial others. It is a wonderful pas- this was a great incentive to difference to others makes it
Photo: Jen Ainsworth

Vendée let her indulge
her creative side
MY HUSBAND Neil, 68, and
I bought a holiday home in
Vendée in 2016, thinking we
might retire to it one day.
Brexit brought that decision
forward and we ended up
moving in November 2020. It
was a now or never moment.
At the time, I was working as
a nurse and in some ways I can
credit that with giving me the
confidence to make a move.
Nursing changed my outlook
on so many things – caring for
people gave me a lot of respect
for life and the importance
of seizing the day. When we
freedom to try something new.
However, while I was ready
for a change, I was not ready
for retirement. I knew I wanted
decided to move, I was still to do something to earn a little
employed as a nurse in a money and to keep myself
private home. I had also been occupied when I came over. As
running activities through a we planned our move, I started
pilot scheme with Dudley to look around for ideas.
Council. This involved visiting A friend was into fused glass
various homes to run work- at the time, and I thought the
shops: glass painting, silk art she made was amazing. I
painting and sewing. asked if she would teach me.
I found I really enjoyed Together we spent many hours
engaging my creative side. in her workshop as I learned
I was in my late 50s at the the process.
time, but was able to claim While my husband and I were
a pension from time I spent still in the UK, I bought materi-
working in the fire service. als, a kiln and got to work
Moving to France gave me developing my craft, working
the opportunity to retire and, from the back porch at our
time and really rewarding.
Rather than simply sell my
creations, I decided to run
workshops to teach others how
to create fused glass pieces.
Once we moved, I registered
as an auto-entrepreneur and
started to advertise locally.
Our new home came with a
summer kitchen, which we have
developed into a large studio.
I keep my classes to four
participants to ensure we have
enough space and that each
person gets the individual
attention they need.
To my delight, the courses
have proved popular and are
typically fully booked within a
couple of days of advertising.
At first, I had to focus on
work hard. I used Duolingo a fulfilling profession – but it
and found a wonderful was also exhausting and left
Facebook group, with a teacher little time or energy for me.
who gives lessons online. Living in such a beautiful
It took a few years, but this place also makes it easy to find
May, I finally felt ready to run inspiration for different art-
my first workshop completely works every day. I teach my
in French. It was a jump into pupils to see the colour and
the deep end, but I did it and beauty of their surroundings –
I am so proud of myself. the greens of the garden, the
My life changed completely blue of the sea.
when I moved to rural France. Despite now working on my
One thing I notice is how glass for three years, I am still
much more time I have. I thrilled to create new pieces.
currently run a couple of Each day, the first thing I do
workshops a month, and is run to the kiln, desperate to
work on my glass most days. see how my latest work has
While I sometimes work from turned out. How wonderful
08:00 to 17:00, I am master of to be 61 and still excited by
my own time. what you do every day. I have
Some days I work for hours, definitely made the right move.
 The Connexion September 2023 connexionfrance.com French Life 13

Hornet invasion ‘needs action to save our bees’

Autumn, when nests
are revealed as a result Telescopic ‘insect Hoover’ wins top invention award
of leaf fall, is typically A HOME vacuum cleaner has become an Manuel Augusto
unlikely weapon in the fight against Asian
the last chance to hornets after a French inventor adapted one to
demonstrates his
BeeZen
prevent the emergence contain a nest growing in the space between
of new Asian hornet his house wall and the roof.
Now his invention, called BeeZen, is about to
queens. Brian McCulloch be marketed after it was awarded a gold medal
looks at ways France at the 2023 Lépine inventor’s contest.

Photo: Manuel Augusto

Normal heavy-duty vacuum cleaners have
can stay on top of the been used by pest controllers for years, but for
invasive species Asian hornets they are usually only used to
vacuum up entire nests in the spring, when

Photo: Denis Jaffre

COLLECTIVE action to tackle
the growing numbers of Asian
hornets in France should be
taken by the government, a
beekeeper says.
Denis Jaffré, who keeps bees
in Finistère and is the inventor
they are the size of a small mandarin.
Pest controllers must be careful to ensure
the hornets are safely contained in the bag
before placing it in a freezer to kill the insects.
Denis Jaffré’s trap works by luring Asian hornets in with sugary The prize-winning invention of Manuel
bait, while letting smaller insects escape through tiny holes Augusto, however, is a light telescopic tube
made out of composite plastic, which fits on
assured The Connexion. “You just have to
operate in a cool and methodical way.
“Nearly every other method of destroying
nests when hornets are near homes involves
using powerful poisons.”
Mr Augusto works in a sheet metal business

of one of the most effective
hornet traps to date, claims
it is the only way to contain
the problem.
ITSAP, the government
research agency for bees and
beekeeping, is studying the
use of traps to control Asian
hornets, but 5,000 of Mr Jaffré’s
contraptions have already been
bought by Haute-Savoie this
year, while the town of Auch
in Gers has invested in 50.
“I hope the government puts
its money where its mouth is
and launches programmes
across the country when the
results are finalised,” said
Mr Jaffré.
He has pioneered the use of a
number of non-chemical meth-
ods for removing Asian hornet
nests, including special shot-
guns and even sucking them
up with a vacuum cleaner.
However, he insists his plastic
traps, which let smaller insects
escape through tiny holes in
the walls, are the most effective
way of stopping their spread.
The invasive species is
“
I hope the government puts
its money where its mouth
is and launches programmes
across the country
Denis Jaffré
thought to have arrived in
France in 2004 in a pottery
shipment from China. Since
then, they have decimated bee
colonies across Europe.
The hornets can be distin-
guished from their European
counterparts by their smaller
size. They are mostly black
with a single yellow/orange
band towards the top of their
abdomen, yellow ‘socks’ and an
orange face. Their venomous
sting can cause severe reactions
and, in some cases, death.
Some scientists believe that
Asian hornets are now so well
pull-along vacuum cleaners as well as larger as an administrator, and said that although he
outdoor models. When turned on, the flow enjoys fixing things, it is the first time he has
of air spins turbines that act as mincers as come up with an invention.
the insects are sucked in. “I was worried about the hornet nest for a
“You can only suck in the hornets one at a week and could not find a pest controller to
time, but if you spot the nests early enough, come out and deal with it, especially as it was
when they are the size of your fist, you can in a difficult-to-reach position,” he said.
Photo: Denis Jaffre / Facebook
remove all the worker hornets in it, and the “Then, literally in the middle of the night, the
nest is abandoned,” said Mr Augusto. BeeZen solution came to me. I started working
“Even with larger nests, by using the BeeZen on it straight away, but it was really only
regularly, you reduce numbers to the point
where the nest is abandoned.”
during Covid lockdown that I advanced the
project to the stage where I thought it was
When fully extended, the tube measures worth entering the Lépine contest.
3.5 metres – long enough for the hornets not “Now I have backers and it is almost certain
established in France that they to associate the person using it as a threat. that people will be able to buy a BeeZen by the
should be left alone, arguing “I have never been stung,” Mr Augusto end of the year.”
that populations have stabilised
in recent years and wildlife has of the environment have not increased its budget for tackling Dordogne launched the initia-
adapted to them. been studied in much detail,” them from €1.4million to tive as part of a three-month
Magpies and other members he said. €20million, giving each region trial in July – just before new
of the crow family, for example, “It takes repeated trapping in responsibility for introducing figures from the national health
now feast on larvae in Asian spring of queens building nests their own programmes. authority Santé publique France
hornet nests after the queens to decrease numbers.” Auch hopes to publish the showed an “exceptional” rise in
leave in the autumn, giving Asian hornets were included results of its trapping experi- diseases linked to the insect in
them a boost for winter. in an eradication of invasive ment in the autumn. mainland France last year.
However, Mr Jaffré insists species strategy drawn up by The traps – black plastic boxes
that efforts to at least contain the government in 2017, but a n A town in south west France containing insecticide and with
their numbers are important. report last year found that all has distributed tiger mosquito two openings at the top – are
“For commercial beekeepers, the species on that list had traps to all residents in an hung in the garden. Mosquitoes
they can be a disaster but their grown in the last four years. attempt to stop their spread. are attracted by hormones that
knock-on effects on other parts As a result, the government Boulazac town council in resemble those of humans.

Get a grip on imposter syndrome: take the direction that suits you
It is normal to feel
anxious about
switching jobs,
and doing it when
living abroad can
increase anxiety, says Cynthia
Spillman, but a fresh start
can also be very good for us
CHANGING direction can be scary
at the best of times. Add maturity in
years and living abroad, and you reach
a whole new level of fear.
However, there are ways of managing
it that should allow you to go ahead
and take the plunge.
1. Beware imposter syndrome
The year after my son was killed in a
horrific car accident and my daughter
was severely injured, I won a place at
Cambridge University to read law.
I was a single parent with no support,
but I was determined to create a new
life for myself. It was arduous, as my
daughter underwent major surgery for
10 years, but it was ultimately worth
the blood, sweat and tears. Never-
theless, I spent the entire three years
worrying I was going to be ‘found out’
and that the university had only let
me in because they felt sorry for my
tragic circumstances.
I was 30 years old when I went to
Cambridge and I left three years later
with a good honours degree.
2. Don’t worry what other people think
Just because you feel the odd one out
does not mean that you are.
People are too busy thinking about
themselves to bother about what you
are up to.
And if people do judge, what they
think is really none of your business!
When people are negative, it says
everything about them and absolutely
nothing about you. Focus on the
similarities you have with other
people, rather than the differences.
3. Consider going back to school
As somebody who was wrongly
labelled as not being academic, I
have gone on to pass multiple exams
even after successfully completing my
law degree.
It is self-care and not selfish to use
your brain. Indeed, we are told that
keeping mentally active can stave off science, economics and management, employment agency Pôle Emploi
dementia. You owe it to yourself to history, French language and civilis- (recently rebranded as France Travail)
feel happy and fulfilled at any age. ation, and law. To find out more, con- lists a variety of jobs too.
France is home to more than 3,500 tact the international department at For professional and managerial
public and private higher education your French university, or the French vacancies, Apec (apec.fr) is the nation-
institutions, so there are plenty of embassy in your home country. al employment agency. There are also
options to choose from. These include You can also use Campus France’s a range of job websites including
universities, specialist institutions and scholarship directory to search for Monster, Indeed France, Cadremploi,
grandes écoles. other funding at all levels of study. Optioncarriere, Trovit, LesJeudis,
Although there is no upper age limit Alternatively, many French univers- Recrut and Jobted.
for studying in France, non-EU ities offer their own scholarships and Recruitment agencies are another
students above 28 might face restrict- grants, so approach your institution source of jobs, but many roles are
ions on part-time employment during directly to discover what you are filled through personal contacts and
their studies. entitled to. networking.
There are also registration fees to
factor in for non-EU students, includ- 4. Find help with job-hunting Top tips for embracing change
ing those from the UK. Finding a new job in France involves • Seek out a role model who has
The Ministry for Europe and Foreign many of the same challenges as any- achieved your desired ambitions and
Affairs offers grants to international where else. The roles available will set mini-goals to build up confidence;
students through its embassies, while depend on your qualifications, skills • Keep family and friends up to
the Ministry of Higher Education, and experience. speed with plans so they do not feel
Research and Innovation provides The ability to speak, read and write excluded;
needs-based finance to those who will French will be essential for most. If • Do not compare yourself to others –
have lived in France for at least five you are a non-EU citizen, you will we are all on different life journeys;
years by the end of their course. also need to obtain a work visa. • Look after your physical and
The Eiffel Excellence scholarship EU/EFTA citizens can use the Eures mental health;
programme is designed to encourage website to look for a job. Find it at: • Write down a statement, for your
students from foreign countries to ec.europa.eu/eures/portal/jv-se/home. eyes only, to remind yourself daily
study at Masters and PhD level in The site also has advice on the legal why you are changing direction;
priority areas such as biology and and administrative issues involved in • Remember we all suffer from
health, engineering, science, political working in Europe. France’s national imposter syndrome.
 14 Comment
Nabila Ramdani is a French-Algerian
journalist, broadcaster, and author of Fixing
France: How to Repair a Broken Republic,
published in Autumn 2023.
connexionfrance.com The Connexion September 2023
Simon Heffer, the renowned political commentator
and historian, turns his gaze to French politics
Simon Heffer is also a columnist for the Daily and Sunday Telegraphs

I ‘President of
She is a regular columnist in The Connexion. n the 1960s, when Britain had a
high-taxing Socialist government

France remains loyal

(paradoxically, a government not
nearly so high-taxing as the
Conservative one currently in office),

the rich’ is
British politician Enoch Powell said

to a globally pilloried
that whenever he came across a rich
man he felt like falling to his knees
and thanking God.
His reasoning was straightforward:

British Royal Family right – money

as well as paying taxes, rich people
consume goods and services whose
provision keeps others in work.
Powell was practical about the
effect of rich people paying taxes.

makes the
DESPITE its ability to put on a brave face behind He also observed that “you don’t tax
immense wealth and privilege, the British Royal a loss: you only tax a profit. We’re all
Family appears to be in permanent crisis at the in it together.”
moment. In other words, if you want the sort
Photo: lev radin _ Shutterstock
Errant members, including an actual son of the of welfare provision that advanced
King, have heaped ignominy on the Windsors, and European countries had even then

world go round
there are regular sleaze and diplomatic scandals. become used to, revenues from taxa-
Prince Andrew, who was born second in line to tion must pay for it.
the throne (he is now eighth), has become a And there is no point society devel-
pariah figure, with military titles and patronages oping a culture of despising the rich,
stripped because of past shady links with an The French press often because without them, or Soviet-style
international sex ring. carries Royal news stories expropriation from everyone, there
Even Charles III, who has been King for less is no money to give the have-nots the
than a year, has been implicated in a cash-for-honours charity case which support they expect.
– lucky for him – the Metropolitan Police has stopped investigating. I doubt French President being taxed. What they refused to favour of redistributing wealth, but
Prince Harry, currently fifth in line, has infamously put his name to a Emmanuel Macron has ever read see – but Mr Macron saw very clearly that it had to be created before it
ghostwritten book and documentary TV series dragging pretty much Powell’s economic thought, but his – was that France was at a serious could be redistributed.
everyone and everything through the mud. As well as betraying his own, own views on taxation bear a strong competitive disadvantage. It was by He argued that for society to
he has deserted England and moved to the United States, where he is resemblance. 2017 one of only two members of improve people had to succeed, and
continually pilloried for his hypocritical media antics. In his first presidential campaign in the EU that levied a wealth tax made a comparison with a line of
Constitutional monarchies welcome dissent – it is all part of the demo- 2017, he recognised what a drag on (Spain being the other). people going up a mountain linked
cratic process – but when they are being ruthlessly mocked, they are in France was the wealth tax introduced The reform earned Mr Macron the to each other by a rope.
serious trouble. by President Mitterrand in the 1980s. label ‘President of the rich’. He argued that if you were to throw
Nobody would argue that satirical US TV show South Park’s portrayal of Mr Macron promised to abolish In early August a survey showed rocks at the people at the top of the
Harry and Meghan Markle as ‘The Dumb Prince and his Stupid Wife’ has that tax, levied at 0.5% on assets of that France has the third highest line, the whole line, and not just the
bolstered the Royal brand. more than €1.3million and up to number of dollar millionaires in the rich ones at the top, would fall.
In spite of all this, there is at least one country that always seems to stay 1.5% on assets of over €10million. world - 2,821,000 of them, or 4.8% of This policy represented a signifi-
loyal, and that is France. The tax cheered up the vast majority the world’s total, or around 4% of the cant shift from the previous adminis-
Incredible as it sounds, a once ferociously anti-Royal A once who did not pay it, but raised a pit- population of the country. tration, in which Mr Macron served.
republic, which literally chopped the heads off its tance: in 2015, it took €5.2billion a Only America and China had a François Hollande, playing to the
King and Queen in 1793, sometimes feels like a vast ferociously year from just 343,000 households, bigger share of the world’s rich, and gallery of the hard Left after his elec-
Windsor fanzone. anti-Royal accounting for less than 2% of France was ahead of Japan, Germany tion in 2012, threatened to tax any
Hence so much time and energy being put into King France’s tax receipts. and the United Kingdom. income over €1million a year at 75%.
Charles’ rearranged state visit to France, which will republic,
Not only was it not worth the grief He said he did not like rich people;
take place in September. It comes as Le Touquet, the which literally of raising it, but there was no telling the feeling rapidly became mutual.

“
seaside resort where President Emmanuel Macron how many more people would be liv- The policy was soon declared
has a holiday home, renames its airport Elizabeth II, chopped the
ing in the country if they knew they unconstitutional and was abandoned
in honour of Charles’ mother. heads off its would not have to pay it. after two years, but not before
Le Monde has just published a new ‘Great History of At the time of abolition it was esti- France’s richest man, Bernard
the Kings of France’ series highlighting the enormous King and mated that 10,000 people with a net Arnault (currently worth about
contribution they made to the creation of Gallic insti- Queen in worth of €35billion had been forced $209billion) applied for Belgian
tutions. France by no means started with the publica- out of France by the tax. nationality (which he subsequently
tion of the Rights of Man, the 1789 document that 1793,
The most notable refugee was withdrew).
underpinned the Revolution and the start of republi-
canism. Fascination in the hereditary Crown contin-
sometimes Gérard Depardieu, who fled to Wealth trickles down; The rich French find talking about
Belgium but ended up (with poor or displaying money vulgar.
ues, along with great affection for the British version. feels like a taste and judgment) taking Russian all of France is better Such display did huge damage to
When Queen Elizabeth II died, Tricolours were flown vast Windsor
at half mast, and the lights of the Eiffel Tower were
citizenship, not least at the behest of off because of its former president Nicolas Sarkozy
fanzone his admirer Vladimir Putin. when he started to live with Carla
extinguished. “To you, she was your Queen,” Mr Many other even richer people with growing number Bruni in the style to which she was
Macron told British subjects, adding: “To us, she was
the Queen. She will be with us forever.”
little or no public profile left too, tak-
ing their millions with them.
of millionaires accustomed.
However, other European cities,
Royal news fills French newspapers and magazines, along with primetime Mr Macron quickly kept his cam- notably London, are full of rich
documentaries, and they are by no means all based on tittle-tattle paign pledge, replacing it instead French people who feel better off
about ‘Hazbeen ‘n’ Megain’. with a tax on property. where they are than they would be
It may be guilt at the horrible deaths of Louis XVI and Queen Marie When the tax stopped in 2017 it back home.
Antoinette, or some deep feeling that life was simpler with a single family was estimated that the annual loss to Apparent jealously of the rich seeps
as the head of state, but the French are enormously respectful. the French treasury had dropped to It should be something of which through the novels of Flaubert and
We live in an increasingly complex world, and nostalgia for an easier, just €3.2billion: however, it was not the French are very proud: a signal Balzac, so it is nothing new.
pre-Enlightenment age can feel both comforting and unifying. the best political context that the of the country’s enormous prosperity Wealth trickles down; all of France
The role that replaced the Monarchy, the President, is often likened to a abolition came at the same time as a and success. Instead, it provoked is better off because of its growing
tinpot king – a figure who lives in a palace and who commands all military cut in housing allowances for people howls of outrage from the Left. number of millionaires.
forces, yet who faces compulsory ejection from the job after a maximum of who will never pay a wealth tax. The howls will get louder, as the Its friends should wish it to have
10 years. The Left complained that luxury number of millionaires is forecast to more, and wealth’s ideological ene-
Despite his democratic mandate, the President is widely hated by huge yachts, wine cellars, art collections rise by 43% over the next five years. mies within the country should ask
swathes of the population too. Under such circumstances, dreams of how it and other goods whose value count- President Macron, quite rightly, is themselves, again, what will be redis-
might have been are entirely understandable, and all the better if the ed towards the asset base on which proud of his policy. Immediately tributed to them and their followers
United Kingdom inspires them. the tax was levied were no longer after the reform he said he was all in if there is no affluence.

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 The Connexion September 2023 connexionfrance.com Comment 15

Why French peanuts are the future Vive La Différence

Farmers will soon have to Small things we notice about
grow different crops, better
adapted to extreme weather, life in France By Peter Wyeth
researcher Serge Zaka tells
Martin Greenacre You’ll never walk alone
FRENCH farmers must change the types ON THE first day of summer (as
of crops they produce if the country is to defined by the wearing of shorts)

Photo: Serge Zaka

successfully adapt to climate change, warns we motored down from Paris to
an environmental researcher. our holiday home in Indre and
Serge Zaka has a PhD in agroclimatology, set out on a favourite walk.
Photo: olrat _ Shutterstock

Photo: gdela _ Shutterstock

and is dedicated to popularising scientific Almost as soon as we had left,
concepts, on social media and through Left: Recent droughts however, our poor terrier had to
public speaking engagements. He believes have caused major go back on the lead. Behind us,
France is “20 years behind” in terms of losses in crop yields a white van had appeared – the
adapting to climate change after decades Above: Serge Zaka compact version that every farm-
of inaction. and consumption habits. Farmers are an effect within five years, but in dozens of er appears to have these days.
A walking group in Brittany
Farmers regularly adopt different, more already working together with the aim of years to come, so they’re not necessarily As we stood aside to let the
resistant varieties of the same crop, but creating a quality label for French pistach- appealing to presidents.” vehicle pass, the two men inside smiled surprisingly heartily,
Dr Zaka argues this is no longer enough. ios in the coming years, Dr Zaka said. Last It is not just the quantities produced and I suddenly realised they were not quite strangers.
“Either we do nothing, and yields pro- year was France’s hottest since records that will change with the climate, either – We first met their white van last year on another walk. We
gressively diminish as we’ve seen for wheat, began in 1900, and the second driest since the quality will also be affected. That is had been quite alone until they trundled by and stopped a
corn and peas in the last 10 years, or we 1959, with Météo France warning that particularly the case for wine, with the taste little further on. The man in the passenger seat got out and
start to prioritise the crops of the future. 2022’s temperatures could become the intrinsically linked to the local climate. carefully painted a horizontal blue stripe on a tree trunk.
“Climates move up from the south. By norm by 2050. Producers saw major Winemakers in areas such as Languedoc They were from the mairie, and their job was to renew the
2070, the Mediterranean climate should losses in everything from olives to honey. have already seen the alcohol content in directional signs for the four ‘official’ walks of various lengths
reach Lyon and Bordeaux, and the crops In April 2021, losses due to a late cold their wines rise by one or two percentage that are detailed on a large panel outside the town hall.
must come with it. In the Rhône and snap were estimated at €4billion in the tree points over the past 30 years. My wife expressed surprise at meeting anyone, as on our
Garonne valleys, we’ll see an evolution and wine-growing industries, triggering a “When there are heatwaves and a lack of usual walks we rarely come across a single person. She
towards more olives, for example,” he said. law change that took effect in January water, the grape berries will not be full of wondered if perhaps they were working for our benefit alone?
We could even see a growing number 2023. Previously, losses due to extreme water, meaning the sugar inside will be The very next day, a good 20km away, there they were
of apricot and peach trees in Normandy, weather were compensated by a national more concentrated, and the sugar is what again. My wife shared her theory with them and they cheer-
while pine trees and vineyards could also fund, financed by farmers and the state. creates alcohol.” fully agreed.
move further north, with the climate of Farmers must now absorb the cost of Geographical indications such as AOP Is our neck of the woods, bang in the centre of France,
south west France expected to climb losses to up to 20% of crops, at which point wines will have to adapt their quality alone in providing well signposted but woefully underused
“almost up to Belgium”. their insurance will take over. The state will specifications accordingly, Dr Zaka argues. randonnées?
While northern France will adopt crops pay for compensation above a threshold of The same applies to cheese. “The specific- Our only experience of anything approaching a bustling
already grown in the south, southern 30% or 50%, depending on the crop. ations for salers from the Massif Central footpath was on another favourite walk, this time along the
regions will have to look overseas, a The aim of the reform is to encourage state that the cows must live outside and banks of the Creuse.
process that has already begun, he says. more farmers to insure their land – in feed on fresh grass. The 2022 droughts Here we met an entire troop of walkers – whole lines of
“Pistachios were not present at all, but 2022, just 17% of agricultural land was were so severe that there wasn’t any grass, chattering strollers – who insisted, as we turned off the
they have been in the last few years. Why insured. Farmers who are insured will and they had to come inside and be given main path, that we were “going the wrong way.” They were
pistachios? Because they flower two weeks receive more generous state compensation. other food. The producers couldn’t sell convinced we must be lost.
later than apricot trees, so in the case of One potential issue is that losses are their milk to be used for AOC salers.” We concluded that in France walking is almost exclusively
April frost, you avoid losses. They are also calculated in relation to the average Researchers, meanwhile, are working on a social occasion and group activity.
more resistant to drought. harvest from the last three to five years, technological solutions to the challenges One local walking association takes it all quite seriously,
“There are also medlar trees, which are themselves defined by extreme weather. posed by climate change. Precision agricul- organising 12-24km routes for its mainly retired membership.
ornamental in the south of France, but in Dr Zaka believes a more profound ture, for example, uses data-driven technol- More relaxed groups max out at 8km over the course of a
Lebanon, Syria or Israel, it’s a dessert fruit. change is needed. “If you add up all the ogy to prevent waste, including using only day, breaking it up with a two-and-a-half-hour lunch. This
The peanut, which is more of an African compensation paid out over the last 30 as much water as is necessary for the crops. usually takes the form of a shared picnic, with everyone
crop, and the cashew nut, which is more years, there could have been new, better- Agrivoltaics is also a growing practice in contributing something to eat.
southern European, could also appear.” adapted industries 20 years ago.” France. It involves installing solar panels Along the way, the discovery of a mushroom can bring the
Peanuts are already grown on one farm He is calling on the state to set long-term on farmland in service of food production. group to a dead halt while members debate at length exactly
in Soustons (Landes), which is made pos- goals for switching to new crops, with The panels can provide shade, before tilt- what the specimen is and share recipes for eating it, when
sible by the area’s sandy soil. several billion euros of investment. ing when the crops are in need of sunlight. the example is not poisonous.
Producers are not the only ones who will “An association of farmers cannot create a Lots of small improvements will be need- This is a distinction we have not yet managed to master.
have to adapt to the new crops – it means sector at a national level. Only the state can. ed in the years ahead, Dr Zaka said. An app to help us identify them almost killed off my dear
transforming processing industries, storage, “The actions that can be taken won’t have “There is no miracle solution.” wife, suggesting that walking in a group can be much safer,
even if it is noisier.

Join the club to shore up your social life

 
 
 
 


Needless to say, it sounds good on paper centres and late night cafes, they are also a
 

by Samantha David



but who has the time to commit to doing way for people in rural areas, like me, to
NOW WE are all back from holidays and something every week? meet and make new friends, a thing that
the kids are safely confined in their class- Anyway, undaunted, I also enjoy going to does not really happen in French bars.   
rooms again, I am looking forward to a open days and trying classes out. I went to In bars, people tend to sit at a table,    
whole series of open days organised by local a golf course and attempted to hit a teeny- either on their own or with the people who
associations in the surrounding villages. weeny white ball with a long thin stick came with them. They do not generally   
They usually happen a few weeks after (impossible), to a tango class (where you mill around talking to strangers or 

the foires aux associations, when in each needed a very bendy back), a sign language challenging randoms to a game of pool.
commune all the dance classes, sports class (I still do not know what I said but Anyone can start an association. You just        
teams and cultural clubs set up stalls in everyone collapsed in hysterics) and even need to appoint yourself as president and 
     
the village hall to recruit new members. a philosophy cafe (where I did not under- someone else as treasurer, and a small 
Joining a local association has to be, hands stand a word). amount of paperwork later, away you go,   
SIRET 48003796900015

down, the best way to integrate into French I did not sign up for any of them this which is another great thing about France.
life, meet people and make new friends. year, but isn’t the selection incredible? If you spot a gap – no one is playing
I love looking at all the stands, wonder- For around €200 a year, and sometimes chess or learning Mandarin – you can set
ing if I am perhaps the type of person who absolutely free, you can learn almost any- up your own club and, if the maire thinks
would enjoy fencing, keeping pigeons, thing at a local association in France. it is worthwhile, you might even get a
icing cakes, learning to code or performing In the past, I have done tap dancing, life grant to buy the necessary equipment.
in a local play. drawing, poetry, photography, Spanish, Come to think of it, having your own
I pick up all the leaflets, just in case, and a course in religious debate. association would mean attending events
and then spend time distributing them Associations offer much more than an where you would be called Madame la
to friends. “Oh, this would be great for
you – you love line dancing, don’t you?”
opportunity to try new hobbies. In the
absence of youth clubs, sports centres, arts
présidente! – or even Madame le président if
they are old-fashioned. How French is that?
www.skyinfrance.co.uk
 16 Letters connexionfrance.com The Connexion September 2023

Do you agree? Protest is democracy working

by Nick Inman changes radically without conflict to
On the fence
THE ARTICLE by Peter Wyeth
in the August issue about the
French police have been
accused of overstepping some degree. Slavery would never have French propensity to fence their
WHILE the British watched the French their remit by curbing been abolished, nor women given the properties struck a chord.
protest en masse against pension political demonstrations right to vote, if campaigners had not The practice here is to put
reforms this summer, the French have first provoked the authorities to act. up large breeze-block walls,
been watching the British have their There are always going to be people reminding me of the Berlin

Photo: Jacob Lund_shutterstock

own protesting rights curtailed under
the new Public Order Act.
This legislation aims to prevent ‘mob
rule’ disrupting the lives of ‘ordinary
people’. It was controversially deployed
for the first time in May during the
Coronation celebrations to detain repub-
licans and climate change demonstrators
suspected of planning disruption.
As the world tuned in for the royal
procession in London, Emmanuel
Macron must have cast his mind back
to March, when King Charles III’s
official visit to Paris had to be cancelled
because of the pension reform disturb-
ances [the visit is now planned for
September]. No doubt, the French pres-
ident wished he had had his own public
order act to save his humiliation and
embarrassment at the time.
On both sides of the Channel, the same
debate is being conducted in different
ways: How is democracy to be policed?
Has France or the United Kingdom got it
right? How far should governments be
marching with banners, and that is how Wall. No graffiti, though, as yet.
it should be. I am not sure what the object
However, this often places the police is, as the new-build houses
in a difficult position and they are behind are more than visible.
sometimes going to make the wrong The walls are ugly. I have
call. It is up to politicians to ensure that christened five properties
democracy is allowed to work by medi- ‘Breeze-Block City’. None of
allowed to be authoritarian and how far strations. It would be wrong to say that ating between protesters and police. the fences has been rendered
should citizens with grievances be per- demonstrators set out to confront the Protest is a sign of democracy to match the houses, and I
mitted to draw attention to their causes police. The majority of them are peace- working. Violence is the opposite. suspect they never will be.
in any way they see fit? ful and law-abiding. Disruption of ordinary life falls One property does not even
Both countries are signatories of the However, the events they organise can somewhere between the two. have a garden the owners
1966 International Covenant on Civil provide an opportunity for the ‘black Politicians need to ensure that the might wish to protect.
and Political Rights (ICCPR), which bloc’ militants and casseurs (delinquents) power of deciding what is to be There are also two lotisse-
guarantees the right of free assembly, who see the police as an enemy to be permitted is not delegated to police ments (housing estates) nearby,
and both countries consider free speech fought. chiefs. It is the police’s job to prevent but at least the developers had
to be a given. Every democracy has to perform violence when it occurs, not to make the garden walls rendered.
However, any right is only worth any- a delicate balancing act to enable pre-emptive arrests of potential The effect of these hideous
thing if it is enforced by law, and so the peaceful protests while preventing troublemakers in case they are up to walls is to seriously devalue our
police are asked to intervene to ensure their degeneration into riots. no good. That’s straight out of Philip house. They also cause mal aux
that ‘debate’ does not get out of hand. Full-scale repression maintains public K Dick’s The Minority Report. yeux. Mrs Wyeth has done well
In France, as in Britain, the police order but it also squashes democracy. to beautify the author’s front
have been accused of overstepping their Whatever you think about the issues
Do you agree or disagree with courtyard. I wish them both
remit by curbing free speech when it being argued over in Britain and in Nick Inman? Tell us why at continued pleasure from that.
comes in the form of political demon- France, democracy is dissent. Nothing news@connexionfrance.com Janet FORSTER, by email

They said it … Life certificate

THERE has been mention of
the UK pension life certificate
going online (August edition).
It’s an Élysée-on-the-Med
Christophe Licoppe _ Shutterstock
Spanish speeding scam HIDING gardens as Peter
Wyeth describes must be a
Parisian thing. While walking
I HAVE spent the morning at the gendarmerie after receiving a in Brittany, I have admired
traffic penalty for speeding on the A15 in Spain on July 10. many gardens quite open to

I have just received my paper
that allows me to work life certificate request. It must
be sent back within 16 weeks.
Emmanuel Macron This is not particularly a prob-
French President on Fort de Brégançon, the medieval lem as my local mairie always
fortress on an islet off the French Riviera that has been
the official presidential retreat since 1968, in Le Figaro
gives necessary confirmation.
However, the letter from the
Pension Service was dated July
They have destabilised the system 2 and I only received it on
and everything is falling apart August 1– four weeks of the
16 have already elapsed.
Patrick Pelloux The letter appears to have
President of France’s emergency doctors association accuses the come via the Netherlands –
government of causing a crisis by closing some A&E departments and no doubt a money-saving/
regulating everything through the 15 emergency number, in La Dépêche efficiency initiative.
If a timescale is imposed on
Our country is moving forward the reply, then it is only fair that
propelled by its universalism, the Pension Service ensures
prompt delivery to France.
without knowing where it is going Also, the reply envelope is not
correctly addressed for posting
Stéphane Rozès from France – no mention of
French political scientist and essayist, in Marianne the UK in the address. It is not
good enough.
Ecologists are imposters Chris WILSDON, by email
Brigitte Bardot
PA Images / Alamy
All details were correct, bar the dashes between the letters and view, including just yesterday at
numbers on the car registration plates.
Fortunately, I have proof that I was here in Brittany that day and
Port-Navalo in Morbihan.
Many are quite spectacular.
that my car, a Peugeot 308, has not even done sufficient kilometres Chris HIBBERT, Ille-et-Vilaine
since the last garage check to have got there and back.
I have no idea how this has happened, but it has caused a lot of Mosquito solution
stress. For the moment, there is only one fine, but I fear this could be
the tip of the iceberg. I have been left out of pocket and the Spanish IN AUGUST, a subscriber
authorities do not give much time to reply. queried online if neighbours
I thought the letter was a hoax and took it to my mairie. The gen-
darmes were helpful, but could not check their database as the sup-
could be forced to drain or
cover a mosquito-infested pond.
posed offence was committed in Spain a fair way from the border. It Squirting washing-up liquid
appears to a retired police officer that my vehicle has been cloned but in it (quantity depending on
who knows what is going on? The gendarmes thought my number the surface area) will not harm
might have been used at random from information online. any plants watered from it.
The police forces do not appear to work together, which would help However, it reduces the sur-
enormously in reducing crime. face tension of the water, caus-
Cheryl BOYCE, by email ing mosquito larvae to drown
by preventing them from
Editor’s note: France has an EU information sharing deal with Spain breathing (which they do by
which would be why you received a fine notice, probably hanging on to the water surface
written in French. Usu­ally these notices include information on how to in a ‘snorkel’ fashion).
contest if you do not accept responsibility. Paying without contesting is Repeat the treatment from
equivalent to accepting the fine, so if it was to happen again we would time to time as water is used.
suggest contesting and providing the kinds of proof you refer to. Susanne WALTERS, by email

Dans le passé – 10, 50 and 100 years ago

Actress/animal rights activist tells Le Point that
today’s environmental groups seem more concerned
with politics and publicity than saving the planet
SEPTEMBER, 2013 SEPTEMBER, 1973 SEPTEMBER, 1923
We tend to forget that the problem
German president in Oradour Master criminal recaptured Quantum theory breakthrough
Photo: Science History Images / Alamy

is not the police, it’s the rioters ON SEPTEMBER 4, Joachim Gauck
Matthieu Valet became the first German president to
Spokesman for the police trade union SICP, in Le Figaro visit Oradour-sur-Glane in Haute-Vienne
– site of one of the biggest World War
Nothing frivolous can be achieved Two massacres on French soil.
Accompanied by French president
without a sense of eternity François Hollande and Robert Hébras,
last survivor of the atrocity, he visited the
Patrick Besson church where, in June 1944, nearly 400
French writer and journalist in Le Point women and children were killed by the SS
as punishment for resistance in the area.
There’s no age limit to Men were herded into barns, shot and
Abaca Press / Alamy
FRENCH fugitive Jacques Mesrine was ON SEPTEMBER 10,
recaptured on September 28, four months French physicist Louis
after taking a judge hostage and escaping de Broglie presented his
from a Paris courtroom. hypothesis on subatomic
He was responsible for murders, robber-
ies and kidnappings in France, the US and
particles as waves before
the Paris Academy of
Canada, and was nicknamed ‘Man of a Sciences in his paper
Thousand Faces’ for his aptitude for dis- Ondes et quanta. He followed this with
guise. His recapture in 1973 was relatively a 1924 PhD thesis suggesting all matter
shortlived. He escaped a maximum has both particle and wave properties –
security prison, where he covertly wrote a concept known as the ‘de Broglie
and smuggled out an autobiography, five hypothesis’ and a central part of the

doused with petrol. A total of 642 people
being an orphan died. In a speech, Gauck said: “We can
today only understand with difficulty how
Frédéric Vitoux ‘totally normal men’ became unscrupulous
Writer, 79, leads tributes to Hélène Carrère d’Encausse who, from murderers.” Hébras, who died earlier this
1999 until her death in August, served as the perpetual secretary of year, said the visit came at the right time:
the Académie française, whose members are known as ‘immortals’ “Any earlier would have been too soon.”
years later and went on to rob a casino theory of quantum mechanics.
and bank, and kidnap a millionaire. De Broglie won the Nobel Prize for
He was eventually tracked down by Physics in 1929, and 20 years later was the
police and shot dead in a gold BMW on first high-level scientist to call for a multi-
the outskirts of Paris in 1979. Mesrine’s national laboratory. This led to the
exploits have inspired various films, most creation of the European Organization
recently starring Vincent Cassel in 2008. for Nuclear Research, known as CERN.
 The Connexion September 2023 connexionfrance.com Letters 17

The Connexion letters pages are With so many options for your UK
sponsored by pension funds, which is best for you? w w w. b l e v i n s f r a n k s . c o m

Expat guilt Letter tracking let-down Agrochemicals have Chilled wine
REGARDING your August
article on expat guilt, I think
that if you have the motivation
to move away from your roots,
you should be able to cope with
the emotional and practical
aspects of doing it.
For those considering a move
to France, a couple of thoughts.
First, remote areas might
seem attractive, but for perma-
nent residents, proximity to a
town or village with a couple
of shops and a decent health
facility is a massive advantage,
especially in later years, even
if property costs a bit more.
Secondly, in France extended
families seem to stick together
and take priority over friends/
neighbours. Nevertheless,
people tend to be friendly and
helpful if you have a problem.
There are many organisations
that can provide help, as well as
social events. However, if your
emotional ties to the UK
exceed your need to remain in
France, return.
Norm PALLIN, Mayenne
Language notes
MOST of your online observ-
ations in July on Provençal
pronunciation hold good for
Languedoc too.
Pézenas, Fontès and Saint-
Pons are unimaginable without
their final ‘s’, and we certainly
hear ‘vang’ and ‘pang’.
But what about the final ‘t’?
We have Canet and Péret,
sometimes with the final ‘t’ but
also without. A retired teacher,
a fluent Occitan speaker, told
me that if the name is Occitan
in origin, as most are, the final
letter should be voiced.
She also said all vowels should
be pronounced, so the town
often called ‘Meyruis’ should be
‘Mey-i-ru-e-is’.
James BUCK, Hérault
NEVER put red wine in the
ON TWO occasions this year, I have sent letters by La Poste using
the lettre suivie system, in one case with avis de réception. On both
occasions, the letters disappeared from the tracking system on
changed countryside fridge, said a Connexion article
in the August issue. It could
not be more wrong.
reaching the UK. In neither case did I get notification of delivery I WOKE up this morning full grown; no more owl poo all At the moment I am drinking
and I had to phone the recipients to ask if the letters had arrived. of gratitude that I live in the over the things in our barns; no a fruity young red with a rec-
I contacted Royal Mail and my first surprise was an admission countryside. It is so quiet and more accident and emergency ommended serving tempera-
that they do not track any movements in the UK for an ordinary peaceful here, but it has not admissions after swallowing a ture of 14C.
lettre suivie, although they are supposed to confirm delivery. They always been like this. bee or wasp in our drink; Since the temperature in the
conceded a tracked and signed letter should have been tracked I remember, only 20 or so peaceful and undisturbed room is in the mid-20s, how
and a delivery signature obtained, but neither happened. They years ago, being often woken summer picnics (you can even am I going to enjoy the wine
also admitted letters sent to large organisations (one of mine was by the loud cheeping and leave the top off the jam!). without chilling it?
to HMRC) may not get a confirmation because they are often chirping of the so-called ‘dawn All in all, there are now at I am glad to notice that more
lumped in with the daily mass of other letters to that recipient. chorus’. least 60% (by mass) fewer nasty and more restaurants are serv-
It seems paying for special delivery does not guarantee anything. This was very annoying but bugs and creepycrawlies than ing red wine at a cool tempera-
Richard JOHNSON, by email now, thanks to those great guys 40 years ago. Well done, guys! ture, thus avoiding wines which
at the agrochemical companies, I thanked my local ‘guardian can become soupy and have
Editor’s note: A Royal Mail (RM) spokesperson told us that registered we can all sleep much more of the countryside’ (Farmer less pleasant characteristics
letters such as a lettre suivie are scanned upon arrival within RM’s soundly in our beds. Geddon) only the other day. emphasised.
international operation to show the sender that their item has arrived This is not all we have to He was so happy! But he knows I would be very cautious of
in the UK. When the item enters RM’s domestic processing and deliv- thank them for. Remember how his work is not yet done (with chilling fine old wines but
ery operation “it should receive a final delivery event, which is visible we used to spend time and 80% of the mass of flying young fruity reds will only be
to the shipper.” Regarding post to large organisations being lumped money cleaning dead bugs from insects gone, we still have 20% improved by being served cool.
together, the spokesperson added: “Special delivery items travel sepa- our car windscreens? Not any to put up with). I would even add an ice cube
rately from standard mail. Items are separated out before delivery.” more – one less chore for us all! The job will be finished quite under certain circumstances.
They did not comment on whether all, though, receive a signature. Other ways these unsung soon, though, and then maybe There, that’s my opinion!
heroes have improved our lives humanity will finally be able to Roger DOIDGE, by email
Share Let off steam or share a point
of view on an aspect of French life
include: no more ugly worms in
the fields where our crops are
rest in peace.
Tony WOODS, Haute-Vienne I WAS surprised to read
letters@connexionfrance.com or write to:
your Email:
The Connexion, Le Grande Bretagne,
Samantha David’s article in
views! 30Please
av. Grande Bretagne, 98000 Monaco
include your name and department of France
Stop using Brexit as scapegoat August’s Connexion advising
not to chill red wine.
or country where you live. Letters used may be edited
for space and sense; the Editor’s decision is final.
I HAVE read some of your recent articles in which expat Brits
blame Brexit for their problems. In many cases, I would suggest
There are many articles
online, including by The Times
Letters received may be used online and/or in print. these problems are self-created. wine correspondent, explaining
Permanent residents could have applied for French citizenship. why some red wines actually
Covid app and boosters Granted, it takes time, but many had been here for decades and
done nothing about it. Even without it, travelling to and from the
benefit from being chilled.
Not long after meeting my
AS A long-term resident of possibly bring Covid with them. UK now is as easy as it ever was. All members of my family have French wife, she gained respect
France, I was disappointed to see As someone in your online arti- dual nationality and we travel to the UK on either our French or from a waiter in a London res-
that updates on the cle in August noted: “Covid is British documentation – it makes no difference. taurant by asking for our bottle
TousAntiCovid app have still around!” It should be restated that many Britons are lazy when it comes of Beaujolais to be put on ice.
stopped, especially having read I am now 75 and was interest- to learning languages. This limits their understanding of how the In the heat of a south of France
recently of yet another Covid ed to read of proposals to give country works, despite the many excellent helpsheets you publish. summer, I recommend a chilled
variant and an apparent increase over-65s another booster injec- Too many Brits just want the UK with cheaper wine and a bit Pinot as an accompaniment to
again in infection numbers. tion ‘in the autumn’ [see more more sun – a disdainful attitude towards this marvellous country many dishes, including cheese.
I used to refer to the app every about this on page 10]. if ever there was one. Instead of blaming Brexit, these people Roddy BARCLAY, Gard
few days and found the data June marked six months since should have got off their backsides and made themselves fully
useful to understand the pro-
gress of the pandemic and the
my last booster and I am disap-
pointed I must probably wait
integrated members of French society. Then they would not have
noticed the so-called negative effects of Brexit at all. Food debate
particular results of infection for nine months to lapse before Those who refuse to accept the result of the 2016 referendum FOR many years, after visiting
(hospital entries, deaths, etc.). the next! Although I suspect I disdain democracy, where you have to take the rough with the France we would call in at an
I hope updates restart from could ask for an ordonnance for smooth. The left-liberal establishment dislikes losing and just resorts Auchan in Calais for salads,
this year’s rentrée, when people a booster from my GP. to throwing its toys out of the pram when it does not get its way. meats and jams, as well as wine.
return to school and work and David YOUNG, by email Miles CLERY-FOX, by email The quality was always good it
was less expensive than the UK.
In 2020 we moved to France

You said it …
Is it really offensive
to say ‘the French’?
“The world has gone
woke crazy” SM
‘Depends on whether it’s followed
by ‘are the world’s greatest lovers’
or ‘are a lazy bunch of...’” CH
“‘Les anglais’ is equally
offensive, sometimes replaced
with the deliberately deroga-
tory ‘les anglosaxons’” AF
“‘Excuse my French,’ which
I heard zillions of times (to
my French face) when I was
living in England is far more
offensive” JF
“We still get called les rosbifs.
It’s meant as a joke and we
take it in good part” MJ
You can debate and comment on articles via our Facebook page: facebook.com/
TheConnexion. Here is a selection of recent popular subjects... You can find the
original articles at connexionfrance.com
French chains refusing to
join repair bonus scheme
“The cost for diagnostic/
repair is often more than the
appliance is worth. It was
certainly a waste of money
repairing our washing
machine, which died a few
months later” PG
“They want to sell you new
goods to keep their shareholders
happy. Mindsets (buyers’ too)
and manufacturing processes
have to change” DM
“Most support items being
repaired. The problem is the
time it takes to get it done, if
you can find someone to do
it. It’s much quicker to replace
and often cheaper” AS
Paper receipts no longer
automatically printed
“If supermarkets want to save
paper, then stop the deluge of
advertising delivered every
week” RS
“Get it by email. I needed to
take something back and the
shop accepted the email with
no problems” CA
French tomatoes
receive top quality label
“Just another con to make us
pay more for food. A tomato
should taste like a tomato.
If it doesn’t, find a different
variety” KJW
“I think French tomatoes are
some of the best already” MW
Tax rise on airline tickets
to fund train investments
“Good in theory but the proof
of the pudding...” SF
“Robs Peter to pay Paul, who
can’t provide the service to equal
the plane. Flawed logic” BW
Britons are no longer
biggest group of foreign
homebuyers in France
“That’s the Brexit Bonus. The
gift that keeps on giving” RP
“How about the fact that
everything in France is becoming
more costly on a daily basis” DH
Will facemasks return to
hospitals amid Covid rise?
“No government is going to
enforce another lockdown. I
hated it, but dread to think
how it would have been with-
out it. I’ll be wearing a mask
on the bus for la rentrée until I
see how it progresses” SF
“Ramping up the fear! It’s been
proven masks don’t protect you
from spreading/catching viruses,
it’s just virtue signalling” JG
Early start to mushroom
season but pickers warned
to be vigilant
“There is never mushroom
for error” JW
permanently but the food has
been a big disappointment.
In Lidl, fruit and vegetables are
of a lower quality or not packed/
distributed to the same standard
as in the UK. Meat is also disap-
pointing, there is very little
choice of foreign products, and
do not get me started on cheese.
How can the French get an
idea on English cheese if it is not
offered (or just a token cheddar
at a high price)? Granted, France
has very many cheeses, which
are great if sold properly and
while in peak condition, but this
is not always the case.
I do not understand where the
idea that France is a gastronomic
delight comes from unless you
can afford expensive meals out.
I think the biggest problem is
the distribution system and
supermarkets – not the way food
is produced at the farm.
Chris HERNIMAN, by email
 18 Your Questions connexionfrance.com The The
Connexion
Connexion
September
Xxxx 2020
2023

Q& A Why are essential items

Readers’
questions
answered so expensive in France?
Send your queries about life in France to Liv Rowland I SAW a recent study that found prices of many
at questions@connexionfrance.com. These answers were essentials in France, including pet food, laundry
detergent and milk, are among the highest in
supported by research from Martin Greenacre

Photo: shutterstock_ PhotographerIncognito

Europe. What is the reason for this? M.L.

Can I still drive with Parkinson’s?
IS THERE a requirement to declare a
Parkinson’s diagnosis to continue driv-
ing in France? Some say there is an
obligation to undergo an examination
by an approved doctor to assess fit-
ness to drive and ensure that insur-
ance cover is not invalidated, but
others say this is voluntary. R.W.
THE CONFUSION stems from a govern-
ment decree published on March 28, 2022,
which listed Parkinson’s disease among
the conditions that are potentially incom-
patible with driving.
The wording suggested Parkinson’s is
incompatible with keeping or renewing a
driving licence while awaiting a decision
from a specialised medical practitioner
accredited by the prefecture.
The association France Parkinson has
been in touch with Florence Guillaume,
the interministerial delegate for road
safety, to clarify this issue.
In response, Ms Guillaume confirmed
that a Parkinson’s diagnosis is not auto-
matically considered incompatible with
driving a car.
Assessment by a doctor certified by the
prefecture is, therefore, not required for
every diagnosis. It is only required if the
patient requests it or, depending on how
the symptoms evolve, if requested by
their GP or neurologist.
France Parkinson confirmed to The
Connexion that there is no obligation to
How do I register as an artist to sell paintings?
I AM a retiree and have in the past
been registered as an auto-entrepren-
eur to produce greetings cards. I have
recently turned to painting on canvas
and would like to register as an artist.
I am told I cannot be an artist under
the micro-entre­preneur system but I
request a medical examination. A spokes-
man said: “It is recommended if there is a
doubt, and the fact remains that in the case
of a road accident, there is no guarantee
that the person’s health condition cannot
be invoked by the insurance company to
designate responsibility.
“Declaring one’s situation with a chronic
illness [to the prefecture’s bureau de la
circulation] is a sign of transparency on
this subject, but still, nothing obliges the
patient to request an evaluation if they are
not pushed by their doctor and if those
close to them do not doubt their capacity
to continue driving safely.”
If you have already begun the process with
the prefecture to consult a specialist, France
Parkinson advises carrying out the remain-
ing steps, and informing the prefecture of
the outcome once you have had the exam-
ination, otherwise this could work against
you in case of an accident.
The association recommends looking
into any medication you might be taking
and reading the instructions, as certain
medications can cause drowsiness.
It also suggests discussing the situation
with your doctor.
More advice is available at tinyurl.com/
FPadvice.
If you are required to consult a specialist
who is accredited by the prefecture, you can
find a list by searching online for liste des
médecins agréés permis de conduire along
with the number of your department.
Photo: shutterstock_Kiev.Victor
THE STUDY you are referring to was undertaken
by consumer analyst Circana for the BBC. It
compared the costs of 23 food and non-food
items in France, Germany, the UK, Italy, Spain
and the Netherlands.
France was the most expensive by some distance –
the items totalled £67.57, compared to Spain in
second place at £52.75, and £51.72 in the UK. Milk was among items that cost more in France
Laundry detergent, nappies and toothpaste were greater protection for farmers by ensuring production
found to be much pricier in France, and yoghurt, costs are taken into account when setting prices.
baby food and sugar were among foods costing more. Consumer prices are partly the result of annual
Circana said a key reason for this is the relatively negotiations between suppliers and supermarkets,
lower competition from chains such as Aldi and but they must now be renegotiated if the price of
Lidl: “Discount chains are present in France but raw materials increases.
account for less than 15% of grocery sales, as com- This is not the first report to find that French con-
pared to 42% in Germany as an example.” sumers pay higher prices. In 2019, food products and
The company also cited other factors, including non-alcoholic beverages were 15% more expensive in
“the effect of government protection for food France than the EU average, according to Eurostat.
producers, recent shortages of poultry and eggs Experts said that another reason for this was that
due to avian flu, local cuisine tastes which are prone hypermarchés are common in France, rather than
to demand supply gaps, and the level of exposure to smaller discount stores. These offer a wide variety
energy prices and transport disruption”. of products, including premium, local and artisanal
Food prices in particular are highly regulated. The varieties, which are often more expensive.
2018 loi Egalim forces retailers to sell food at prices Having said this, there can be quite a price differ-
that are at least 10% higher than they paid, which is ence for the typical basket of shopping from one
meant to ensure producers are paid fairly. chain (or even branch) to another. Also, it is worth
There have been calls to scrap this in the context of looking at some of the advantages supermarkets
high inflation, but it was recently extended until April offer to customers. For example, Casino has a
2025, though fruit and vegetables are excluded. scheme where you can buy a loyalty card that
Supermarkets are banned from offering special provides a 10% discount on each purchase..
discounts over 34% on the price of food. This is Consumer group UFC-Que Choisir has created an
being extended to hygiene products such as nappies, interactive map that compares the ‘click and collect’
shampoo and shower gel from next March. prices of around 6,000 supermarkets and is updated
The Egalim law was updated in 2021 to provide each week, at tinyurl.com/Frenchprices.
What can I do about Do you need to speak French to
neighbour’s weeds? do a speed awareness course?
MY neighbour’s garden is spreading
into our land with weeds and brambles. I HAD to plead guilty to a ture’s website. Courses that
She has not been here for three years. drink-driving charge. It hap- take place outside of France
We have sent a letter asking for it to pened after I reversed into will not, therefore, benefit
be cleaned up but she has not replied. a ditch and as I was waiting from this accreditation.
Who do I contact next? T.J.P. for a friend to pick me up, I There are, however, altern-
decided to drink some wine atives for people who do not
PROPERTY owners are legally required I had in my shopping. speak French.
to maintain their land properly and can be Unfortunately, someone We spoke to several accredit-

am not sure if La Maison des Artistes
would accept someone of my age, who
is just starting. I would like to put my
paintings for sale on a website and
occasionally rent a space to exhibit
locally. What should I do? Y.K.
YOU ARE right to ask the question, as any
activity for which you receive an income
must be declared to the tax authorities.
As a painter, you will fall under the
artistes-auteurs tax and social security
regime. Just as for micro-entrepreneurs, you
need to declare your activity via the new
online ‘one-stop shop’ for self-employed
people, at procedures.inpi.fr.
You are entitled to do this even as a begin-
ner, as long as you intend to sell your art.
You can log in with France Connect, or
create an INPI account. You should select
Déposer une formalité de création d’entre-
prise, then Créer une entreprise and
Entrepreneur individuel. It will ask you if
your business has the status of micro-entre-
obliged to do so. You have already carried
out the first step, which is to send a letter
to your neighbour.
Your best option now is to contact the
mairie. Article L2213-25 of the Code
général des collectivités territoriales states
preneur: you should select Non. In the next that the mayor can require a landowner to
section, you are invited to insert a ‘dossier restore the land to its previous state, at his
name’ – this is personal to you and is not or her cost, after a formal notice.
official. You can, for example, put Création It says: “If, on the day indicated by the
activité d’artiste-auteur. formal notice, the work has not been
See lamaisondesartistes.fr by selecting undertaken, the mayor can carry it out
Devenir artiste-auteur for more step-by- at the owner’s expense.”
step help with this. In this case, members of the service
The crucial part comes where you are communal d’hygiène et de santé (municipal
invited to ‘add an activity’. This is where health and hygiene service) will undertake
you specify that your business is in the the necessary work.
area of services and the arts, and finally You can also try contacting a conciliateur
that you are an artiste-auteur. de justice (mediator), and if that fails, it is
There is also a choice of tax options: the possible to take your neighbour to court.
simple régime spécial BNC will involve less Article 673 of the Code Civil states you
accounting, in which case you should also have the right to cut back roots, brambles
click franchise en base TVA so as not to be and twigs that intrude on your property,
involved with collecting VAT. up to the dividing line.
saw the car and called the
ambulance and police, who
breath-tested me. I received
a six-month suspension and
an order to appear in court.
I then received another six
months and have to attend
a road awareness course. I
booked one after emphasis-
ing that I had poor French.
I attended but was told to
go home as my French was
not good enough. Can I do
a course in the UK and have
it accepted in France? G.R.
THE SHORT answer is no.
A stage de sensibilisation à
la sécurité routière must be
undertaken at a centre that
is certified by the prefecture –
a list of locations should be
available on your local prefec-
ed centres that confirmed it is
possible to attend the course
accompanied by somebody
who can help with trans-
lations, such as a friend or
family member.
This should be specified
when you sign up to the
course.
The association Prévention
Routière Formation, for
example, said it will not
refuse a participant who
needs to bring a helper, but
this needs to be decided
during your enrolment.
However, the association
said that for courses aimed at
recovering lost licence points,
which is not the case here, it
must request authorisation
from the prefecture for an
interpreter.

FUTURE QUESTIONS Do personal credit reports exist

in France and, if so, who is in
Is it possible to get UK
car breakdown cover
What are the risks involved in
paying somebody in cash for
How can I find out how many
points I have on my French
- SEND IN YOURS... charge of issuing them? when living in France? work around the house? driving licence?
Questions@connexionfrance.com To receive the next issue at home... subscribe at connexionfrance.com by September 12
 The Connexion September 2023 connexionfrance.com Practical 19

Make sense of Employment contracts John Kitching, a

director of French Law
Consultancy Limited,
answers a reader query

What are the rules for a handwritten will?

Q: HOW do I make a French will
for it to be legal? I have heard
people write out their wills like
a letter but I assume I have to
have it witnessed by a notaire?
A: FRENCH olographe (ie.
handwritten) wills are the
most common type in France.
They are easily administered
and recognised by a notaire,
without the need for affida-
vits of validity and due exe-
cution, as would be required
for a UK will. It means they
are easier and less costly to
administer.
The Civil Code says such
a will is only valid if it is
entirely written in the test-
other than the testator’s.
You do not need a notaire to
witness it but you can ask
one to register it for you for
safe keeping, so it is easy to
locate on death.
If you need more than one
side of paper, it is safest to
write on the reverse page,
so pages do not go missing.
Number each page and sign
and date the foot of each.
The difficulty is in under-
standing what to write, to
whom to leave the estate, if
you want substitute benefi-
ciaries (in case of a named
person dying before you, or
refusing), understanding
whether your wishes are

There are plenty of
clichés about workers’
rights in France, and
only some of them
are true
SALARIED workers in France
are privileged when compared
to their UK and US counter-
parts, and especially when
compared to self-employed
people, or ‘independents’ as
the French call them.
The reasons for this are multi-
ple, but many trace the roots to
the system of social security set
up by Otto von Bismarck, the
first chancellor of Germany,
which was used as a model
across much of continental
Europe, including France.
Under this model of social
security, companies were pre-
sumed to exist primarily to
employ people rather than
to make profits.
The health, housing and
welfare systems, which have
considerably improved the lot
of most of the population, were
provided by companies and the
state working together.
In France, the existing system
was mostly drawn up during
World War Two, in the various
committees set up by de Gaulle.
It is fixed by the Code du travail.
One result is the pay slips
received by salaried workers.
Simple seasonal vine workers
have pay slips of half an A4
page of dense detail, which
grow to two pages or more for
workers in large companies.
As well as salary and tax
information, they contain lines
for the numerous ‘contribu-
tions’ employees and employers
have to make to various funds,
in what amount in the end to
heavy payroll taxes.
The Smic (minimum wage)
is now €1,747.20 gross (before
employee’s social charges) per
month, but the cost of employ-
ing people is around €2,200,
depending on what sector the
business is in, once all ‘contri-
butions’ are added up.
It is drilled into French teen-
agers from an early age to keep
all their pay slips because they
are the only legal proof of
periods worked if there are any
issues when it comes to claim-
ing pensions – even though, in
theory, records of your contri-
butions should now be stored
electronically.
The hit film Mammuth, star-
ring Gérard Depardieu, was
based on the motorbike trip of
a 60-something who had not
filed every payslip in his varied
working life, tracking down old
employers to get copies.
There is still a huge difference
between classes of salaried
workers, with extra protections
accorded to holders of the
famous CDI contrat à durée
indéterminée (often seen as a
job for life) compared to the
CDD contrat à durée déterm-
inée fixed-term contract.
It is impossible to get any
employment contract at all in
some sectors unless you have
French or EU nationality.
Examples include chartered
accountants and notaires.
Most state school teaching
Our main image
was drawn for
The Connexion by role of unions in the
artist Perry Taylor. workplace. Only
For more of
his work visit
perrytaylor.fr
and civil service jobs – with
the special status of fonction-
naire – are also affected but
they have their own employ-
ment rules.
Having a CDI is still often
key to getting a mortgage and
even being able to rent a flat.
In practice, though, the myth
that it is impossible to be
sacked from a CDI – even if
you have been found sleeping
with the boss’s partner while
having your fingers in the till – bosses for each industry.
no longer stands.
Legal changes mean that
letting go of employees with
a CDI is now mostly done
through procedures such as
licenciement à l’amiable, or
rupture conventionnelle which,
while still expensive for the
company, do not usually
require hiring lawyers for a
tribunal hearing.
Do not let the term amiable
fool you – being sacked this
way can be a brutal experience.
Employees do, however, usually
get at least two months’ salary
and pension top-ups in return
for going quietly.
If a vital machine breaks
down, or if a fire destroys the
office, staff can be put on the
chômage technique regime,
where they are paid a propor-
tion of their salary and receive
pension payment entitlements
until matters improve.
Some of the deductions on
the pay slip in larger comp-
anies relate to the workers
committees and to benefits
such as having childcare in
company crèches, company
campsites in the south of
France, or sports activities.
These benefits are usually
more generous than equivalent
UK or US companies.
Another peculiarity
that may surprise for-
eign workers is the
around 8% of French
workers are paid-up
union members, but
the law requires work-
er representation on
works councils for all businesses
with more than 10 employees.
In big companies, seats on the
works council are decided by
union elections, usually with
representatives from all the
national unions battling it out.
Elected union reps have even
more legal protection against
being sacked, but often have
little say in setting salaries –
instead, these are negotiated at
a national level by unions and
Another cliché about French
working is that no one works
more than 35 hours a week.
Surveys have shown that
most people work more than
Image: perrytaylor.fr
ator’s handwriting, signed permitted under French law,
and dated. It must also be and what the tax and
clear that it is intended to practical implications are.
be a will (testament). Note that if signed in
The testator must hand- the UK, by a non-French
that. That is the legal contract- write their own will on a national, it will be fine for
ual amount, but it does not blank piece of paper. Do not French real estate, but not
include overtime, which is type it out or sign a printed necessarily for other French
common. Also, senior manage- copy. It must not have any property. We would also not
ment are not affected by it. other person’s mark or recommend using a French
However, in many workplaces handwriting as this can will for UK assets. It can be
overtime is not only paid extra invalidate it. valid in the UK but it is com-
but results in the attribution of There is no requirement plicated to get the probate
RTT – extra time off. for witnesses and it must registry to accept the French
As for standard paid holiday, have no signatures on it handwritten will as valid.
this is fairly generous in France,
especially compared to the US. Call +44 (0) 16 63 74 54 88 for a free initial consultation.
However, outsiders should be frenchlawconsultancy.com
aware that holiday entitlement
usually only starts when you
have had a CDI for a year.
Once in the system, the basic
paid holiday allowance is usual- Question from
ly five working weeks.
Meanwhile, sick pay is only a second-home
available after a three-day period
called the délai de carence.
owner...
It is paid at 50% of the salary
by the worker’s health insurance
caisse and is usually topped up Owning a second home in France
to a maximum of 90% of the Photo: Shutterstock.com_E. Spek
total salary by the employer,
though at rates and for a dura- Are visitors allowed to volunteer in France?
tion that depend on how long Q: CAN I undertake charity volunteering in France during
you have been in the job. my 90 day visa-free stays, or does this require a working
However, workers on sick visa?
leave stop accruing any right to A: THERE is nothing to stop non-residents, including non-EU
paid holiday, a factor that has citizens, volunteering in France. This was confirmed to us
been confirmed by an appeal
by the Tous Bénévoles association, which has an online
court to be contrary to EU law.
platform to help people find volunteering opportunities.
There is a gain in employ-
ment benefits according to the “However, in the large majority of cases, they must have
size of the company – from 11 decent French, and the duties are long term: a few months
workers there is a salary repre- to one year or more,” they said.
sentative on the formal works The Croix-Rouge also said there is nothing preventing for-
committee, for example. eign citizens from volunteering with it, even if they are in
If a company has more than France illegally. The charity has a principle of unconditional
25 salaried workers, they can
welcome, “which prevails over people’s administrative situa-
insist on having a canteen –
below that number, you have to tions”, said Jean-Daniel Balme, in charge of volunteers.
make do with meal vouchers. It does not verify people’s status, he added, except for
After 50 staff members, a certain projects that might require checks of a person’s
company must have a profit driving licence or criminal record.
bonus scheme if it raises divi- While most people volunteer regularly, the Croix-Rouge
dends twice in a row, and so publishes calls for volunteers for specific missions, some of
on, all the way to having to have
which are more short term, as do other charities. “Les
a complete, in-house health
service for employees if there Restos du Cœur are used to having volunteers come once
are more than 2,200 of them. or twice without staying for a long time,” Mr Balme said.
Amid the various perks for You can find volunteering opportunities at tousbenevoles.
salaried workers, some work org, francebenevolat.org, or jeveuxaider.gouv.fr. For those
does nonetheless get done, and without a lot of spare time, meanwhile, heurecivique.fr is
France is usually at, or near, for people wanting to volunteer for one hour a month.
the top of EU productivity See also our previous article about volunteering at a
ratings, although productivity music festival: tinyurl.com/vol-fest.
has been lagging since Covid.
 20 Language / Finance connexionfrance.com The Connexion September 2023

Come again? Don’t let missed Seasonal words worth

storing for next summer
meaning dent your confidence C’EST COMME ÇA
Curiosities of the French language
How many times can by Annaliza Davis

you ask someone to

“
repeat themselves
without it getting
embarrassing,

Photo: pryzmat _ Shutterstock

wonders Nick Inman
Should I ask for
I WAS in the chemist a few it to be rephrased
weeks ago and the lady at the
counter told me she did not
with diagrams and

Photo: Daisy Daisy _ Shutterstock

have a particular item on my
prescription.
I would not find it anywhere,
she continued, because the fact-
ory had stopped producing it.
But, she reassured me, I should
not worry because “eelsonon”.
At least, that is what it sound-
ed like, but it meant nothing to
me. I furrowed my brow and
asked her to repeat it so that
I could have another go. This
time, she spoke a little more
slowly: “Ils onent.” No better.
I tried to visualise this phrase
but there was no match in the
grammar book I carry around
in my head.
I grasped the context – “they”
(meaning the staff of the hosp-
ital where I had an appointment)
are doing something, but what
they were doing was not
apparent. What was this verb,
oner, that I had never heard
used before?
It is hard to know what to do
in such a circumstance – when
someone is telling you some-
thing unimportant but you do
not get the message.
For the lady in the pharmacy,
it was patently clear and could
expose myself as
a simpleton who
does not speak as
much French as
he thought?
not be simplified more. For me,
it was an utter mystery.
Should I nod nonchalantly
as if I have understood and
risk missing something vital?
Or should I ask for it to be
rephrased with diagrams and
expose myself as a simpleton
who does not speak as much
French as he thought?
I have tried both approaches
in the past and neither is
satisfactory.
Here I deployed a compro-
mise. I said d’accord (“okay”)
and memorised the phrase
so that I could get someone
to explain it later.
What had thrown me was one
of the most common words in
the French language – en. To
an English ear it sounds almost
identical to ont (“have” in the
third person plural).
The phrase I had heard but
It is not just novices who struggle to understand first time
not deciphered was ils en ont
(“they have some of it”).
Simple, when you see it writ-
ten down, but spoken French
invariably slides words together
and this little word en becomes
a lubricant between other
language items.
This is not the first time it has
fooled me.
Early one morning a few
years ago, I was on the way
to the university where I was
studying French. I was listening
to talk radio and a reporter was
carrying out a semi-humorous
vox pop on the streets of Paris.
“Vousonnet?” she kept asking
people and they would laugh
and give her an answer.
It had a certain musicality to
it: a phrase that has been used
so often by so many French
people since the beginning of
time that no one bothers to
THE FIRST time you saw or
heard the word estival, you
probably thought someone
had forgotten the ‘f ’.
In fact, while we might not
immediately see the connect-
ion, estival is essentially the
same as d’été.
separate the words for the A phrase such as la saison
benefit of an English listener. estivale requires some thought
I thought it must have some- as the adjective does not quite
thing to do with honnête exist in English. Consequently,
(honest), but “Are you honest?” you might notice une petite robe
did not seem like the right d’été or un menu estival, but in
answer to the puzzle. English both become ‘summer’
I spent the whole of the rest (or ‘summery’) – ‘summer dress’,
of the day thinking about it. ‘summer menu.’
I did not want to ask anyone It is not always predictable
because I was busy pretending when someone will choose
that I was at intermediate level. estival over d’été, and indeed
Besides, analysing language you can provoke a lively discus-
is part of learning. sion on this subject if you ask a
Eventually, I saw it. Space out group of French natives. How-
the sounds and you get vous en ever, once you get the hang of
êtes? (“Are you one?” or “Are estival, it is a useful adjective.
you one of them?”). Two other words seem need-
I cannot remember who the lessly specific, though, and on
“them” was on that occasion, first hearing you might not
but I have been using the even register them: juilletiste
phrase ever since. and aoûtien. As you might
And the first chance I have, guess, these refer to the summer
I am going to tell someone months but specifically to indi-
“eelsonon”. viduals who take their holidays
in July or in August. Tradition-
ally, French culture views them
as two distinct species.
July holidaymakers are thought
to be forward-thinking people
who prefer to avoid traffic and
inflated prices and appreciate
returning to work in a relatively
quiet environment.
Aoûtiens, by contrast, are more
likely to demand sunshine for
their holiday and only take a
break because there is no other
option. Even today, many fact-
ories close down for the entire
month of August, which led to
the stereotype of aoûtiens as
working class.
Over recent years, the profiles
of July and August holidaymak-
ers have blurred, so now the
distinction is rather where you
choose to stay.
One thing that juilletistes and
aoûtiens can agree on is that
those who take their holidays
off-season are another breed
entirely. While the term septem-
briste is not yet common parl-
ance (they are still vacanciers de
septembre), recent usage in the
media, including Le Figaro, is
slowly seeing it gain traction.

In assurance vie we trust – to get round French suspicions

Money Matters
Robert Kent of
Kentingtons explains.
kentingtons.com
IN MANY countries, trusts are part of everyday
financial and inheritance planning.
We use them to ensure our beneficiaries get
what we want them to, in the timing and manner
we desire. They are also used to ‘avoid’ certain
taxes (noting that ‘avoiding’ is perfectly legal,
whereas ‘evading’ is not).
The UK’s tax office, HMRC, says a trust is “not
a legal person; it is a relationship”.
It continues: “The persons in the trust relation-
ship are the settlor, trustees, beneficiaries.
“The settlor provides the property for the trust.
The trustees hold the trust property in their
name, but it is held not for them but on trust for
the beneficiaries. The beneficiaries benefit from
the trust property – exactly how they do so
depends on the terms of the trust.”
The Internal Revenue Service in the US, mean-
while, describes trusts as “legal entities that hold
and manage assets for the benefit of specific
individuals, organisations, or purposes.”
It defines the three parties to a trust in the
same way as HMRC, though the settlor can also
be defined as the grantor or trustor.
The similarity between the two countries is to
be expected, since the US based its trust laws on
English common law.
French fiscal authorities, however, view trusts
as ‘opaque’ structures, designed to hide assets
from them, and define them as tools of tax
‘evasion’. Thus, they are viewed with a great
deal of suspicion and hostility.
Note, though, that a trust is not illegal per se.
The issue is more to do with how it is set up,
used and declared. Many people come to France
linked to a trust that has been held for years, is
declared properly, and therefore deemed to have
been set up in good faith.
Countless pages of French law have tried,
and mostly failed, to properly define how
trusts work. To be fair, it has not been made
easy. There are estimated to be tens of thousands
of pages of trust legislation in the UK alone.
If you come to France with a trust already set
up, it is a legal requirement to declare it under
the French tax code (code général des impôts, or
CGI), article 1649 AB. Expect many questions
from the French tax office until they are fully
satisfied it is not simply evasion.
If it is not declared, expect to be treated like a
common criminal when they do finally discover
it (and discover it they will, as international legis-
lation on the regulation of trusts for anti-money
laundering reasons makes this increasingly easy).
Failure to declare a trust can incur a penalty of
€20,000 or 12.5% of the trust value (CGI 1736
IV bis) – whichever is highest.
The only worse thing you could do than come
to France and not declare an existing trust is to
create a completely new trust while established
as a tax resident of France.
As from July 2011, French residents placing
capital into trusts have been viewed as gifting to
a non-relative and taxed at 60% of the value given
(CGI 792-0 bis II-2c & ref CGI 777 table III).
Unfortunately, there is worse coming.
In May, in an interview with Le Monde,
then-Minister of Public Action and Accounts
Gabriel Attal announced a series of measures
to fight tax fraud, including the creation of a
specialised tax intelligence unit.
The unit will target “situations in which the
current tools of tax control are hindered, includ-
ing the concealment of assets abroad in tax
havens and opaque entities such as trusts,” a
press release published the next day stated.
So what about financial planning in France
if the use of trusts is not advisable?
“Just create a French trust under French law!” I
once suggested to a notaire, who looked utterly
astonished at such a seemingly absurd notion.
“An assurance vie is very much like a trust,” I
continued. He just stared at me with a mix of
incredulity and sympathy (I assume he thought
I had completely lost the plot). I continued to
press my point.
Let us go back to the HMRC definition of a
trust: “A trust An assurance vie is not a legal
person; it is a relationship.
“The persons in the trust assurance vie relation-
ship are the settlor [read ‘policy holder’], trustees
[‘assurance vie provider’] and beneficiaries [‘bene-
ficiaries’ – nice of them to keep it simple for us!].
“The settlor policy holder provides the proper-
ty for the trust assurance vie. The trustees
assurance vie providers hold the trust assurance
vie property in their name. It is held not possibly
for them but on trust policy for the beneficiaries.
“The beneficiaries benefit from the trust assur-
ance vie property – exactly how they do so
depends on the terms of the trust assurance vie.”
My point is that an assurance vie is held out-
side of the estate, and indeed treated separately
from the estate. It even has different tax treat-
ment. A trust that is not absolute (and many
are not) might mean the settlor can still benefit
from the trust, so replacing “not” with “possibly”
above does nothing to weaken the argument.
It is clear, therefore, that in almost every way an
assurance vie behaves identically to a trust. I say
“almost” because it can only hold money, whereas
a trust might also hold chattels and buildings.
Even my amazed notaire finally agreed after we
discussed all the ways an assurance vie could be
manipulated, just like a trust, through various
legal clauses.
It is important to note that an assurance vie
is absolutely not the only solution for financial
and inheritance planning in France, just as trusts
might not be the best or only option in other
countries. There are often many varied solutions,
of which an assurance vie is just one option to
consider. This is why taking French qualified
advice is so important.
 French living
Food Wine Homes Gardens Interviews Events FRENCH NEWS IN ENGLISH SINCE 2002

France’s Celtic
culinary heritage
ROAM WITH A VIEW An impressionist’s life:
Explore France’s best hiking routes
Photo: JJ GelbartAFCC

Pierre-Auguste Renoir
2 Hiking connexionfrance.com French Living I September 2023

These boots were made

for walking... on France’s
Grandes Randonnées
Samantha David steps out to discover the growing appeal of long-distance walking among
people of all ages and abilities, especially along le chemin to Santiago de Compostela in Spain

F
rom Brittany to the Camargue,

Photo: left, Ichard et Bouillet; inset, ICE GR

or the Atlantic to the Alps,
France has an unparalleled
range of countryside to explore,
and the best way is often on
your own two feet.
It is easy to get off the road because
the country is blessed with around
100,000kms of walking paths and
35,000kms of GRs – Sentiers de Grande
Randonnée – offering something for
everyone. There are maps and informa-
tion in English on about-france.com
as well as a guide to understanding
how the paths are marked. For detailed
planning purposes you will need to buy
some maps.
One of the world’s best known long-dis-
tance walks is the pilgrimage to Santiago
de Compostela in northern Spain (Saint-
Jacques-de-Compostelle in French). In
the 15th century it was one of the three
great Christian destinations for pilgrims,
on a par with Jerusalem and Rome.
It remains a religious journey for some,
but for many others it is an extremely
popular hiking route. Nevertheless, many
walkers discover a spiritual element on
the way to Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle. routes less frequented than others. Above: Looking at walk an entire section in one go, and to en-Velay, the walk to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-
“I have done it many times,” says But hikers can join le chemin wherever the Pyrenees in the walk a minimum distance each day, is Port is around 800kms.
Marion Santiago, who runs the website they like. The routes all lead to the same distance, and inset: once pilgrims are within 100kms of Saint- “Personally, I would advise listening to
I Love Santiago. “In 2010, I walked the end destination. a typical waymarker Jacques-de-Compostelle. Then, in order your inner voice and trusting it, because
route Strasbourg-Santiago-Fisterra- “It is a physical challenge. At the begin- on the Chemin de to receive La Compostella (the certificate I am convinced that if you are attracted
Muxia; in 2011, I did Grenade-Santiago; ning it is hard as the body takes time to Compostelle in France for completing the pilgrimage) from the by one chemin more than another, it’s for
in 2015, I walked from Arles to Santiago; adapt, but after a while it gets easier. pilgrims’ office in Santiago, they have a good reason. Even if you don’t have the
in 2016, I started at Le Puy-Aubrac, in People walk at their own rhythm. It’s not to show in their carnet that they have faintest idea what that reason is!”
2018, I walked from Tui to A Guarda and a race, there’s no competitive element. walked or ridden in total at least 100kms Marion says that the moment pilgrims
then Santiago, plus Ferrol to A Coruña The paths pass through historical, or cycled 200kms, and passed two arrive in Santiago is intensely emotional.
and on to Santiago, plus the loop beautiful sites, and although some people waypoints per day, every day. (This “They are very happy to have achieved
Santiago-Fisterra-Muxia-Santiago, don’t visit them all, others explore last section takes around five days.) their goal, but sad the adventure is over.
and in 2021 I did Tui- them in depth.” “That last section starting in Sarria in Everyone is moved. People laugh, people
Santiago-Fisterra-Muxia.” Marion says that there is Spain is the most popular because it is cry, they feel all sorts of different
She admits that she is an enormous sense of located on the Camino Francés, just emotions. It’s a magical moment. Then

addicted to the experi-
ence. “People are all
equal on le chemin.
They are support-
ive. They talk.
You have the most
amazing, and
sometimes very
profound, conversa-
tions with people.
I am not religious, but
it’s a spiritual experience;
the walk is very personal and
meditational. That’s why I do it over
and over. Enormous numbers of people
feel this during the walk; it’s something
special, very emotional and personal,
almost psychological. It’s to do with
being outdoors in nature, and being on a
historical path as well as the encounters
you have with other people.”
There is no single route to Saint-
Jacques-de-Compostelle. There are four
traditional starting points in France, all
of which lead to the same path in Spain.
Pilgrims searching for solitude seek out
solidarity and equality
amongst pilgrims.
“We are all doing the
same thing, we all
have the same aches
and pains, and peo-
ple are all proud of
themselves when
they realise what they
can accomplish.”
Some people take
several months to walk
le chemin in one go. Others
take a week to walk a section and
return the next year to continue the
route. Everyone has their own Carnet du
Pèlerin which they get stamped at various
waypoints. This is widely available from
tourist offices, associations, departure
points, churches or reception points.
Pilgrims can get the stamps at hostels,
hotels, churches and other places along
the way. As well as keeping a tally of the
walk, the carnet also gives access to
accommodation reserved for pilgrims.
The only time there is a requirement to
“
100km from Santiago, making it the
shortest walk which still earns a certifi-
cate of completion. It’s the favoured
departure point for Spanish pilgrims.
It can get very crowded in May and
September, which are the best months
for doing the chemin.”
The walk When it comes to choosing a route,
Marion says there are entire websites and
to Santiago forums devoted to the topic, but it is best
to follow your own instinct. “Each path is
changes different, some are busier than others,
some have more infrastructure in terms
your ideas of accommodation and catering.”
The busiest section is the Camino
of who you Francés which is around 800kms long and
begins in France at Saint-Jean-Pied-de-
are, so when Port. Statistically speaking, it is only the
second most popular starting point over-
you return all, but is the most popular amongst
international pilgrims (from EU nations
to daily life, excluding Spanish and French).
“The French prefer to begin at Le Puy-
you aren’t en-Velay, which is one of the four historic
chemins in France, along with Paris/
the same Tours, Vézelay and Arles. From Le Puy-
afterwards, there is a come-down,
a return to earth. The walk to Santiago
changes your ideas of who you are, so
when you return to daily life you aren’t
the same and it’s difficult to reintegrate.
You are disconnected from your life.
“Days on le chemin are very simple, very
straightforward, and the longer you are
away, the harder it is at the end. For peo-
ple who walk for one or two weeks, it’s
just a holiday. But if you leave for several
months or more, little by little you leave
things behind as you walk, and you have
difficulty returning to modern life.
“There are lots of relationships and
friendships on the walk, you make very
deep connections, you all get rained on,
you all get hot from the sun, you all walk
the same path. The relationships are
deeper and more authentic, and that is
missing when you return to modern life.
Each person has their own experiences
which are hard to explain when they get
home. People don’t understand what you
have lived, they see you have changed but
they don’t see why. The chemin is more
September 2023 I French Living
intense than other long walks. The people
who do Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle are
a huge family. It’s very special.”
Marion’s advice to anyone setting out is
to take the absolute minimum; “the light-
er your rucksack, the better. The paths
are very well marked and maintained,
meaning the walk isn’t ridiculously diffi-
cult, and pilgrims don’t need heavy-duty
boots. Some paths include a few short
sections on tarmac roads, but mostly the
paths are off-road.”
The most important thing is to have a
pair of well-fitting, very comfortable
shoes and good socks, and perhaps a pair
of flip-flops for the evenings. “Then you
just need a pair of trousers, a pair of
shorts, two t-shirts and a change of
underwear. A little pocket knife is useful
for cutting bread and cheese.”
It is easy to find a sandwich at midday,
as there are snack bars all along the route.
There are also plenty of restaurants if you
want something more substantial.
“But it’s always good to have an en-cas
in your rucksack, some nuts or dried
fruit. And listen to your body, do not
force yourself. Make your own choices
about the route, about accommodation,
and meals.”
Prices for meals and accommodation
can be higher on the route than if you
venture just a few kilometres off it. There
are plenty of overnight options, however,
including hotels and hostels, dormitory
rooms, camping or sleeping under la belle
étoile. In May and September it can be
hard to find last-minute accommodation,
but in some villages they open the village
hall or the gym for pilgrims.
Marion has seven certificates now, but
says she will continue walking le chemin.
“I will go on doing it, repeat and return,
and I’m not the only one. I’m still in
touch with people I met the first time.
My partner comes with me and under-
stands the experience. It becomes a
lifestyle, living simply, walking, connect-
ing with people. You just always want
to go back. It’s strange and a bit sad to
admit that you have more connection
with total strangers on the walk than with
your neighbours.”
For Marion the chemin can be broken
down into three parts: “Preparing for it,
doing it, and digesting the experience
once you return. The most important
stage is integrating what you have learned
into your daily life. That’s where the
transformation happens. It’s extraordi-
nary. People change their professions,
discover new ways of relating to people,
discover themselves. Who are we? What
have we become? Who do we want to be?
Walking gives people time to disconnect,
get in touch with themselves and think.”
Best of all, she says, the experience is
accessible to everyone. “People walk it
with babies, children, teenagers, alone,
in couples or in groups. They walk it
with donkeys, horses, and dogs. I’ve seen
people with goats and chickens. People
with disabilities, people of all ages, all
professions. Everyone is equal and every-
one is welcome on le chemin.
The Agence française des chemins
de Compostelle is a great place to start
planning your pilgrimage. It has itinerar-
ies, maps, packing lists and information
about accommodation, in English,
Spanish, and French.
www.chemins-compostelle.com
connexionfrance.com
Photo: OT Coeur de Petite Camargue
Walking highs and lows
A stork at the centre for
The Fédération Française de la Randonnée
breeding and protection
Pédestre (FFRP), maintains the walking
at Parc de l’Orangerie in
paths in France. Long distance paths
Strasbourg
(Grande Randonnée or GR) are marked
with red and white waymarkings.
Regional paths (called Sentiers de Grande
Randonnée de Pays or GRP) use red and
yellow waymarkings. Local paths (Sentiers
de Promenade et Randonnée or PR) use
single yellow stripes or sometimes other
colours when there is more than one
sentier signposted.
This makes following paths reasonably
easy, although it is unwise to set out on
any hike without maps, sunscreen, and
water as a bare minimum. There are
also many guide books available; hikes
range from a two-hour stroll to several
weeks of climbing such steep paths that
you might as well be mountaineering.
There is something for everyone.
The Sentier du Littoral in French
Basque Country offers an easy one-day
introduction to hiking in France. The
25km path takes around six hours to
walk, offers stunning coastal views and
passes through the lively seaside town
of St-Jean-de-Luz. This makes an ideal
place to have a picnic on the beach, or
even stop for a swim should the fancy
take you.
Another very relaxed walk can be
enjoyed in the Cévennes mountains,
following in the footsteps of Robert
Louis Stevenson and his donkey
Modestine. The Chemin de Stevenson is
270kms long and takes around a fortnight
to walk, but many people attempt just a
section, and tourist offices in the area
have details of where to hire a donkey
to carry luggage and small children.
Some of the higher sections are more
technically challenging, but much of it
is beginner-level. Once in the Parc
National des Cévennes, keep an eye out
for beavers, otters, roe deer, golden eagles
and wild boar.
If you are fit and up for a scramble, you
Above: Pilgrims might enjoy the hike up from Argentière
enjoying the wood- near Chamonix to Lac Blanc. Accessible
land paths along only from mid-June to September, it is
the Chemin de 11kms long but takes five to six hours
Compostelle in and is technically challenging. The path is
the Camargue
A familiar Saint-Jacques shell,
and red-and-white waymarkers
on the Chemin de Compostelle
near Saint-Jean d’Angely
Hiking 3
rugged and mostly uphill with ladders in
places, but the views across the gleaming
sapphire Lac Blanc towards Mont Blanc
and the Aiguille de Midi are stunning.
To stay on the flat, walk the tow-paths
of France’s canal network. There is often
shade, you can watch the boats go
through the locks, and the paths pass
through lots of pretty villages where you
can stop for lunch. The Canal du Midi is
the most obvious option but the Canal de
Bourgogne is also a happy choice.
It stretches for 250kms linking the Saône
and the Yonne rivers, providing a
wonderfully relaxing waterside path.
The GR3 also provides a nice flat walk
along the Loire Valley. It is 1,300kms
from Mont Gerbier de Jonc in Ardèche,
to Saint-Nazaire in Loire-Atlantique.
There are plenty of opportunities to
refresh yourself at the wineries along
the way, and it would be hard to resist
visiting some of France’s most stunning
chateaux, including Chambord, Amboise,
and Chenonceau.
The GR34 around the Brittany coast
takes you past the iconic Mont-Saint-
Michel to the beaches of Saint-Nazaire.
The entire path is 2,000kms long and
passes through the Pointe du Nid, Saint-
Malo, Dinard, the Bay of Saint-Brieuc
nature reserve, and the Blancs Sablons
beaches to Saint-Nazaire.
Slap bang in the centre of France,
the 140kms of the GR400 starts in the
volcanic region of Auvergne and climbs
more than 4,635 metres through magnifi-
cent forests onto mountain ridges where
you can enjoy panoramic views. It is
challenging but worth it.
If you are insanely fit and eager to try
the most demanding hike possible, you
can head for Corsica where the GR20
runs 180kms from the north to the south
of the island, right over the mountain
ridges. You will need proper equipment
for this one, as well as nerves of steel
if you plan to get Insta photos of yourself
teetering on the edge of the mountain
precipice.
The walk is divided into 16 stages and
normally takes a fortnight, but can be
accomplished in under 10 days by the
super-fit. The record holders are Lambert
Santelli who did it in 30 hours and 25
minutes, and Anne-Lise Rousset who did
it in 35 hours and 50 minutes.
Photo: Genevieve Thomas
4 Rencontre
‘Political discourse has become
disconnected from our daily reality’
Why is politics today so polarised? Théophile Larcher
asks Alexis Carré, a French researcher working
in the US to explain by examining the political
relationship between the US and Europe
A
lexis Carré is uniquely
placed to give insights on
the way US and European
politics influence each other.
Currently doing postdoc-
toral research at Princeton, he has now
been appointed to a new constitutional
government post at Harvard where he
will continue his research into the philo-
sophical roots of liberal democracy.
Dr Carré, 33, has been a regular writer
of opinion pieces for Le Figaro since 2018
and his doctoral thesis on liberalism
gained academic recognition when he
won France’s prestigious Raymond Aron
award for research in 2021
The Connexion spoke to him about the
intellectual relationship between France
and the United States, its most recent
manifestations in politics, and the state
of extreme political disinterest.
Mr Carré said he was glad to be granted
an interview with the newspaper, as he
believes that The Connexion’s ‘expatri-
ate’ readership is well equipped to open
up the debate to restore faith and trust
between the two countries.
Many of your opinion pieces
for Le Figaro reflect on Western
society from an American standpoint.
Do you see the US as a laboratory
for Western political life?
It has been the case for a very long time,
in the sense that compared to the Euro-
pean nations which existed before the
modern political era, American democra-
cy is the result of modernity. The United
States was founded by specific individuals
with an interest in making the most of
modernity’s potential. By that I mean the
American enshrinement of democracy.
The United States is a unique case, and
the way it expresses its identity is more
pronounced than anywhere else.
When the influential nineteenth-centu-
ry political scientist Tocqueville wanted
to examine the future of democracy, he
did not choose to write a book called
‘On Democracy’, but ‘On Democracy in
the United States’ (De la démocratie aux
Etats-Unis.)
He felt that studying
the US would reveal
the social phenomena
that gave rise to the
political experimen-
tation taking place in
Europe at that time.
Does the historical
relationship between
Europe and the US
still exist?
It is a complex ques-
tion nowadays. The
political developments
that have taken place
over the last decade in Europe, particular-
ly on the Left and Far Left, have undenia-
bly drawn their inspiration from what has
been happening in the United States for a
connexionfrance.com French Living I September 2023
Photos: Alexis Carré
little longer. Obviously this is a two-way
process, since the identity politics of the
Left has some of its intellectual roots
in Europe.
But it has only been possible for it to be-
come a political force in Europe by being
‘rebranded’ as an American import.
Over the past twenty years we have
witnessed a deterioration of relations
between the US and Europe, on both
political and intellectual grounds. There
is a form of regionalism in Europe, which
is losing self-confidence. Europe has
concluded that instead of treating deal-
ings with the US as an exchange between
equals, it must instead rush to adopt
whatever new political innovation pops
up on American university campuses.
How do you explain that this political
thinking has its roots in France,
but that it has been exploited
recently in the United States?
Basically, this new way of doing politics
highlights the relationship between the
university and the political classes. They
have joined forces following the disinte-
gration of unions as the political driving
force of the working-class during the late
1970s. Back then, democrats benefited by
organising their main voting power with
backing from the unions.
Universities now provide what
the unions used to offer. These move-
ments now have their roots in student
militancy. I think that the Democrats now
look to universities to restore the power
base that they lost with the decline of
the unions. Above and inset, the political system’s ability to produce Are our readers now finding in
the political collective action, and the ruling class no France what they have tried to
In 2011, a French think tank said that researcher longer has confidence in its legitimacy to leave behind in Britain and the US?
the Left could win the presidential Alexis Carré implement its goals, we end up with pol- As a French person it surprises me to hear
election by switching from targeting itics based more on rhetoric than action. that, but I know many Americans that are
working-class voters to ‘recent grad- We have been living for the past twenty delighted by France resisting these new
“
uates, the youth, women and minor- years in what’s known as a ‘narrative’. political movements. I’m sure many Brit-
ities, united by progressive values’. Polarisation is bound to happen in a ish people and Americans took that into
Has identity politics reached France? narrative. Nowadays, the main task of consideration when moving to France.
Yes, you can hardly deny it. To be honest, politicians is not to do things, but to make The United States is (apart from Israel)
the election of Donald Trump has also themselves as visible as possible in the the only consciously created oeuvre of
had an effect on the French Far Right. media with a clear message and target. modern politics. The success or failure
Eric Zemmour’s candidacy, for example, of the American political experiment
would not have been credible or even
possible without Donald
Political As if politics has become
a commercial product?
implicates all of us for that very reason. Its
failure would mean that this modernity is
Trump’s presidency.
It made a powerful impact
discourse We often associate polarisation with
the politicisation of our daily lives, right
compromised. Since the war in Iraq there
is less interest between Europeans and
and the French Right built
its presidential election
is so discon- down to what we eat or where we go
on holiday. But it is the exact opposite.
Americans to keep conceptualising that ex-
perience. Our best ambassadors are expats
campaign around question-
ing the authority of the elite
nected from Polarisation is the symptom of an extreme
depoliticisation of our social life.
and immigrants. The fact they have come
to France shows that what is happening in
classes and the legitimacy
of globalisation.
reality that it In what sense? Do you mean we
France is of interest to them. And if it is
important for them, then it is also for the
Where do you see
is perfectly no longer participate in public life?
Political discourse is now so disconnected
country they were born in. They are the
best-equipped to lead that debate.
this trend going?
The current political at-
credible from reality that it is perfectly credible What is interesting about being Ameri-
can is that in a country that has relied so
to describe political life as an exercise in
mosphere can be said to be to describe style, something more to do with aes- heavily on immigrants, and the idea that
the continuation of trends thetics than action. Trump is more about everyone can become American, some
that we have already seen political life style than anything else, based on extreme might consider that everything about
earlier this century, and that we are seeing feelings – you either love him or hate him. the United States is homogenous. I think
now in the States. There is a strong loss as an exer- Politicians now position themselves in a that being exposed to European culture
of meaning and capacity for collective space built on contradiction. This is what is frustrating, but that it brings with it
action. As soon as people lose faith in cise in style has led to the offensive in one-upmanship. political wisdom.
6 Gardens
Discover the aesthetic and ecological
joys of a super ‘dry’ Occitanie garden
Cathy Thompson visits a
stunning garden in the
Aude where layering,
minimal watering and
constant evolution are
wonderfully combined
S
tep outside your comfort zone a
little this September and visit the
dry Mediterranean garden of
Kate Dumbleton and Imogen
Checketts, known as Le Jardin
Champêtre, deep in summer-sleepy
Aude, Occitanie.
Here the plants are experiencing a sec-
ond spring, with grasses at their peak in
the early autumn light – look out especial-
ly for the moody mauves and greys of the
little bluestem grass, Schizachrium scopari-
um, and the yellows of September-
flowering Helianthus. Weaving their way
through, like a game of paintball, are the
lipstick pinks, reds and oranges of Nerine,
Watsonia and Bulbine, all perfect subjects
for a dry, virtually frost-free garden.
When they discovered their future gar-
den – essentially a kind of showcase for
their thriving design and nursery business
– Kate and Imogen were professional hor-
ticulturists on a year-long French odyssey
to learn more about dry gardening.
After spending a sizeable chunk of time
working on the neighbouring garden and
nursery of another Englishwoman who
specialised in a huge range of plants for
dry gardens, they fell in love with the fer-
tile river valley and the backdrop of the
mountains, as much as with the flora of
the surrounding garrigue, and purchased
the land that was to become their garden
ten years ago in 2013.
The atmosphere of the planting owes
much to the native flora of the surround-
ing limestone hills and nothing to the
spikey drama of gardens populated by
plants like agave, so favoured by other gar-
deners in the same climate. Neither Kate
or Imogen are fond of that style for practi-
cal reasons. “A client recently recounted
the pain of falling face down, while weed-
ing a plot of inherited ‘spikiness’,” Kate
recounts. “Yup”, Kate said, “That’s why
I’m not fond.”
But how does this garden function as a
connexionfrance.com
place to leave your comfort zone behind? Clockwise, from
Many of us garden, after all, in increasing above: plants at Le
heat. Answer... this is a showcase garden Jardin Champêtre
for Kate and Imogen’s design business. It are watered for the
most definitely is not a safe haven for their first season during
favourite plants. Any plant – no matter dry spells, and ideal-
how well loved – that shows signs of intol- ly never again;
erance to the increasing hot and dry con- layered planting is
ditions experienced during recent years a key feature as it
will eventually be shown the door. The helps to create
garden is a trial ground, as much as a microclimates;
thing of beauty. Imogen Checketts
In both their own garden and those of and Kate Dumbleton
clients, plants are watered for the first sea-
son during dry spells – and ideally never
again. “If we put something in and don’t
water it and it thrives – it sometimes hap-
pens – that one goes on a list of the abso-
lute winners,” says Imogen.
Consequently, the range of plants has
changed markedly since the two arrived
here. Miscanthus – once extensively used
for creating a tall, mobile backbone of
structure and texture in large flat areas
of garden – is increasingly not used in
client design.
Imogen remarks: “If we want a big
grass now, we use Stipa gigantea and
Amplodesmos mauritanicus [stramma
or rope grass] – for the same effect –
and a lot of clump-forming Sesleria and
French Living I September 2023
(‘mastic’), Cotinus (‘smoke bush’) and so
Photos courtesy of Le Jardin Champêtre
on, with an emphasis on visually strong,
dark shapes, providing a little shade.
From this rises a fluid lower layer of
grasses and see-through plants like Verbena
bonariensis and Perovskia atriplicifolia
(now Salvia yangii). A final layer of silver
or green foliage made by stalwart thymes
and slightly unusual plants like Achillea
crithmyfolia and A. coarctata, hallmarks
their design as the product of committed
‘dry plants’ people, on a mission to find
what thrives.
In the early years of Kate and Imogen’s
business, the nursery was open every week-
end for nine months of the year, but as the
design business really took off – largely by
word of mouth – opening times dwindled
to specific weekends.
During the months of July and August
the business winds down considerably and
their show garden goes to sleep a little. “We
generally go away at that time – on vaca-
tion and visiting new clients,” Imogen says.
“Sometimes, before going away, we’ll take
a hedge trimmer to large areas and by the
time we come back to the garden again, the
Mexican sages, as well as Salvia verbenacea
(wild clary/wild sage) are building up to a
Panicum… Rudbeckias are also disappear- second flush of flower.”
ing from our own garden. I noticed that I These are two perfectly complimentary
was having to give them more than one design minds. “If you employ us,” jokes
drink during the summer.” Imogen, “you get two for the price of one.”
Soil improvement at planting time has Imogen, artist by nature, always has an eye
been banished from both gardens – their for the big ‘painting’, and particularly
own and their clients’ gardens – sometimes enjoys the small splashes of detailed colour
with a degree of customer alarm. “We have provided by species tulips in spring, as they
almost got to the stage where we are tempt- weave their way through the grasses.
ed to wash all the existing soil off the root Generally, she says ‘no’ to any other tulip,
system to make sure the plants can tough it with the exception of ‘Ballerina’, which
out in their new positions!” makes the grade by virtue of colour and
Their job, as Kate sees it, is to help clients graceful shape!
choose a selection of plants that survive in a Kate, with her background in organic
harsh climate and then to design borders so gardening and permaculture, is deter-
that those plants – the ‘palette’ for the client’s minedly looking out for the protection of
own individual garden with its own particu- a healthy soil and the satisfying vision of
lar conditions – look beautiful together. ‘natural’ planting, appropriate to their
“Our own garden isn’t lush,” Imogen says, adopted home in the midst of this beautiful
“but it’s full and that’s what we are after. garrigue plant community. If Imogen’s bob-
Like an English garden, but with complete- bing tulips are not exactly to her taste, she
ly different plants. Not that classic static agrees that they have an important place in
dry Mediterranean-garden look you so the spirit of the garden’s design.
often get.”
A strong feature in their planting style is The autumn portes ouvertes at Le Jardin
‘layered’ planting, which not only provides Champêtre are 16/17 September and
visual structure to please the eye, but also 14/15 October, from 14:00 to 18:00,
creates microclimates. The first layer will but you can also visit by appointment if
feature typical Mediterranean trees and you ring 07 80 43 32 62.
shrubs such as Arbutus unedo (‘madrone’), 19bis av. de la Montagne Noire, 11160
olive, pomegranate, Pistacia lentiscus Caunes-Minervois; lejardinchampetre.com.
 September 2023 I French Living
Garden digest
Time for a trim
Those with a hedge or tree to trim this
month – September and October are
ideal months – are spoilt (or perhaps
inundated) for choice when it comes
to buying the suitable tool in a French
garden centre or online retailer.
Take your pick from: taille-haie élec-
trique (electric hedge trimmer); taille-
haie à batterie (battery-powered hedge
trimmer); taille-haie thermique (thermal
hedge trimmer); taille-haie sur perche
(pole-mounted hedge trimmer); and
cisaille électrique (electric shears). Of
course, take into consideration the
electrical connectivity in your garden.
For those with an especially small or
tricky topiary project, seek out a ‘sculpte-
haies’. Model pictured, cordless Black and
Decker cisaille-sculpte-haies, €84.99.
September jobs in the potager
As the French late summer turns to
autumn, the days turn shorter and cooler
with plenty of harvesting to be done in
the vegetable garden: apples, onions,
runner beans, courgettes, tomatoes,
autumn-fruiting raspberries and main-
crop potatoes.
On the sowing front, plant out salads
such as mustard leaf and winter salad
mixes, as well as peas, radishes and broad
beans. For a true French récolte next year,
plant some garlic cloves in fertile soil.
Saving cents makes sense
Outside of official sale periods (les soldes),
the vital words to look out for when
bargain-hunting in France are ‘promotion’
(often ‘promo’ for short) which denotes
a special offer or price reduction, and
‘déstockage’, meaning clearance.
Hunt around websites and retailers such
as Jardiland, Truffaut, Leroy Merlin and
manomano.fr to benefit from massive
reductions on end-of-season products
such as garden furniture. Sample, below,
Moovere LED armchair, €222 (29% off
from manomano.fr).
Photo: www.manomano.fr
connexionfrance.com
Photo: Black and Decker
Main photo: Ricky Rew/Unsplash; inset: Syd Wachs/Unsplash
How to be a cultivar champion
Cathy Thompson has some excellent advice on heritage cultivars and more
French garden diary
T
is the season … to be saving
seed. I’ve always saved flower
Insta-jardins seed, but the upsurge of
Instagram is a brilliant interest in heritage varieties
place to enjoy other of vegetables sees me con-
people’s gardens in templating the future potential of plants
France, with everyone in my potager as well.
from visitors to chambre In France, many ‘heritage’ cultivars
d’hôtes owners posting were first grown in the marshlands
seasonal snaps and quirky around Paris and further afield in the
updates from their gar- Loire valley; areas that saw the birth of
dens (users can search us- commercial horticulture in France and
ing the hashtag #jardins, home to the maraîchers (market garden-
#monjardin, #jardinage ers) who would feed the largest cities
or #potager). during the late eighteenth and nine-
We love this little sign teenth centuries.
saying “Jardinage: c’est Much-loved cultivars such as swede
moins cher qu’une (chou-navet jaune) ‘Saint-Marc’, celery
thérapie... et vous avez ‘Violet de Touraine’ (syn. ‘Violet de
des tomates” (“Gardening: Tours’), butternut squash ‘Sucrine de
cheaper than therapy... Berry’ and pumpkin ‘Citrouille de
and you get tomatoes”). Touraine’ were treasured in this expand-
Via the Instagram page ing market.
of philippe.collignon Why are these heritage cultivars wor-
thy of perpetuating? Aside from the fact
that they have been integral to the
human experience for centuries – seeing
our ancestors through cold, cold winters
and times of drought – the older culti-
vars were always recognised for their
ability to withstand specific cultural and
climatic conditions – the ‘toughies’ of
the vegetable kingdom.
But they have further crucial signifi-
cance in this age of genetic engineering
in which so much biological variation
seems endangered; in that they enrich
the global gene pool of comestibles with
their various abilities to withstand dis-
ease and pests.
If you are in any doubt about the value
of this variety to humans, think of the
Irish potato famine, magnified in horror
by the fact that virtually all the potatoes
grown in Ireland at the time were clones
of a cultivar with no resistance to the
fungal disease, Phytophera infestans.
But there’s a caution that comes with
saving vegetable seed. Many plants will
not ‘come true’ from seed that you save
– particularly anything that bears the
‘F1’ label. The plants from which it is
difficult to save seed are, by nature,
happy cross-pollinators and must be
grown in isolation, since wind or insects
can transfer pollen up to two kilometres.
The offspring of your saved seed will
not produce the quality of vegetable you
want to grow.
It may be best to leave vegetables that
readily cross-pollinate – such as the
squash and pumpkin cultivars I’ve
already mentioned – to the experts to
perpetuate. Instead, buy seed such as
these from organisations like Mille
Varieties Anciennes (www.millevariete-
sanciennes.org), whose website is ency-
clopaedic on old French vegetables and
provides a direct link to an online shop.
However, tomatoes, haricots and peas
are all good choices for the amateur gar-
dener, since they are self-fertile and
require little to no isolation – with the
inevitable exception of F1 cultivars,
which are specially engineered by
cross-breeding under controlled
conditions.
Peppers and lettuces are mildly
cross-pollinating – sweet peppers will
even cross with chilli peppers – but three
metres (or a taller intervening crop) is
sufficient isolation to give you a chance
of saving seed that will be true to
the parent. You could also try
growing peppers in insect-
proof cages: fairly simple
if you just drape net cur-
tains over a support.
There are three things
you can do to increase
your chances of success-
ful seed saving. Firstly:
plant more than you want,
setting a portion of your crop
aside for seed. Notice which of
“
It may be best to
leave vegetables that
readily cross-pollinate
– such as squash and
pumpkin cultivars –
to the experts
Gardening 7
your seed-bearing plants manifest the
characteristics you are keen to perpetu-
ate. With lettuces, for example, save seed
from those that are slowest to bolt in
your conditions.
Secondly: harvest at the right time.
This kind of knowledge comes with
experience, but generally vegetable plants
with large fruits should be left until the
fruit is overly ripe. For lettuces, wait
until the ripening seed is producing little
white cotton balls and some of the seeds
on a seed head can be pulled easily from
the plant. Then collect the seed daily, or
cut the whole head and leave it to ripen
upside down in a large paper bag.
Finally: cleaning and storing correctly.
Small seed, such as lettuce, is generally
simply sieved and treated like small
flower seeds, with as much of the chaff
as you can manage removed. Not such a
tricky process, since viable seed is
always heavier than chaff, which is why
‘winnowing’ (bouncing uncleaned seed
on a folded sheet of newspaper) works
so well – much of the chaff will be car-
ried away by air currents.
Beans and peas should be left on the
plant until they are brown, and only
shelled two weeks after harvest-
ing. Many gardeners use fer-
mentation to clean the jelly
(which inhibits germina-
tion) from around tomato
seeds. They scoop the
seeds and gel from over-
ripe fruit, pop it all into a
jar of water and leave it for
about a week, swirling the
mixture around, or stirring it
daily. The viable seeds sink to the
bottom and you simply strain the liquid
away and dry off the seeds.
Once you’ve cleaned your seed, store it
dry (but not desiccated) in small paper
bags. You could put the bags into air-
tight glass containers if you are sure that
all the moisture has been removed. Put
the seed in a cool, dry, dark place, ideal-
ly between 0 and 10°C. The viable life
of seed varies according to the plant –
tomatoes and beans tend to have quite
a long life, lettuce not so much.
Do you grow any heritage vegetables in
your garden? What’s special about your
favourite varieties? Send an email to:
editor@connexion.com
8 Interview connexionfrance.com French Living I September 2023

‘In all sincerity

Photo: dpa picture alliance / Alamy

I just compose
what comes
from my heart’
Richard Ogier speaks to Ibrahim Maalouf, the
first Lebanese artist to be nominated for a Grammy,
and a musician who glides gracefully between
different musical styles on his four-valve trumpet

T
he eclecticism of Lebanese-
born French trumpeter and
composer, Ibrahim Maalouf,
has made him an attractive
collaborator to a variety
of top-tier international musicians and
artists, from Sting to Cyndi Lauper, Philip
Glass, Quincy Jones and the actress
Sharon Stone.
Seventeen albums under his own name,
that bridge a range of musical styles and
cultures, have elevated him to semi-pop
star status in France. A classically trained
musician who constantly improvises, he
moves effortlessly between jazz, classical
European and Arabic forms.
His current release, Capacity to Love,
uses catchy melodic hooks and brilliant
trumpet playing in a contemporary fusion
of hip-hop, soul and R&B. He is about to
take the record on tour across fourteen
French cities starting in October, with a
finale on November 29 in Paris in the
massive Accor Arena.
A humanitarian element has long been
evident in Maalouf ’s music and the forces
that shape it. This time he has found inspi-
ration in Charlie Chaplin’s passionate
pro-democracy and anti-facist speech
from The Dictator. He has looked beyond
the film’s cinematic context to express in
music similar values of political openness
and the ability to embrace diversity, which
ultimately, he says, are a measure of an
individual’s capacity to love.
The following are edited extracts from
How do you choose, then, when
there’s so much music out there?
I don’t feel like I’m making any specific
choice. It feels to me that I’m just express-
ing something that belongs to the times
we’re living in.
People sometimes refer to the fact
that I mix Middle East and Eastern
music. I don’t even think about it. In
all sincerity I compose just what comes
from my heart, and I don’t think about
it very much.
I adapt my knowledge of music and
my cultures, and everything I’ve learnt in
the classical world and in jazz, and playing
live on stage, everything I love doing,
like improvisation. I put that knowledge
into whatever I compose, but when it
comes down to it, the music just comes
from my heart.
The reasons for the Middle Eastern
influence are evident, but Cuban,
Brazilian, and Spanish...
... and sometimes Indian and African
as well. There are so many fascinating
cultures everywhere.
So you put the diversity down to your
curiosity, and ‘the heart’ as you put it? Above, Ibrahim beyond jazz. I met him several times and Even between two of your records
Yes. I think the way someone builds their Maalouf playing his we talked about doing something. So I that are stylistically similar, say Red
relationships with other people is linked trumpet at the Echo called him when we were in the studio & Black Light and Illusions, there are
to the way they see the world. When I Jazz award show in in LA, and as a result of the call he drove still huge contrasts. My guess is that
meet someone who is very different from Hamburg in 2016 five hours to come and meet us. you’re a voracious listener. Are you?
me, someone who comes from a culture When he arrived, I talked to him about Yes, I listen to all kinds of things. My
that is totally different from mine, and the album, and he said to me, “Oh, you’re problem is that I don’t always remember

a conversation which took place in Paris,
in English, in his dressing room at the
famous music venue La Cigale, before two
sell-out concerts on a warm night in June,
with long-term collaborator, the guitarist
François Delporte.
Outside, a little later, waiting to see the
second show (or hoping to), the Parisian
public were lined up, often three and
four deep, for hundreds of metres along
the street.
From classical to jazz then the
hip-hop beats of your current release,
Capacity To Love, what drives the
eclecticism of your music?
“
who might externally not have so much
in common with me, I love to find out
where they’re coming from. I love to find
out what we share. So in my music, I live
by exactly the same rules. Anything that is
different from me, I will try to see what
my trumpet can do to find the common
ground between us.
We cannot
What drives the collaborations with
die of an
performers as varied as the composer
Philip Glass and the Cameroon-born
overdose of
American musician Richard Bona?
(Laughs) I do not envy anything. Simply,
love. So let’s
I think it’s that they are people who share
the same curiosity as me. Such people are
preach this
talking about our capacity to love.” And I the names of the things I listen to. You
was like, wow, he just said in two, three know, I’m from the generation that taps
words, exactly what I meant in half an and listens (gestures at his phone) and
hour of monologue… then taps again. But where the emotion
is, I go. Always.
And what about Sharon Stone, who
performed the blistering political
poem, Our Flag, on the album?
What are you listening
to at the moment?
I wanted someone from the cinema
world to close the album, because the
This last week I was focused on two
gospel songs, one by the American gospel
opening is with Charlie Chaplin (on the
track Speechless).
icon CeCe Winans, and one from
The McClurkin Project. Let me show you,
The cinema door is the main entrance
to this album, so I wanted to close it with
I can find them here for you (taking his
phone). I’m really into big choirs and
someone who would be as iconic as
Chaplin. But in a more modern way.
gospel right now.

I’ve always been curious about the pulse

of the world we live in, and everything
has changed so much in the last twenty
or thirty years with the internet. With our
telephones we have access to everything
on the planet, musically speaking.
Artistically speaking, it would be anachro-
nistic not to build my musical language on
everything I experience.
open and curious and they like the fact
that I’m not in their normal circles. So
I think that makes the difference.
Specifically with Capacity to Love,
how did the collaboration with
Gregory Porter come about?
I love this man. For me, he’s one of the
most beautiful voices in jazz, and even
message I discovered that Sharon listens to my
music and ‘likes’ it on Instagram. So I
again and thought, “let’s ask her”. I went to see her
in her home in LA. I played the music to
not be her, she was listening, and then she started
crying. Because I had told her what it was
ashamed about, and she was really touched. I was
really moved by her reaction, so we went
about it ahead with it.
What does the four-valve microtone
trumpet that you play (famously
invented by your father, the innovative
classical trumpeter Nassim Maalouf)
give you musically?
It is an incredible link between all the
styles of music that I love. The thing is
with quarter tones, it’s not only about
my culture, because quarter tones are
September 2023 I French Living
everywhere – in gospel music, spiritual
and Indian music, in African music, in
Baroque music. And actually, all the folk
sounds of the world have quarter tones,
and they are there in modern harmony…
So that’s the magic of this instrument,
of course. It also allows me to play my
heritage and culture along with all these
other types of music as well. And you
know, even in jazz, you have lots of
quarter tones.
Capacity To Love came out last year
and you are about to begin another
series of concerts touring the record.
Is this due to the fans? Is there simply
still a big concert public for it?
Yes.
And it still feels fresh
obviously to you as a player?
Yeah, I mean, absolutely. You know,
if I don’t believe in something, I don’t
do it. And if I don’t feel that I’m fresh
on stage and playing something that is
still moving me, I wouldn’t do it. This
album took up three years of my life
in terms of producing it, and I love
playing it.
I also love the fact that I was able to
accept that someone else co-produced it.
That has never happened in my entire
life before, that I’ve allowed anyone else
to touch my music. But those guys
(French NuTone and American Henry
Was), are young, crazy producers and
musicians. They were kids, just 22,
when I started talking about the album,
so about half my age.
I wanted this young generation to
drive my music and take it to a place
outside of my comfort zone… to push
me somewhere else. They were like
expanding my boundaries a little bit, you
know? And the album speaks about this,
about our ‘capacity to love’, and asks are
we able to love people who are different?
Are we ready to do that? You know I
questioned myself about this.
The way I was working on the album
was all about this. I was asking myself
am I able to go this far and still consider
that this is my music, that it’s still me?
There is a political element to your
music, from Beirut to Speechless on
this latest album. But it’s obviously
not party political. What is it then?
It’s more about education and Vivre
Ensemble (living together) than politics.
Politics should be about exactly this.
But it somehow became something else,
it became a party thing. But in my opin-
ion, it should be only about the universal
(long pause). It’s a question of values.
How to educate our children. Qu’est-ce
qu’on lègue? – what do we want to leave
to our children?
Some people would say this is a bit
naive: “love, love, love”. It’s childish in a
way. But when I see or feel something
that makes me uncomfortable in the
world we’re living in, it reminds me that
nobody ever died of an overdose of love.
We cannot die of an overdose of love.
So let’s preach this message again and
not be ashamed about it. Love is more
important than anything else.
connexionfrance.com
Photos: Wikimedia Commons
€8 - 10bn needed to
renew French forests
Green news
Massive regeneration programme needed
France’s Ministry of Agriculture says that
between 8 and 10 billion euros worth of
investment is required to replenish the
country’s forests over the next decade.
Speaking at the launch of a report,
called ‘Objectif forêt’ (Objective Forest),
Agriculture Minister Marc Fesneau spoke
of a “vast intervention programme cover-
ing more than a million hectares” with
costs to be shared between private owners
who hold 75% of forests, and the State.
He said the focus needs to be on planting
trees, recruiting manpower and better
plot-management to help French forests
adapt to climate change.
Back in October 2022, French President
Emmanuel Macron promised to plant a
billion trees in France within ten years.
However, environmental associations
Top: Maalouf charm- argue that this is not enough, and that
ing the audience at changes need to be made within the tim-
a press conference ber industry, such as diversifying tree
for the Festival des species and reducing the use of pesticides
Vieilles Charrues in by farmers.
2016; playing at the “Part of what is recommended in this
Festival du Bout du report is not acceptable,” Sylvain
Monde in 2019 Angerand, forestry engineer and cam-
paign coordinator for the Canopée asso-
ciation, told francetvinfos. Mr Angerand,
who worked with France Nature
Environnement and the WWF on the
report, criticised “the stubbornness of the
Minister of Agriculture”, who favours
“large-scale clear-cutting, followed by
planting... if you cut down the forest all
at once, you’re going to have a rise in
temperature” and “you’re accelerating
climate change”, he explained. He recom-
mends “planting trees in small clearings.”
“In forestry, tree planting is just one
element in a forester’s technical palette.
There are operations that are far less
onerous for the forest, and which can be
effective, such as thinning, i.e. cutting
back just a few trees. The two parameters
in the forest are temperature and drought.
“If you clear the forest all at once, the
temperature will rise. In summer, when
you go for a walk, it’s cooler inside the
forest than outside. We recommend
planting trees in small clearings.
“For the moment, it’s just a report,
not produced by the government, but
by a working group, which has been
submitted to the Minister of Agriculture
and which should then come up with a
plan. Unfortunately, this report misses
the point,” he concluded.
Green news 9
Photo: Cameron Mourot on Unsplash
Photo: Bioassays/instagram
Paint my pelouse
Authorities in Mandelieu-la-Napoule
(Alpes-Maritimes) have engaged a local
start-up company to spray some of the
town’s sun-frazzled grassed areas using
100% organic, algae-based green colorant.
The colorant is “harmless to the envi-
ronment and humans,” said the mayor,
Sébastien Leroy, who added that the col-
ouring sprayed on the grass contains
nutrients to help the grass resist drought.
“The colouring process restores a natu-
ral, uniform colour to a yellowed lawn”, he
told francetvinfos. The goal is to maintain a
“
The colouring lasts
until the grass grows
back, as its root
system is still live
pleasant living environment for local resi-
dents and tourists, while saving precious
water resources by avoiding watering.
“It’s quite a virtuous process. This way,
we don’t have to remove green spaces and
replace them with dry plants or mineral
areas,” he said.
The colouring technique was developed
by Bioassays, a Mandelieu-la-Napoule-
based company that develops environ-
mentally-friendly ‘biocontrol’ solutions
for weed control, soil nutrition and pest
control in crops. They claim “it is a very
easy-to-use technique that revives the
lawn in just a few seconds. The colouring
lasts until the grass grows back, as its root
system is still alive.”
11 litres are needed to cover 2,000m2,
and the process costs between 30 and 50
centimes per square metre repainted, said
the mairie.
10 Nature
There’s hope for the planet yet
Jonathan Kemp enjoys
an Indre stay and spots
some feathered friends
I
have just come back from a brief
visit to La Brenne, a Regional
Nature park in the Indre depart-
ment, sometimes called the ‘Pays
des mille et un étangs’ (Land of a
thousand and one lakes). In fact, there
are 3,300 lakes to be found in the area,
and clearly there has been adequate rain
this winter so there was no sign of the
shortage that is a common feature further
south where I live.
The reason why I went was to see spe-
cies of water birds, which are very differ-
ent to the vultures and raptors that rule
the skies of the Aude. Hides have been
set up overlooking some of the lakes,
fairly well maintained and often empty –
I only met a handful of other birders dur-
ing the day I spent there. Oddly enough –
I imagine through lack of funds – the
most advertised visitor centre at Chérine
is only open to unscheduled visits for a
couple of hours in the mornings, and has
a deserted air. But with a little searching
open hides can be always be found.
A bird that we rarely see in the south is
the mute swan (cygne tuberculé) and on
the bigger lakes there was often a domi-
nant couple serenely gliding along. This
was the mating season so many of their
movements were synchronised, all part
of the ballet (Swan Lake?) that cements
the bond between them.
Despite the name, they do have some
distinctive calls, and I was hoping to hear
some, but on this calm and peaceful
morning all was quiet.
Great (grande aigrette) and little egrets
(aigrette garzette) patrolled the lake edges
fishing for prey – spectacular birds which
have become much more common in our
area over the last 30 years. At a distance,
if the difference in size is not too obvious
and the proportionally longer legs of the
great egret are not visible, the yellow beak
is a give-away, although that is only the
case in immature and non-breeding
birds; breeding birds’ beaks turn black.
I always enjoy the fishing technique that
the little egret uses in shallow water, a
shuffle of one leg to stir up the mud in
Anxiety-inducing arachnids: Languedoc scorpions, how to spot them and deal with them
Samantha David
A
ll scorpions are venom-
ous,” says Lucile Vidal
of the Micropolis, ‘La
Cité des Insectes’ near
Millau in Aveyron.
“Their stings are painful but not
normally fatal, however. The severity
depends on the person, their health,
and how their body reacts.”
Languedoc scorpions living in North
Africa are more venomous than those
in France. The effects of a sting vary
from a slight itch to an allergic
reaction.
There are at least five different
species of scorpion living in France,
around the Mediterranean basin, and
in Aquitaine as far north as Bordeaux.
“Amongst these five species, we find
connexionfrance.com
A pair of mute swans
order to see what is hiding from that
stabbing beak.
Even more spectacular than these star-
tling white birds, a similar profile to the
larger egret but slightly smaller, is the
finely marked purple heron (héron
pourpré) of which I saw two during the
day. These delicately coloured birds can
only be seen in France from April to
October, as they over-winter in tropical
Africa and they are not common, so it
is always a thrill to see one. In flight,
the neck bend of the purple is often more
angular than that of its cousin the grey
heron (héron cendré).
There were plenty of ducks, of course,
and just in front of a sleeping mallard I
Purple heron
the Languedoc scorpion (Buthus
occitanus). There also exist numerous
sub-species spread all over Europe
(France, Spain, Portugal, Sicily, Malta,
Cyprus), North Africa and Israel.”
The yellow ‘Languedoc scorpion’
is the largest in Europe, growing to
around 8cms long. Although associat-
ed with hot climates, scorpions can
survive low temperatures and winter
snows, and live as high as 1,000m
above sea-level.
This scorpion lives in arid rural areas
or woods, and being nocturnal is often
discovered hidden under a large stone.
It cannot be confused with the small
black scorpion with yellow legs
(Euscorpius flavicaudis), which is
found in houses all over the Midi.
Like all scorpions, it has a stinger at
the tip of its tail which it uses to kill
its prey, adjusting the dose of poison
according to the size of its victim.
Scorpions eat insects including
crickets and spiders.
French Living I September 2023
Photo: Jonathan Kemp
Photo: Jonathan Kemp
An opportunistic colony of house sparrows
was pleased to find a male and female which runs down the eastern edge of the
black-winged stilt (echasse blanche), region. Going towards the door I could
so aptly named on those extra- hear the cheeping of house sparrows
ordinary legs. (moineau domestique), and looking
Away from the lakes I saw few raptors, up at the neon signs was delighted to see
but was happy to see plenty of garden lots of scruffy nesting material hanging
bird nesting activity in the village where out of the letters, and the busy activity
a friend lives, and where we were staying. of a nesting colony in full chatter.
These birds seemed to be tamer than Inside the building I sought out the
they are near us, and clearly, even though most senior employee I could find, and
this was not in the heart of la Brenne, asked if I could pass on a comment to the
the local council was in the process of manager. Her face fell as I mentioned the
“
rewilding a local field, partially financed, sparrow nests, perhaps expecting a com-
a little ironically, by the local hunting plaint, but then beamed as I said how
federation. delighted I was, as a bird lover, to see
I was there out of hunting season, that they had not been cleaned away
but being a regional nature park does not for hygiene’s sake. As we drove away
exclude la chasse (hunting). I saw floating I thought to myself, ‘There’s hope for
It is always grain feeders clearly used to lure ducks
and geese.
the planet yet’...
a delight to This blue tit was nearly happy to con-
tinue feeding its demanding young at
Blue tit
find easily only three metres away from us, chirping
away in the hollow of the tree behind.
accessible The two other French birders that I met
throughout the day both agreed that it
hides where was very calm – that is, not many birds.
I’m in no position to judge, not being a
you are regular visitor to the area, but I can say it
Photo: Michel Fernandez, LPO Aude
is always a delight to visit, to find easily
liable to accessible hides where you are liable to be
virtually alone. There are maps available
Photo: Jonathan Kemp
be virtually in the tourist offices showing the best
places to go.
alone As we left early next morning we
stopped at the first motorway services
They are arachnids rather than adulthood, they shed A Languedoc scorpion
insects, having eight legs and only their outer shells 4-5
two body sections instead of three. times, turning yellow
They have an advanced sense of smell in the process.
which they use to avoid danger and Scorpions tend to
find food. The smaller males tend move into houses
to move around more than larger seeking shelter from
females, hunting for mates. the rain. Killing
Mating in scorpions is unique. They them is relatively
grasp each other’s pincers and move straight-forward.
Photo: Michailovna96_shutterstock/Inset: Pavel Krasensky_shutterstock
around in a kind of dance until the A magazine
male emits a sperm-containing struc- or newspaper placed
ture called a spermatophore onto a over a scorpion
smooth flat stone. He then manoeu- will stop it moving,
vres the female until she is over the at which point
spermatophore and as her body the area of the
touches it, sperm are ejected into magazine
the female’s body. sheltering
Gestation can be as long as eight the un-
months, and then the female gives welcome
birth to live young, on average around guest can
25 at a time, which spend the first be flattened
part of their lives clinging to their using a shoe A female scorpion
mother’s back. At this stage they are or a rubber carrying her eggs
white. As the young scorpions grow to mallet.
 September 2023 I French Living connexionfrance.com Cultural digest/Trending 11
From tennis wear to Tati

Photo: Graeme Dawes_Shutterstock

A round up of the arts and culture stories creating a buzz in France
1. Book sellers under Olympic threat
Parisian secondhand book sellers
(called bouquinistes) are furious with
the injunction issued by the Prefecture of
Police which aims to remove their iconic
green boxes during the Paris 2024
Olympic Games over security concerns.
It remains unclear whether the removal
3. Opening a new page on Tati
No excuses are needed to revisit the joy-
ous slapstick comedy films of Jacques Tati
but a new bande dessinée (graphic novel)
tome by Arnaud Le Gouëfflec and Olivier
Supiot that brings the master filmmaker’s
work to life in dazzling style, is sure to
inspire a new generation of fans.
Tati et le film sans fin (Tati and

1
the film with no end) is described
as “a joyful, melancholy poem
whose drawings and colours
draw us into Tati’s signature
burlesque atmosphere.”
A worthy tribute to a genius.

4. Book sellers’ malcontent

of the stalls will be for the duration of
the games or just the opening ceremony
which, for the first time in Olympic his-
tory, will take place outside a stadium –
along the Seine in central Paris on July
26, 2024.
Booksellers have been present on the
banks of the river since the 16th century
A new photography exhibition at
the Musée de Bretagne in Rennes,
Ille-et-Vilaine, provides a fascinat-
ing insight into Breton life in the
20th century.
‘La vie en photographie’ (Life in
Vasectomies on the rise: more
French men opting for the snip
photography) is an intimate collec-
tion of black and white images
from the early part of the century to the
1970s, depicting locals dressed up for spe-
cial occasions such as weddings, in their For various reasons both practical and ethical, there has been a
Sunday best or simply in work clothes.
Knowing that each subject understood massive increase in the irreversible operation, says Théophile Larcher
the rarity of having one’s photo taken,
makes the images very impactful – they the main reason
all appear so solemn! behind patients’
#trending

and provide tourists with a classic,
picture postcard image of the French
capital. AFP, which represents 200 or so
booksellers belonging to the Association
culturelle des bouquinistes de Paris (88%
of the total) said that they had “no inten-
tion of moving”.
M
The photographs were selected from choice to undergo
studio and photography shop archives. vasectomy, two
“It’s an important moment, a moment ore and more French men are urologists told The
that only happens once in a model’s life, undergoing a vasectomy operation Connexion, with
and we understand how important it can as an alternative solution to contra- many men turning
be, since the image we give of ourselves ception in their relationship. the table on who has
23,300 operations were performed to carry the burden

Photo: Uronice/Facebook
3
Image: Glénat

The prefecture is citing an article of
the French Internal Security Code, which
provides for a perimeter where “access
and circulation of persons are regulated”
in order to ensure the security of a
“place or event exposed to a risk of acts
of terrorism”.
2. Fashion in focus
In the year running up to the Olympics,
the link between fashion and sport will
be presented in style at the Musée des
Arts Décoratifs, starting on September
20 and running until April 7 2024.
The large-scale project highlights the
shared interests of the worlds of sport
and fashion from antiquity to the present
day. Almost 450 items, accessories, pho-
tographs, sculptures and videos will be
displayed in a colorful scenography trac-
ing the evolution of sportswear, which is
so prominent in today’s wardrobes.
Among the prominent designers fea-
tured are Jean Patou, Jeanne Lanvin,
Gabrielle Chanel and Elsa Schiaparelli
who were some of the interwar fashion
design pioneers who found inspiration in
the sporting world.
in 2021, according to figures provided by the French
healthcare system organisation, a twelvefold increase
over the last eleven years when only 1,908 operations
were performed.
Vasectomy is the only permanent and irreversible
contraceptive operation for men that consists of cut-
ting the ductus deferens – the canals transporting
sperm – to avoid spermatozoids reaching the ejacula-
tory duct.
Urologists and associations credit the rise to greater
access to information quashing recurrent cliches
about vasectomy. But it also coincides with a greater
rise of feminism among late 30-year-old men.
“I carry out two operations a week without any
advertising from the practice,” said Dr Frédéric
Obadia, a urologist at Uronice’s clinic in Nice, who
estimates that the overall number of operations has
jumped from two to 3,000 every year.
Operations steadily increased from 2010 to 2020
– only levelling off during the pandemic – to jump
from 13,000 to 23,000 from 2020 to 2021, according
to figures from Assurance Maladie. France has
allowed operations since 2001.
will be the one bequeathed to the next French figures cannot compare with Anglo-Saxon
generation,” said photographer and cura- countries, however.
tor Mathieu Pernot. Between 175,000 and 350,000 vasectomies are per-
The exhibition runs until December 3. formed each year in the United States according to
www.leschampslibres.fr/langues/en The Lancet in a 2015 article. One out of every four
Australian men have resorted to vasectomy and
of contraception.
The operation is
simple, has almost
no side-effects, a
short recovery time
and no detrimental Dr Frédéric Obadia of Uronice
effects on sexuality –
all of which explains the spread by ‘word of mouth’
among the population, doctors explained.
While operations are on the rise, doctors are still
allowed to turn down surgery requests, which is the
case for Alexis Lesueur, an urologist in Paris who
carries out five operations a month.
The doctor refuses 20-year-old patients who con-
sider that it is “unfair to impose life on to a child in
such a world,” he said, finding such a reason “absurd.”
But he also warns patients in their 30s who “live in
a fairytale world thinking they will stay with their
wife for the rest of their lives,” he said, adding that
“there is no guarantee that they will not file for
divorce and find love with another woman willing
to have children.”
“I try to drive patients into a corner to help them
become aware that no longer being able to have
children can become a problem,” he said.
Dr Lesueur said he was confronted once with a
patient who regretted his choice. “That was one time
too many,” he added.
The Ministry of Health and doctors recommend

4 Great Britain has a waiting-list, the longest of which

exceeds two years, as is the case in the Isle Of Man,
reported the BBC.
While most of Dr Obadia’s clientele used to be
taking a spermogram test three months after the
operation to assess the hopefully negative sperm
count. The use of a contraceptive during sexual
activities is advised during that period.

“
Anglo-Saxons living along the Mediterranean coast,
more and more people from Latin countries have
crossed the door of his clinic.
All sorts of patient profiles have been treated at
Uronice, ranging from 25-year-olds who do not want
children to 60-year-olds. “It is not only patients in
their late 30s who have had three children already,” Urologists and associations
he noted.
credit the rise to greater
Photo: 30 April 1925, Henri Rault

David Sutton, 42, a business intelligence coordina-

tor in an IT company, went to the Uronice clinic for a
vasectomy. He said: “My girlfriend was due to have access to information
her IUD contraceptive renewed. We decided it was
quashing recurrent
Photo: Henri Rault

my turn to have a procedure to do something.”

“Let’s just cut the problem at the source,” he
laughed. Mr Sutton said he never wanted children – cliches about vasectomy
12 Recipes connexionfrance.com French Living I

The Celtic culinary traditi

In her super new cookbook, Gilli Davies explores the Celtic culinary
landscape and its influences. Here she provides historical context,
reveals her personal passion for Breton cuisine and offers three recipes

G
athering recipes for Celtic Cuisine has been
a stimulating experience, highlighting a
common thread of cookery skills, ingredients
and culinary traditions throughout the Celtic
countries of Scotland, Ireland, Wales, the Isle
of Man, Cornwall, Brittany in northwest France and
Galicia in northwest Spain.
Traditionally, the Celts cooked over an open fire, with a
large pot suspended over the glowing coals to make soups
and stews. This is hardly a style of cooking that suits us
today, however, the griddle, a cookery implement that has
stood the test of time, is still very much used in many of
the Celtic regions. At one time bread was baked slowly
on the griddle by the Celts, but today it is used mainly for
cooking a variety of pancakes. In Brittany these are still
the thin, crisp crêpes, but elsewhere you might well find
potato cakes in Ireland, oatcakes in Scotland and Welsh
cakes in Wales, and it is of interest to see how the regional
variations have developed.
The ingredients in these regions are some of the finest
possible. With excellent and unspoilt coastlines, the fish,
shellfish and sea vegetables are plentiful. Inland, the rivers
yield good fish too, and the Celts, being good stockmen,
have always bred the finest breeds of cattle, pigs and sheep.
Wild deer and other game are still plentiful, and the hedge-
rows, moors and open spaces harbour a myriad of exciting,
untamed ingredients to add flavours of berries, blossoms,
fungi and herbs.
Oats were once the staple of all the northern regions, but
today buckwheat is favoured in Brittany in pancakes, while
potatoes major in Ireland and wheat is the most common
grain used in Wales. Regional variations in the names of
ingredients change too, as with spring onions, which are
known as a scallions in Ireland, gibbons in Wales and to the emergence of vigorous nationalist movements in
syboes in Scotland. the last century that today Celtic tongues are spoken in
most of the Celtic regions and a sense of shared culture
Historical context has developed within art, music and, of course, cooking.
The Celts have deep roots in European history and can be
traced back to 500 BC. They have been one of the greatest Memories from Brittany
peoples and were established across a vast area from My earliest memories of eating in Brittany, when I was
Britain and Ireland in the north to Spain and France in about five years old, are tucking into the most delicious
the south, spreading east to southern Germany, the Alps, pain d’épices on the beach. My father was an adventur-
Bohemia and later Italy, the Balkans and even central ous man and back in the early 1950’s decided to take the
Turkey. First identified in Switzerland and known as the family on a foreign holiday to a small village called Saint-
Celts of La Tène, history shows how they shared many Jacut-de-la-Mer near Mont Saint-Michel. We stayed in a
common bonds of language, customs, art and culture. delightful family run hotel and each meal was a greater
Known in France as Gauls and Galatae to the Greeks, revelation than the last.
it was the Romans with their conquering armies who As a teenager I went back to Brittany on an exchange
drove the Celts north, and by AD 43 the Roman Emperor with my friend Chantal. We holidayed in her family house
Claudius had worked his way up to the Highlands of at Locmariaquer on the Bay of Quiberon and I was intro-
Scotland, which was then known as Caledonia. In fact, duced to the sublime Breton delicacy of oysters.
Ireland was the only part of the Celtic world to escape More recently I have had the great pleasure to work at
Rome. the Celtic Festival in Lorient on the Finistère peninsula.
Although the Romans failed to conquer Galicia, the early This enormous celebration of Celtic food, music, dance,
Bretons did succumb and it was later in the 6th century art and theatre takes place every August. Arriving each
that a resurgence in Celtic culture took western Britons morning to the sounds of musical pipes, and spending
across the channel to establish Brittany. However, the the day surrounding by Celtic enthusiasts is a thrill. Did
Celtic revival of the early Middle Ages was halted by the I eat crêpes with cider? I most certainly did as well as all
Vikings, with subsequent centuries experiencing a weaken- manner of fish and shellfish, and the marvelous seafood
ing of the Celts’ identity, culture and language. It was due supper of Cotriade.

POULET AU CIDRE (CHICKEN IN CIDER) Method

1. Melt half the butter in a large pan and cook the onions
on medium heat for 5-7 minutes until golden.
SERVES 6 2. In a larger, thicker pan, melt the remaining butter and
brown the chicken breasts for about 3 minutes.
Ingredients 3. Add the cooked onions and apples and cover with the
6 chicken breasts cider and cognac.
2 apples, Golden Delicious variety, cut into cubes 4. Add nutmeg, salt and pepper. Celtic Cuisine by Gilli
3 large onions, peeled and sliced finely 5. Allow to simmer without a lid until 2/3 of the cider has Davies, photography by
50g butter evaporated, approximately 30-40 minutes. Huw Jones, published
200ml dry cider from Brittany 6. Remove the chicken breasts and set aside to keep warm. by Graffeg. £9.99,
2 tablespoons Calvados (optional) 7. Pour the cream into the cider sauce and stir for a available from Wordery
2 pinches ground nutmeg few minutes. with free internation-
Salt and pepper to taste 8. Coat the chicken with the sauce and serve immediately al shipping, or from
50ml cream with rice or creamed potatoes. graffeg.com.
I September 2023 connexionfrance.com Food notes 13

ion

Main photo: wwww.visitpasdecalais.com; inset: Jiel Beaumadier/Wikimedia

COTRIADE (BRETON FISH STEW)

Keep your coq au vin, it’s a

SERVES 4-6
beery slow-cooked feast for me
3-4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
Ingredients 4 onions, peeled and sliced into rings In our regular sideways look at foodie tales, we take a
1kg selection of fish (mackerel,
sardines, squid, ray, cod, etc.), trimmed
1kg potatoes, peeled and diced
6 tomatoes, peeled and diced
look at the tasty, slow-cooked treat, carbonnade flamande
and filleted Small bunch parsley
450g shellfish (langoustines, prawns, 1 stick celery, chopped bordering modern day France's north-
mussels), cleaned 1 leek, chopped
Food notes eastern tip. And here is the crucial link to

W
1 tablespoon olive oil 1 bouquet garni French cuisine, as the Flemish influence
Pinch saffron Seasoning on the regional dishes of Nord and
ith the cooler evenings Pas-de-Calais was decidedly beery, the
Method and shorter days of au- most notable and delectable resulting
1. Make some stock with all the fish trimmings. In a saucepan, cover with cold tumn fast approaching, recipe being carbonnade flamande.
water, bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes, then strain to make 1½ litres. the French cook’s recipe The word carbonnade has origins in
2. Heat the olive oil in a large pan, add the saffron, garlic and onions and cook book will inevitably fall charbon (charcoal) as it was always braised
gently until soft. open at the pages of slow-cook wonders over coals. Your Food Noter has ordered a
3. Add the stock, potatoes, tomatoes, parsley, celery, leek and herbs. Season and such as boeuf bourguignon and coq au vin. steaming plate of this braised beef and on-
cook until tender. These cockle-warming classics ions classic several times in situ –
4. Add the firm fish to the pot first, layering up with the shellfish on top. Cook for feature, of course, generous with frites, always frites, as an
about 5 minutes. glugs (up to a whole bottle) accompaniment – and it is a
5. Serve the cotriade in large bowls with French bread and a good bottle of wine. of wine, which serves to very earthy, no-nonsense
tenderise the meat and dish that perhaps reflects
CREPE then reduces to form a the territory's history of
BRETONNE thick and delicious sauce.
However, this kind of
both graft and guerre.
You might enjoy it after a
(BRETON boozy cooking was not al- visit to an especially mov-
CREPE) ways the domain of produce ing World War One muse-
from the wine domaines of um or cemetery, or perhaps
MAKES 12 CREPES southern Europe. Previously, following a visit to a defunct
the liquid of choice for low-and- coal mine-turned-museum. Or
Ingredients slow dishes was beer, notably in northern wander the cute streets of Vieux Lille and
150g plain flour Europe. In England, Liber Cure Cocorum, duck into a traditional estaminet (tavern).
1 large egg, lightly was a 1430 Lancashire cookbook written in It feels functional rather than frivolous,
beaten rhyming verse, and featuring recipes with with a kick provided by brown sugar,
375ml milk, ale. Then there was Germany, Belgium and mustard and pain d'épices (gingerbread)
approximately Flanders (all major beer lovers), the latter adding heat to its soul-soothing appeal.
50g butter

Fillings
The juice of a freshly
Gadget inspector Now available
squeezed lemon and
caster sugar.
Or 60g jam of your
favourite flavour and
whipped cream.
Or 250g strawberries,
hulled and sliced
and whipped cream.
Or chocolate spread
Some icing sugar,
for dusting.

Method
1. Sift the flour into a bowl and make a well in the centre. Add the egg and a little milk Confiture in a copper pan: Mixology in a can: classic
into the well, then gradually whisk in the flour, slowly adding more milk until you blessed are the jam makers cocktails are good to go
obtain a smooth, thin batter.
2. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a jug and stand for at least 10 minutes If you have enjoyed a fine récolte (harvest) While in the UK the idea of enjoying
before cooking the crêpes. of perfectly juicy summer fruits, why not a ready-mixed G&T is nothing new, in
3. Melt the butter in a 20cm crêpe pan, then whisk the hot, melted butter into the freeze some for transforming into jam? France the idea of buying a cocktail in
crêpe mixture. Baumalu has been crafting elegant and a can (called a canette in French) is rela-
4. To make the crêpes, pour enough mixture into the hot pan to thinly cover the base. durable copper cookware in Alsace since tively new. One of the leading lights in the
Cook for 1 minute, or until the edges start to brown. Turn and cook the other side 1971, and their bassines à confiture will blossoming market is Féfé, which uses the
for 30 seconds, then transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining batter, stacking lend your kitchen authentic rustic charm mixology talents from Parisian bar Le Syn-
the cooked crêpes as you go. even when not in use. dicat. So why not take a place at your chic
5. To assemble, spread each crêpe with a little jam and cream and top with 4-5 slices of Model pictured, 26cm, 3litre induc- home bar and serve up a Pornstar Martini,
strawberry. Fold the crêpes and dust with icing sugar just before serving. tion pan (holds up to 2kg of fruit), price raspberry daiquiri or ‘Gin Basil Smash’.
€159.99. www.baumalu-boutique.com Price, €54 for 12 cans. drinkfefe.com
14 Camargue rice
Riz de Camargue: in a field of its own
Camargue rice is the
grain of choice for
gourmands and chefs
thanks to its nutty
flavour and multi-
coloured varieties.
Patrice Bertrand looks
at the cereal grower’s
increasing challenges
T
he Camargue, the vast, fertile
delta formed by the Rhône
before flowing into the
Mediterranean, is famous
among tourists for pink fla-
mingos, salt marshes and black bulls.
It is also ideal for growing rice. “Rice is
a freshwater aquatic plant that needs
light, mild temperatures and wind. We
benefit from all these elements thanks to
our Mediterranean climate and the
Mistral wind,” says Bertrand Mazel, who,
along with some 150 other rice growers,
cultivates what is known as ‘blond gold’
on this extensive territory: Camargue
rice, essentially the only rice that is ‘made
in France’.
Its nutty taste, aromatic qualities and
rich flavours are highly appreciated in
cooking. The best-known varieties, both
round and long, include: paddy – a grain
with a tough edible husk; cargo – a com-
plete rice, the most nutritious of all;
brown – a semi-complete rice; wholly
milled – rice stripped of its surrounding
“
Rice growing only
really took off after
the Second World War,
thanks to the Marshall
Plan and construction
of irrigation systems
and pumping stations
layers; parboiled rice – whose starch has
been destroyed, ideal for risotto; and red
rice – the darling of Michelin-starred
chefs, a complete rice whose pericarp is
naturally tinted red.
“But in reality, around sixty
different varieties are grown
in the Camargue, and we
shouldn’t talk about one
Camargue rice, but about
Camargue rices. This
diversity lets us adapt to
consumer demand,” says
Bertrand Mazel, also presi-
dent of the Syndicat des
Producteurs Riziculteurs
Européens, a European federation
of rice growers based in Arles. “We can
produce everything except basmati rice.
Today’s trends are sushi rice, quick-cook-
ing two-minute rice, coloured rice (red
connexionfrance.com
and black) and risotto rice. We also make
premium blends with different colours
(black rice/wholemeal rice, red rice/
white rice) and parboiled rices. Whatever
their type, these rices also have excellent
nutritional qualities and are naturally
gluten-free.”
Undulating amid the marshes, roots
in the water, stalks in the wind, the rice
fields blend into the Camargue landscape
like they’d been there forever. But in fact,
the introduction of rice to the Camargue
dates back just several centuries, to the
era of King Henri IV who, on the advice
of his minister Sully, ordered rice fields
to be planted in the Camargue in 1593.
However, after many ups and downs,
rice growing only really took off after
the Second World War, thanks to the
Marshall Plan and construction of irriga-
tion systems and pumping stations, as
freshwater irrigation was vital for rice.
It was so successful that, since 2000,
Camargue rice has a PGI, a label guaran-
teeing consumers that the rice comes
from Camargue and complies with
procedures ensuring production
quality, traceability and varietal
selection techniques.
Today, the rice growers (18% of
whom are organic producers)
are based in an area that
coincides exactly with that
of the Camargue Regional
Park, a triangle bounded
by the towns of Aigues-
Mortes to the west, Port-
Saint-Louis-du-Rhône to
the east and Tarascon to
the north. It is here that
99% of French rice is grown.
“Our work as rice growers is
mainly in the field,” says Bertrand Mazel,
whose 250 hectares of rice fields are in
Les Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, 40 kilo-
metres south of Arles, on the banks of
French Living I September 2023
early October using combine harvesters
Photos: Ray Wilson; Riz de Camargue
equipped to work in wet soils.
For most rice farmers, work as growers
ends here. After that, the rice is sent to
‘riziers’ (millers), companies that buy rice
and process it (hulling, blanching and
parboiling) making it fit for consump-
tion. “We also use by-products,” says
Bertrand Mazel. “Rice is like pork – it’s
all good. We make oil or flour from it,
use the husk for insulation, the bran for
cosmetics. Nothing is lost and everything
can be reused.”
Once processed, this rice is available in
high-end groceries, particularly organic
and health food shops, or online. In the
Camargue, it can be found everywhere
at retailers set up along the main roads.
Retail prices range from €1.50 to €8 per
kilo, the most expensive being coloured
(red or black) or organic rice. And if
visitors want to know everything there’s
to know about rice, they can visit the
Maison du Riz, a local Rice Museum in
Albaron, between Arles and Les Saintes-
Maries-de-la-Mer.
Camargue rice has become fashionable
in recent years and is used in countless
recipes, from the simplest to the most
sophisticated. At La Chassagnette, the
one-star Michelin restaurant set in the
Camargue countryside south of Arles,
chef Armand Arnal is particularly fond
of organic red rice. “It immediately
appealed to me because it’s in its raw
state and grows in natural areas, barely
worked by man,” he says. “Our custom-
ers, surprised by its colour, seduced by its
fragrance, captivated by its taste, love it.
For them, It’s often a new discovery,
Clockwise, from above: the Petit Rhône, an arm of the Rhône because they usually don’t spontaneously
around sixty varieties delta. “We must constantly check that the choose wholegrain rice. They prefer
of the rice are grown freshwater supply is balanced. We must white rice, whose colour evokes purity.”
in the Camargue; also keep the plots clean, constantly More traditionally, Camargue rice is the
the grower’s work in monitor plants until the rice comes basis for at least two local specialities:
mainly in the field – out of the water and ensure that pink the Paella Camarguaise, which reminds
the rice is then sent to flamingos don’t trample anything. us that, with this region’s local bullring
millers for processing; Ditches must be maintained to control and bullfights, Spain is not far away; and
grower Bertrand Mazel water supply and maintain constant the Gardianne de Taureau, a Camargue
water level. Contrary to popular belief,
rice doesn’t like seawater.”
bull stew marinated in good red wine
with bay leaves, thyme, orange peel,
The Camargue rice-growing cycle
begins in late winter with ploughing.
vinegar, onions and garlic.
Although Camargue rice accounts for
Gutters are then dug to regulate irriga-
tion and drainage. In mid-April, the
20% of total French rice consumption,
not everything is rosy for the sector.
land is irrigated and seed-sowing begins.
Thereafter, water management becomes
“Our production has dropped considera-
bly in the last 30 years”, says Bertrand
crucial to crop management. Depending
on climate and plant progression, the
Mazel. “As rice growers have to comply
with very strict regulations compared
land is alternately drained and re-wa-
tered. Harvesting, which takes place just
with other rice-producing countries, our
prospects are limited and some operators
once a year, is from late September to are discouraged. Rice from Asia, which
is extremely competitive without
the same environmental regulations,
has invaded the market.”
Another major problem is the
increase in water salinity caused
by climate change, which is causing
plants to wither. “For us, controlling
salinity is the challenge for the next
fifty years”, says Bertrand Mazel.
“Rice encourages and preserves an
entire ecosystem. Without it, there
wouldn’t even be any migratory
birds. The Camargue is like a big
bathtub with very high evaporation
because of rising temperatures
and increasingly low rainfall. If
we don’t fill it with fresh water
needed to grow rice, the wetlands
will disappear.”
“And then,” he adds, “the
Camargue will become nothing
more than a vast salty desert.”
rizdecamargue.com
September 2023 I French Living connexionfrance.com Wine and Cheese 15

Photos courtesy of La Ferme du Terrier

Don’t stick to your favourite grape
Jonathan Hesford on why choosing the same variety can limit your drinking pleasure

Main image: Armands Brants on Unsplash; inset: Kosma Kurłowicz on Unsplash

A year in the vineyard

O
ne of the things foreigners
often complain about
French wines is that they
don’t put the name of the
grape varieties on the label
like New World producers do.
People used to choosing American,
Australian or Chilean wines generally do
so by grape variety and most consumers
Cheese of have developed likes and dislikes of par-
ticular ones. There is a certain amount
Meet the producers the month:

L
of logic in choosing wines by grape but
it’s not an ideal method either and it
a Ferme du Terrier in Bazoges- Le P’tit Baldo makes choosing French wine (or most
en-Paillers (Vendée), an hour’s European wines) very difficult.
Photo: Fiore di Muntagna

drive south-east of Nantes, is French wines are also made from grape
completely organic. Started in varieties (known as cépages) but because
1972 by Claudette and Auguste of the way the wine industry developed,
Loiseau, it was handed down to their son it is the name of the region where the
Thierry in 1986. grapes are grown that takes pride of
Having at various times produced milk, place on the label. Over the centuries
eggs, lamb and beef, in 2000 it became a that French winegrowers have honed the
dairy farm run by Thierry and his wife craft they have chosen, they have careful-
Jocelyne in partnership with a neighbour- Le P’tit Baldo is a small ly developed grape varieties that produce
ing farmer. Today it is run by Thierry Corsican farmhouse the best results in their particular area.
and Jocelyne with their partners Marie ewe’s milk cheese made In the past, many vignerons may not historic indigenous varieties, some are referred to as a varietal wine. Even
Routhiau and Mikaël Gaborieau. exclusively from raw milk. have even known the names of the mutations and some are deliberate though many of Europe’s greatest wines
Together, they have 80 dairy cows and Handmade, it is moulded varieties they were planting or growing, hybrids created by cross-pollinating. are blended from several varieties, such
150 hectares of pasture. They grow in a multi-layer process, they just went with what gave the best For example, Pinot gris is a mutation as Bordeaux, Côte-Rôtie, Châteauneuf-
everything the cows eat, to be sure that then dry-salted and results. Choosing the best vineyard plots of Pinot noir, and Cabernet sauvignon du-Pape and Rioja, varietal wines are
the entire process is organic. “We employ washed regularly. After was far more important than choosing is a cross created from Cabernet franc viewed as superior to blends by most
nine people to help in the dairy, where maturing for two to three the best plants. and Sauvignon blanc. Crossings of Vitis Americans, Australians, Chileans and
we make yoghurt in a wide range of fla- months, its rind turns Grape vines are propagated by taking vinifera with native American vines have New Zealanders.
vours, plus creamy desserts, fromage orange-yellow. cuttings of shoots and replanting them; delivered very limited success in terms The New World cult of varietal wines
blanc, rice puddings, and semolina,” The cheese is white when this is referred to as cloning because the of wine flavours, even though they make has spread into the markets of those
says Marie Routhiau. fresh and ivory when new vine is an exact copy of the old one. the plants more resistant to fungal dis- countries which bought them, such as
The cows produce 430,000 litres of matured, and it develops Planting a grape seed will not replicate eases. For the moment no genetically the UK, Netherlands and Scandinavia. A
milk a year and they turn 180,000 litres its fine granularity as well the characteristics of the parent vine. modified vines are allowed in the EU. combination of approachable, consistent
into yoghurt. “We sell around 50,000 as flavourful hints of the The earliest vignerons simply took shoots As viticulture and wine production style and ease of learning has made varie-
litres of raw milk direct to clients, and the Corsican countryside: from wild vines and replanted them spread to the New World, producers tals more popular than traditional French
rest is pasteurised and sold to canteens.” honey, hazelnut and where they wanted them to grow. wanted to replicate the flavours of the wines, which require a large knowledge
Raw milk is used to make caillebottes – ‘maquis’ (Mediterranean Beginning in the Neolithic era in the greatest wines in the world, most of of AOCs and an understanding of food
a type of traditional milk curd which is scrubland) flowers. Middle East, generations of vignerons which were French at the time. So they and wine matching. It’s quite common to
As an award-winning domesticated the Euro-Asian grapevine, planted cuttings from the vineyards of find a British, American or Dutch con-
very popular in the Vendée, especially
cheese, it is served on
in hot weather. “You can’t really make it Vitis vinifera, by selecting cuttings from Bordeaux, Burgundy, the Loire and the sumer who drinks a Merlot with every
many fine tables on the
with pasteurised milk as you need the the most productive vines producing the Rhône. This explains why today the most red meat dish and a Chardonnay with
Mediterranean island
healthy bacteria found in raw milk.” tastiest grapes. Babylonians, Canaanites, planted and best known grape varieties every fish dish, often caring little about
and made at www.
They sell an average of 350 litres of Egyptians, Phoenicians, Greeks and in the world are Cabernet sauvignon, the region or even country where the
fiore-di-muntagna.com.
raw milk a week during the winter, and Romans eventually brought viticulture to Merlot, Chardonnay, Pinot noir, grapes were grown.
2,500 litres per week during the summer. France and classical texts refer to specific Sauvignon blanc, Grenache That is in complete contrast
The Ferme du Terrier is part of the Local speciality: ancient vine varieties. and Syrah. to a French consumer who
Invitation à la Ferme network of organic
food producers. “We all use the same
Cèpenade Europe’s cultivated vineyards were
abandoned after the fall of the Roman
There are other European
grape varieties that com-
chooses a Muscadet to
drink with seafood, a
packaging and recipes but the products Empire and those vines interbred with pete in terms of vines Sancerre rouge for their
from our farm are only sold in a small local wild vines over many centuries to planted but that is because Caesar Salad and a
radius of 60 kms around the farm, create the large number of grape varieties they are varieties local to Gigondas for their roast
Photo: Les Cèpenades

making them short local supply chain that are now considered indigenous to very large regions. For lamb, perhaps not know-
as well as organic.” many European regions. example, Airen and ing what varieties make
They sell their products in all kinds of In the early 20th century, French ampe- Tempranillo in Spain, up any of them.
shops, from large supermarkets to small lographers classified over 5,000 known Trebbiano and Sangiovese in Sticking to a handful of
speciality boutiques. “We used to deliver varieties. However, many of these were Italy and Carignan in France. well-known grape varieties may
raw milk to our clients twice a week but synonyms for the same grape and there Grape varieties are by nature suited to be a simple method for not making a
had to stop during Covid as going house If tapenade (olive paste) is are actually around 1,300 varieties culti- certain climates. Grenache won’t ripen in mistake in a restaurant or when taking a
to house was just too risky. So now we the summetime spread of vated worldwide. In France alone there cool regions and Pinot noir makes dull, bottle to a dinner party, but it massively
just sell direct from the farm.” choice for your apéro toasts are about 200. Some of these are the alcoholic wines in hot ones. Grenache is limits the range of wines you can experi-

“
Marie Routhiau was not born on a farm (small slices of toasted able to grow where the rainfall is insuffi- ence. I’d also argue that it is a false sense
but jumped at the chance of working at baguette), then top of the cient for Sauvignon blanc. of security.
the Ferme du Terrier when she was autumn gourmet spreads In France, and most of Europe, the Very few people can actually identify
offered an apprenticeship there. “Now is the lesser-known mush- varieties that are permitted to be planted the grape variety in a wine simply by
I’m an associate which is great. I love room delight, cèpenade. in each region is often controlled. Some taste and many don’t realise that Saint-
the life.” It is a speciality of of those rules go back to the Middle Ages Emilion is their Merlot or Pouilly-Fuissé
As Thierry and Jocelyne are planning to Auvergne firm Les Cèpe- but most were formalised in the 1930s is their Chardonnay. The consistency of
retire in the next 4-5 years, there will be
opportunities for two new associates to
nades, which also makes a In the New World, with the creation of the Appellation
d’origine contrôlée (AOC) laws. The prin-
style is not really the grape variety being
used. It is more likely the winemaking
wide range of mushroom
buy shares in the farm. “We’ll be looking
for more people because running a farm
soups, veloutés and sauces. the choice of variety ciples being to preserve and protect the
styles of wines being made as well as to
choices made by the producers who label
their wines by variety.
Their cèpenade comprises
between four of us just makes sense. 70% mushrooms, includ- normally depends focus vignerons on the most successful
Jonathan Hesford has a Postgraduate
“The cows have to be milked twice a ing 50% ceps, extra virgin varieties for their particular region.
day, 365 days of the year but we all get olive oil, anchovies, capers, on the style of wine However, in the New World, the choice Diploma in Viticulture and Oenology
five weeks paid holiday, and only work lemon juice, Guérande salt, of variety normally depends on the style from Lincoln University, New Zealand
one weekend in four, which is quite rare ground pepper, and Espe- the grower desires of wine the grower desires to make. and is the owner, vigneron and
for dairy farmers.” lette pepper (AOC). €6.25 In most cases that has been limited wine-maker of Domaine Treloar in the
www.fermeduterrier.fr from bienmangercom. to make to making wines from a single grape, Roussillon. www.domainetreloar.com
 16 Interiors
Princely residence saved by Englishmen
Charlotte Vignon
introduces a new book
charting the history of
Château de Bagatelle,
Parisian getaway villa of
kings and royal family
members, and author
Nicolas Cattelain traces
the property’s key
British influences
T
he author begins this history
in the early eighteenth centu-
ry, when a certain Lucie
Félicité de Noailles owned
a little home – also called
Bagatelle – on the spot of the count’s
future pleasure house. Cattelain fills in
and sometimes corrects details of the ups
and downs of the premises in the days of
the comte d’Artois, but above all he con-
tinues the tale into the nineteenth and
twentieth centuries.
Cattelain informs us – to my own great
surprise – that the count’s ‘folly’ was not
only a paean to eighteenth-century France
but that it also incarnated the nineteenth
century through a series of famous own-
ers. Following the comte d’Artois,
Napoleon I and Empress Marie-Louise
briefly occupied the pavilion (where
their young son, styled the King of Rome,
would play), before becoming the property
of the duc and duchesse de Berry, where it
served as a cradle for another royal prince,
the duc de Bordeaux.
In 1835, Bagatelle was bought by the
marquess of Hertford, who bequeathed
it to Richard Wallace in 1870, after which
it was purchased by the City of Paris in
1905. Again to my great surprise, this lit-
tle neoclassical building turns out to be
not a perfect embodiment of the Louis-
XVI style but rather a challenge to the
history of French art and tastes. Right
from the start, Bagatelle’s architecture was
surprising in terms of plan and façade,
having been inspired by Palladian-revival
villas discovered by the English architect
William Chambers during a trip to Italy
around 1750. Yet it was not surprising,
according to Cattelain, that the pavilion’s
architect, François-Joseph Bélanger, had
never been to Italy (unlike most artists
© Nicolas Cattelain
connexionfrance.com
and architects of his generation), since he
traveled regularly to England, where he
saw the neoclassical works of Chambers
and Robert Adams.
The irony, as stressed by the author,
was that the ‘English’ quality sought by
Bélanger and the young comte d’Artois –
the most Anglophile prince at the French
court – was effaced in the 1860s by an
Englishman, the rich collector Lord
Hertford, who decided to make Bagatelle
more ‘French’ by giving it a façade of
proportions typical of the Louis-XVI style
of 1770–80. That was when the role of the
pavilion also changed; conceived in the
eighteenth century as a pleasure house
where people rarely spent the night, it
thereafter became a regular residence
for Hertford and his illegitimate son,
Sir Richard Wallace.
An artful English influence
From 1835 to 1905 the story of Bagatelle
was closely tied to the fate of the Seymour-
Conway family, marquesses of Hertford.
It is the sad tale of an aristocratic line that
ended in dissoluteness and isolation after
just a few generations, yet it is also the
wonderful genesis of the creation of one
of the most important and perhaps largest
collections of art ever to be assembled in
the nineteenth century.
French Living I September 2023
Back to neoclassical
© Bruno Ehrs
The comte d’Artois’s little pleasure house,
so loved by the duc de Berry, whose chil-
dren grew up there, had been neglected
ever since the Bourbons emigrated and
was, unfortunately, in poor condition.
Thomas Raikes, a banker, dandy, and
famous diarist, was passing through Paris
when his friend Hertford invited him to
have a look at the new purchase. Raikes
described the visit in his journal on
March 1, 1836:
“I went this morning with Yarmouth
[i.e., Hertford] to look at his new pur-
chase of Bagatelle, where he is repairing
and improving the whole domain. He
is building a range of greenhouses on
the model of those at Chiswick and
adding to the plantations. There is a large
steam-engine which supplies the house,
the offices, the ponds and the cascade
with water from the Seine... The dry rot
has unfortunately made its way into the
house, and it has become necessary to
lay down new floorings in all the rooms,
... which is the more to be regretted as it
must injure the beautiful painted ceilings
© CC0 Paris Musées Musée Carnavalet – Histoire de Paris
of the principal apartments. We detected
some remains of the fresco paintings
in the boudoir, which were done by the
order of the comte d’Artois, and form a
great contrast to the present devout
habits of Charles X. When completely
restored..., it will be the most beautiful
fairy retreat in France, at only a quarter
of an hour’s drive from the capital.”
Apart from this rare account, we remain
unaware of the exact extent of work done
after Hertford bought Bagatelle. Whatever
the case, that work represented the start
of a long series of changes that would
significantly affect the appearance of
the premises:
• Sometime during the 1860s – probably
1864 – Hertford asked architect Léon de
Sanges to raise the height of the chateau,
thereby making the upper floor more
comfortable; this resulted in a significant
alteration of the courtyard façade.
• During the same period, de Sanges
also erected new, larger stables on the
other side of the main entrance to the
grounds. These buildings, which can still
be seen today, were done in the vernac-
ular, red-brick style, apparently to match
Clockwise, from top: This ‘English’ the ‘chalet style’ used by Davioud for
© Bruno Ehrs
The Château de Bagatelle chapter in Baga- the entrance to the Bois de Boulogne.
seen from the terrace that telle’s history can The water pump, which also survives,
now overlooks the road be traced back to was also rebuilt in a ‘mixed’ revival style
leading from Sèvres to the unexpected of Louis-XIII inspiration.
Neuilly; Charles Marville, and intimate • In 1871, Richard Wallace, having
Lord Hertford, Madame relationship just inherited the property from Lord
Oger, and Richard Wallace that the Sey- Hertford, built the rococo Louis-XV style
on the Terrace of Bagatelle mour-Conways pavilion that still stands at the entrance to
Pavilion; A bronze repro- built with France, the grounds.
duction of Charles-Au- which made the 4th Marquess and his • Finally, in 1872–73, Wallace demol-
guste Lebourg’s terracotta heir, Richard Wallace, true Frenchmen by ished the Pages’ Pavilion, which had been
bust of Richard Wallace adoption. Lord Hertford bought Bagatelle damaged during the events of the Paris
(1869); Bagatelle’s main on September 22, 1835, and spent much Commune, and replaced it by two small
room – the music room – is of his life there until he passed away on guards’ pavilions flanking the lane leading
a rotunda with three large August 25, 1870. toward the chateau. To the right of this
French windows leading He died in the bedroom of the comte lane, a new building, dubbed Trianon,
to the garden. Drenched d’Artois overlooking the main courtyard was built in a Gabriel-revival style to
in light, it has retained its and Seine, exactly one week after Napo- harmonize with the chateau’s new façade.
Louis XVI decoration leon III lost the battle of Sedan, bringing The domestic staff formerly housed in the
down the Second Empire. Hertford’s Pages’ Pavilion were moved to quarters
illegitimate son, private secretary, and underneath the main terrace opposite
principal legatee, Sir Richard Wallace, the Trianon, overlooking what is today
died twenty years later in the same bed ‘la route de Sèvres à Neuilly’.
in that same bedroom, owner of a vast Paradoxically, it was the English owners
Bagatelle: A Princely fortune and a henceforth famous art of Bagatelle who stripped the comte
Residence in Paris collection, part of which would become d’Artois’ country retreat of its typically
by Nicolas Cattelain, the Wallace Collection in London in British Palladian appearance, replacing
with foreword by 1906. Two Englishmen in France, two it with a French neoclassical one. It is
Charlotte Vignon, lives spent between London, Paris, and perfectly understandable that Lord Hert-
is published by Bagatelle: lives full of turmoil, adventure, ford should want a more comfortable,
Flammarion, 2023 tragedy, and beauty. modern home where he could really live.
September 2023 I French Living connexionfrance.com Hidden histories 17
An art historian’s guide to the Camino
Medieval art historian Dr Julia Faiers 1 3
walks in the shoes of a medieval
pilgrim to discover the sacred art
and monuments along the Chemin
de Compostelle

O
ne of the miracles of the
Camino, or the Chemin de
Compostelle as it is called in
France, is the way it contin-
ues to attract pilgrims from
every walk of life more than a thousand
years after its inception. It seems that
these days everyone knows someone who
has walked the Camino, is about to, or is
thinking about it.
What pulls – or pushes – people to pack
their lives into a rucksack and head off
on this well-trodden path? Despite the
increasing secularisation of our world,
people continue to walk ‘the Way’ for
presence of the holy relics of Saint James,
the only remains of an Apostle outside
of Rome.
The way in which the saint’s relics are
said to have reached Galicia from the
Holy Land stretches the modern imagina-
tion. After being beheaded in Jerusalem
by Herod Agrippa and left outside the
city walls to be eaten by dogs, James’s
followers took the saintly remains on a
rudderless rowing boat until providence
set them down in Galicia. Having fought
a dragon and tamed some untamable
bulls, they buried James’s body, where it
lay until the ninth century. A miraculous

Photos: Julia Faiers

religious reasons, but plenty also step out
with non-spiritual aspirations. I joined
their ranks in May when I walked a sec-
tion of the Camino Francés – the French
Way – wearing my hiking gear and (met-
aphorically) my medieval art historian’s
hat. The prospect of encountering so
many churches, and the religious art con-
tained within them, was my principal
motivation. I wanted to see these spiritual
sites not only for my own pleasure, but to
attempt to walk for a while in the shoes
of a medieval pilgrim. To stand at the
altars where they once knelt in prayer.
The pilgrim route from the popular
starting point at Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port
in the French Pyrenees stretches out
some 791km towards the final destina-
tion of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia
in north-west Spain. This journey was no
mean feat for a person during the medie-
val period. At the height of its popularity
in the twelfth century, going on pilgrim-
age to Santiago involved giving up one’s
livelihood not only for the weeks or
months required to walk there, but also
for the time it took to return home again.
Many people set off from their front
door. Some would never return.
Despite the fact that the risks were
far greater than they are now, for many
medieval pilgrims, the long route to
Santiago would be the biggest adventure
of their lives. At the peak of its populari-
ty, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims
every year faced physical hardship and
spiritual succour along this route.
Between the twelfth and the thirteenth
centuries, the Camino Francés was by far
the most popular of the Christian pilgrim
routes. The reason they undertook this
epic journey to Santiago? To be in the
star then revealed to a bishop its location,
hidden beneath brambles, and a whole
new pilgrim destination was born.
An infrastructure developed over the
centuries to support the needs of the
growing numbers of pilgrims walking
to Santiago: roads and bridges, hospices,
hostels, and churches with their own holy
relics. These churches punctuated the
2 4
route, offering sacred healing and respite
from the physical hardships of pilgrim-
age. I understood the relief a medieval
pilgrim must have felt seeing a church
spire in the distance, knowing that they
– and I – would find somewhere to
rest and re-fuel.
The thread that links modern and
medieval pilgrims could be seen in every
church along the route to Santiago. Some
would light a candle or pray, others like
myself would stand mesmerised in front
of vast gilded altarpieces and emotionally
charged sculptures. It was here more than
anywhere that I felt the powerful unity of
pilgrimage across the ages, where all walk
the same route, face the same hardships,
and seek solace in beauty.
Not everyone can, or indeed wants
to walk the Camino. If an armchair
pilgrimage is more appealing, I
recommend reading a translation of
the twelfth-century guidebook, The
Pilgrim’s Guide to Santiago de Compostela
(Italica Press, 1993), which describes in
wonderful detail the experience of a
medieval pilgrim. For an insight into
the contemporary pilgrim experience,
5
try photographer Jon Wainwright’s new
book Camino, a beautiful photographic
record of the people, landscapes and
places along the Camino Francés
(www.jonwainwright.com).

1. The cathedral in Burgos was a major stop for pilgrims on the way to Santiago. The west facade has an open gallery of eight sculptures of the kings of
Castile and Old Testament characters, made in the 13th century. It is topped by 15th-century twin Gothic spires.
2. A dazzling gilded retable (altarpiece) in the parish church of Santa María de la Asunción in Navarrete, Rioja. This monumental baroque work, made at
the end of the 17th century, fills the entire east end of the church behind the main altar. Sunglasses optional.
3. In the royal mausoleum in Pamplona cathedral, the double tomb of the 15th-century monarchs of Navarre, Carlos III and his wife Leonor of
Trastamara, is adorned with these beautifully carved, emotive ‘weepers’. These statues, and the effigies of the monarchs lying on the tomb, were
made from alabaster in the early 1400s by Jehan Lome of Tournai.
4. The early 16th-century cloister at the monastery of Santa María la Real in Nájera, Rioja, houses the tombs of many local noble families. The large
monastery complex reflects the historical importance of Nájera as the capital of the Kingdom of Nájera-Pamplona between 923 and 1076, when
Sancho the Great diverted the route of the Camino de Santiago to make Nájera a key point on the pilgrimage
5. Pilgrims would seek out holy relics to venerate along the route to Santiago. By the 18th century, the church of Santa María de la Asunción in Viana,
Navarra, had acquired a great many. This bust with the relics of Santa Catalina features a miniature crucifixion scene in the chest cavity.
18 Puzzles connexionfrance.com French Living I September 2023

Bilingual cryptic crossword by Parolles

Answers are in French and English
Across
7 Hit with regret brought about after working
as a chimney-sweep in Nice (8)
9 Musical dramas in Paris and London (6)
10 Information on southern French people (4)
11 Virtually the same as volunteers joining
conservationists on a climb (10)
12 Container with diamonds found near
popular garden in Lille (6)
14 Just a short poem suitable for singing in
church service (8)
15 Le Monde’s to give English poet first of
reviews (6)
17 Is carried slowly by a current of air from
Germany then splits (6)
20 Wit of Scotsman seen by communist
newspaper boss (8)
22 Act oddly in pursuit of betrayed soldier in
Rouen (6)
23 Get below and remain still (10)
24 Ecstasy found in a receptacle for rubbish in
French well (4)
25 Cardinal de Rohan’s to think of priest seen
dancing inside (6)
26 Put aside dry wit on holiday (4,4)
Down
1 Boldness shown by eccentric king
perhaps (4,4)
2 Very old and unserviceable for you 
French (4)
3 French jacket with unusual vents worn by
the head of Oundle (6)
4 French traveller’s grave you desecrated (8)
5 Fictional detective getting female to break
new rule is sorry (10)
6 Clergyman concealing knight’s gun (6)
8 Called with the Queen’s order in Metz (6)
13 Dangerous French renegades surprisingly
surrounding university (10)
16 Diplomatic representative finding terrible
misery around South America (8)
18 Astronaut’s mother in room number ... (8)
19 ...One essentially not available to look into
Capone’s historical records (6)
21 States in definite terms rejecting space for
wild cats (6)
22 Extremely delighted to stop the act of selling
a piece of equestrian equipment (6)
24 Rene’s handsome brother exasperates Amy
Unsworth at first (4)

French-themed crossword by John Foley

Note all answers are words or names associated with France
Across
1 Carmen novella author Prosper _______,
born in Paris this month in 1803 (7)
3 Handy pointer (5)
6 Funny or bizarre (5)
7 Ballet dancers feature regularly in work by
Edgar _____, who died this month in 1917 (5)
8 Plain or smooth (3)
9 Metallic element, atomic number 26 (3)
11 Receptacle – often for 10 down (6)
14 Résultat d’une création (6)
15 Halfway between two points (6)
18 Restaurant wine jug (6)
19 Smaller than a horse and with longer ears (3)
20 Bon camarade (3)
23 Washing or laundry (5)
24 Of the kidneys (5)
25 “Heureux l’homme qui se nourrit des fruits
de sa _____” – André Gide (5)
26 Maigret creator Georges _______, who died
this month in 1989 (7)
Down
1 Douzième heure (4)
2 Chandon partner (4)
3 English name for Obélix’s fearless canine
companion in the Astérix bandes dessinées
series (8)
4 Rue sans _____ – no through road (5)
5 Artisan for cooked dishes (8)
7 Tissu de laine (4)
10 Colourless, odourless liquid (3)
12 Michel ________, 20th-century philosopher
and political activist whose best known
works include L’Histoire de la sexualité (8)
13 Bric-a-brac trade (8)
16 Atom with net electric charge (3)
17 Occitanie port and seaside resort known as
the Venice of Languedoc (4)
18 Freiner brutalement (5)
21 Aude department town which as a centre for
Cathar belief was besieged and its inhabitants
brutalized by Simon de Montfort in 1210 (4)
22 Crème cuite au four (4)

Solve the clues, then unscramble the shaded letters to reveal the expression which inspired the
French name of Obélix’s dog in the Astérix series (4,4)

Fun French facts Like our quiz?

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named after the daughter of a dy, allied forces invaded the ran a recipe for bouillabaisse HORS SERIE NUMBER 2

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 September 2023 I French Living connexionfrance.com Puzzles 19
Toughnut No.No.19
Toughnut 2 – Scribo Crossmots
- Scribo Crossmots Five French Facts: Songs that have
To complete these dual-language puzzles called ‘Toughnuts’ you need to translate the clue
These dual-language
and then decide wherepuzzlesthe
called ‘Toughnuts’
answer require
fits into you toTo
the grid. translate the first
help the clue and thenofdecide
letter where is
the answer
passed from French into English
the answer fits in the chance!
grid. To help the first letter of the answer is provided. Bonne chance! The French and English speaking worlds have often traded pop music between them. Many
provided. Bonne
English-language songs succeed in France, whether in the original or in translation, but
Find a location on the Monopoly board from the highlighted squares.
A ACTOR, hardly any French songs get a hearing in the Anglo-Saxon world without adaptation. Here
For more dual-language puzzles see www.crossmots.com
A AFTER, are five internationally well-known songs that surprisingly started life in French and then
A AHEAD, either crossed the Channel or the Atlantic to gain a new life. Each, of course, still has its old
A ANGES, title in France. By Nick Inman
A ASH,
A ASSUME, 1 My Way The American song writer Paul Anka was on

Joost Evers / Anefo - Nationaal Archief NL

B BETWEEN, holiday in the south of France when he heard Claude François
C CREEP, (pictured, right) singing his hit, Comme d’habitude (As Usual).
C CUCKOO, Anka wrote some English lyrics for the music by Jacques
D DÉSIR, Revaux, about living on your own terms and sold the package
D DIT, to Frank Sinatra’s people. Ol’ Blue Eyes is said to have taken
É ÉCHEC, less than half an hour to decide to do it. He recorded it in 1969
E EDITOR, and it became his signature tune, to be endlessly covered by
E EIGHTH, everyone from Sid Vicious to every drunk at every karaoke.
E ESSAY, Hum the tune anywhere in France and it is François that
É ÉVIER, comes to people’s minds, not Sinatra.
G GIANT,
H HAPPEN, 2 “Feelings,” says Michelle Pfeiffer in the film, Fabulous Baker Boys “is parsley” – something
I IRISH, which no one has any strong feelings about. The song was initially attributed entirely to the
K KNOWN, Brazilian singer Morris Albert, who wrote the English lyrics; but three years after its release
M MARCH, the French songwriter Louis ‘Loulou’ Gasté claimed the melody came from his 1956 Pour Toi
M MONTH, (For You) and he is usually jointly credited for it. The international version was imported into
P PAC, French as ‘Dis-lui’ (Tell Her).
P PRAYER,
R REACH, 3 Seasons in the Sun In 1974, the Canadian recording artist Terry Jacks had a huge success
R REPOSE, with this song about a dying man saying goodbye to his loved ones. It is based on the Belgian
R RUG, singer-songwriter Jacques Brel’s Le moribond (The Dying Man, 1961) and was adapted into
S SALSA, English by Rod McKuen.
S SAUTA,
S SIXTH, 4 Windmills of your Mind The French song about the affairs of the heart (Les Moulins
T TALON, de mon Coeur – music by Michel Legrand, lyrics by Eddy Marnay) became the English version
T TESTS, about the workings of the mind. It was first heard sung by Noel Harrison in the film The Thomas
T TÔT, Crown Affair, in1968, but has been covered many times.
T TWO,
U UN, 5 Autumn Leaves While in Paris in 1945, the Hungarian composer, Joseph Kosma, wrote
U UNCOVER, this jazz standard as Les Feuilles mortes to be accompanied by lyrics from the French poet
U USE, Jacques Prévert. The English version followed five years later with lyrics by Johnny Mercer.
V VIF, Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, Doris Day recorded it in the 1950s and it has since been played
W WISDOM. often as an instrumental.

Test your knowledge of France

For all answers with our Connexion quiz
please turn to
Guess the region...
1 Whose heart is in Rouen cathedral, his
French Living entrails in Châlus-Chabrol chateau, Haute
Vienne and his body in the Notre-Dame
France has 13 regions. Every issue we pick a spot, page 24 royal abbey in Fontevrault, Maine-et-Loire?
all you need to do is work out which region it is in... A – Pope Boniface III / B – Richard the
Lionheart / C – Robert the Bruce?
Clue: Green tourism 2 What links amour, délice and orgue?
A – Ice-cream / B – Renault car colours /
C – Gender change?
3 When France played in the 1930 football
World Cup in Uruguay, it took the team
two weeks to travel there by steamer…
where did they set off from? A – Le Havre /
Normandy / B – Brest, Brittany / C –
Villefranche-sur-Mer, Alpes-Maritimes?
4 Conductor Georg Solti died in Antibes in
1997 but in 1998 set a record that survived
until 2023 – what was it and who broke it?
A – Record Grammy winner and Beyoncé /
B – Most times music played for British
royalty and Three Degrees / C – Most
times featured in Cannes Film Festival
scores and Howard Shore?
5 What links Poulet Marengo, Beef
Wellington and Navarin d’agneau? A – All
were dishes created by Escoffier / B – They
were created to mark military victories /
C – They contain no chicken, beef or lamb?
6 A car accident under which Paris bridge
claimed the life of Diana, Princess of Wales,
and three others?
7 Only two bridges in France are inhabited,
Photo: Florian Olivo on Unsplash
10 What bridges are highly sought after each
year by French workers?
11 What is odd about the bridge-like Loire
chateau of Chenonceau?
12 Which Unesco heritage chateau became the
military HQ of Nato’s Supreme Headquarters
Allied Powers Europe in 1953?
13 Seven kings and 10 queens have lived in
 this chateau that is like four chateaux in one
because of the different architecture of the
four wings, what is its name?
14 Construction techniques, tools and dress
from the 12th and 13th centuries are being
used to build which chateau today?
15 During World War II this Loire chateau
helped save the Mona Lisa – Leonardo da
Vinci also designed its staircase – but today
it helps save endangered black bees and
Solognotes sheep, which chateau is it?
16 Why did it take Bastien Boyer and Bastien
Massias three days to walk across Lyon last
autumn from the Jardin de l’Envol in
Vénissieux to Parc de Gerland?
17 When France hosted the 1978 FIFA World
Cup a rooster named Footix played a leading
role, but doing what?
18 In 1796 Père Vallée, an innkeeper in Bassou,
Bourgogne, created a simple recipe with
butter and parsley that has gone round the
world… what is the main ingredient?
19 Who wrote The Monkey and the Cat and
The Lion and the Mouse?
20 What surprising animal is found in the

where are they? cave paintings of the Grotte Cosquer,

8 Why is the Viaduc du Millau closed once
every two years?
9 A song originally written in the 15th century
commemorates the Pont St-Bénézet, where
is it?
near Marseille?
Profile
Quiz by Ken Seaton who has lived and
worked as a journalist in France since 2009
20 Reviews
French films
A critical eye on ciné
releases and classics
Marius et Jeannette (1997)
Dir: Robert Guédiguian
AS the sultry days of summer start to
fade and appear only in the rear-view
mirror, why not prolong the season by
basking in a little Mediterranean sun-
shine via this super 1997 romance direct-
ed by Robert Guédiguian.
However, while it is set in Marseille,
Marius et Jeannette hardly presents a
Provence tourist board image of endless
days sunbathing and clinking cocktail
glasses at a fancy beachside bar.
It is a far more gritty – if somewhat
sentimental – affair, which tells the story
of a pair of single, down-on-their-luck
residents in an apartment complex who
meet by chance and tentatively strike up
a romance, albeit one tempered by their
previous failed relationships.
We first meet upbeat supermarket cash-
ier Jeannette (played by Ariane Ascaride,
who took the Best Actress prize for her
performance) being caught stealing
two cans of paint at a disused factory
(to paint her dilapidated home), by
the limping security guard Marius,
something of a hippie at heart.
The next day, feeling guilty, Marius calls
chez Jeannette to give her the paint, and
so begins a romance full of laughter and
tentative promise before the (perhaps)
inevitable turn for the worse.
The film is left-leaning via its charac-
ters’ proclamations against the ruling
authorities, be that the supermarket
manager or housing bosses, and whatever
your political leaning the hammering
home of this message gets a little wear-
ing. However, the charisma of the two
leads outweighs the hammering, making
this an enjoyable film. Prime Video.
Stream: Cash (Netflix)
Rising star Raphaël Quenard stars in this
entertaining heist film and social comedy
set against a backdrop of class warfare.
Canine companions and their naming conventions
Language notes
W
hen your Language
Noter drops les gosses
(kids) off at school, it’s
not just human inter-
action with the famil-
iar faces of fellow parents that livens up
the morning via a quick chat or cursory
‘salut’ (hello). There is always a canine
companion or two patiently waiting out-
side the school gate (portail) too, hoping
for a friendly stroke or encouraging word.
Just before the end of last summer term,
two playful cross-breed pups became the
latest additions to the school drop gang.
Knowing their ‘parents’, I enquired as
to the playful siblings’ names. “‘Ben’ et
‘Nuts’” came the reply, a playful and
witty take on the popular peanut brand
Bénénuts. Most of the French dog names
I had previously heard I could barely
connexionfrance.com
Music
Jane Birkin Best of
THE sense of loss felt by
the French public upon the
death of Jane Birkin in July,
aged 76, was palpable and
genuine, such was the
extent to which the
London-born actress, sing-
er, style icon and humani-
tarian had become part of
the fabric of French culture.
She mainly lived in Paris
Books - The 20 minute review
We read recent releases with a link to France. To be fair, each gets 20 minutes’ reading time
Mother Country,
Monique Charlesworth, Moth Books,
€23.29;
ISBN: 978-1915036698
THIS memoir traces the author's
quest to discover the truth about
her mother, Inge, after she died in
France. Talented, amusing, popular
– but always economical with the
truth – Inge buried much of her
past, not even revealing it to her
daughters.
But after her death, Monique
Charlesworth says she needed to
find out the facts, and this book
chronicles her emotions as she
peels back the layers of a life lived
in disguise.
She soon discovered that Inge was
originally German, and that her Communist, Jewish father had
died in Auschwitz. Inge had managed to
escape from Germany via Morocco and
then to England as a teenager, but at
Editor’s
the cost of learning to deny her roots.
Terrified of being targeted again, she
choice
hid her Jewish heritage. She married
her first English husband and lived in
Birkenhead where her two daughters
were born, and she later moved to
France with her second, French, husband.
The murky love affairs, the doubts over Monique's parentage,
the relationship with her sister Lorie, all are traced out and
described.
The author finds consolation in the truth, reconciliation
with her sister, and comfort in the Jewish heritage her mother
so strenuously hid from the world. The links with Germany are
laid bare but so are the links with France, which offered Inge a
chance to reinvent herself and her past, wiping the slate clean
of what she saw as inconvenient truths.
Monique Charlesworth has written four novels, as well as
dramas for the BBC.
make sense of, so I was delighted to have
understood the wordplay, and it got me
thinking about what trends – if any –
there are for naming one’s chien here (in
“
the UK, it seems that using forenames like
Derek and Keith with irony is de rigueur).
Since 1926, as per government decree, all
pure-breed dog names begin with a differ-
ent letter for each year and the list for
newly monikered hounds in 2022 (letter T)
was as follows: Tina, Tokyo, Tango, Tao,
Most of the Thor, Tess, Tara, Tyson, Taiga and Twix.
Meanwhile the overall roll-call for dog
dog names names in 2023 is: Maya, Nala, Lucky, Ruby,
Naya, Nina, Simba, Max, Filou and Roxy.
that I had They are all quite cutesy instead of ironic.
Should the need arise, here are some
previously dog-related phrases to sprinkle into every-
day conversation. The French use, as we do,
heard I could ‘to be as sick as a dog’ (être malade comme
un chien) but there is also ‘un temps de
barely make chien’ to describe terrible weather and the
more positive ‘avoir du chien’, a colloquial
sense of expression meaning ‘to be attractive’.
French Living I September 2023
from the late 1960s onwards, she held
French citizenship and was viewed with
great affection in her adopted country.
Besides the more obvious entry points into
her musical back catalogue, such as the racy
and controversial 1969 duet with her
then-partner Serge Gainsbourg, Je t'aime...
moi non plus (I love you... me neither),
there is her first solo album to enjoy:
Di Doo Dah released in 1973. Or 2017’s
Birkin/Gainsbourg: Le Symphonique, which
Yvonne, Child of the Somme,
Sara Rowell,
Austin Macauley Publishers,
€13.75; ISBN: 978-1398481695
THIS is another true
story about a girl
called Yvonne Millet,
born in Paris at the
turn of the 20th
century. Farmed
out to a childminder
in the Somme, she
became a ward of
the State at the age
of three when her
mother disappeared.
Her peaceful life
changed completely when she was sent to work
as a maid in a military town during the First
World War. The memory and resulting trauma
of her experiences during the war haunted her
forever. Married at the end of the war to a
British soldier, her hopes of settling down to
a peaceful life were shattered by the outbreak
of WW2.
The author has obviously researched the peri-
od very carefully and the book is full of details
about impoverished people's lives during the
early 20th century. Who knew that around 30%
of births in Paris at that time were to single
mothers, and that their fathers were not expect-
ed to take any responsibility for their offspring?
This book is nicely written and trots along at
pace. It is also a testament to the strength of
the real life heroine, who despite all her trials,
survived and thrived. Her story has only come
to light because her granddaughter Jan is
friends with the author, but the book provides
a fascinating insight into French social history.
If you're interested in what makes France tick,
you might just find some answers in this book.
A perjorative attitude to the provinces
The French you don’t
learn at school
M
uch the same way as
London-centricity has in
recent years become a
bigger bone of conten-
tion for those living out-
ide the UK capital (to combat this, notable
levelling up measures include many flag-
ship BBC programmes moving to Salford),
so an attitude of sneering anti-provincial-
ism is still an enduring issue for some
French people.
The very word ‘province' – referring to
anywhere that is not Paris – has been
around for centuries and continues to
imply a kind of contemptuous moral,
economic or intellectual superiority.
Province comes from the Latin word pro-
vincia, used to describe a territorial district
governed by a proconsul or propreter, the
orchestrally reworked the songs that
Gainsbourg wrote for her, even after they
split after 11 years..
Her last release was in 2020, an album
made in collaboration with Etienne Daho
and Jean-Louis Piérot entitled Oh! Pardon
tu dormais... (Oh! Sorry, you were sleeping),
while a career-spanning, three-disc set
released in September 2022 provides a com-
plete record of her impressive and varied
discography, available from Fnac for €17.99.
My Escape to the Chateau,
Chloë Rayban, Ours et
Ourson, €9.00; ISBN:
B0BXYB9TK2
AMONGST the
deluge of books
about British
expats moving to
France and either
doing up a cha-
teau, opening a
gîte or stating a
wine business,
some stand out for
their atmosphere
and writing. This is one of them.
The book promises an account of the
history attached to a series of objects
found in a dilapidated chateau, which
isn't the most beguiling premise but by
the second page the sense of atmos-
phere and place is so strong that the
reader is hooked.
In a way, it doesn't even matter what
the objects are or how they came to be
kicking about; reading this book is like
opening a door and stepping into
another world. An ideal read for when
you just want to be somewhere else.
As well as the historical explorations,
there is also a burgeoning love story
to push the action along, as well as
the memories of the conveniently
deceased father who bequeathed the
place to his daughter... all in all, a book
to curl up with and swallow in one
gulp or to nibble at during an entire
hot, lazy Indian summer.
For more literary inspiration check
out the Facebook group ‘Novels set
in France’.
administration of a territory conquered by
the Romans – such as Gaul. From the 14th
century, it described a territorial division
of the kingdom of France. with provinces
such as Poitou and Bourbonnais.
Certain phrases evoke this higher ground
stance: ‘ça sent sa province’ (that whiffs
of his region); or ‘cette robe fait un peu
province’ (this dress is a bit provincial).
It cuts both ways, of course, with those
from Montauban or Montpellier, Toulouse
or Tarbes perfectly capable of anti-Parisian
mockery and blazing their own trail irre-
spective of what Paris thinks. As Jérôme
Batout, author of La Revanche de la prov-
ince (Revenge of the provinces, Gallimard),
told Le Figaro in 2022: “The feeling of infe-
riority that this word conveyed yesterday is
giving way to a new pride.”
However, while France is no stranger to
decentralisation (a major law was passed
in 2003), unlike the BBC, there's no indi-
cation that the TF1 8pm news will be
broadcast from Bordeaux any time soon.
September 2023 I French Living connexionfrance.com Shopping/Did you know? 21
QUOI DE NEUF?

Images curtesy of Daniel Hilaire

New products, designs and ideas from around France

Monoprix goes retro

HIGH STREET retailer Monoprix regularly updates its
product lines with homeware and fashion items which
are a stylish yet affordable cut above its rivals.
For the company’s autumn/winter 2023 ‘Wall Street’
collection of tableware and accessories, it has stepped
back in time to 1980s New York with a super-chic
range of geometric and graphic glasses, sculptural can-
dleholders, tufted cushions, a cane bench, and station-
ery hemmed in blacks, browns and touches of metal.
Glasses, €5.99; champagne ice bucket, €16.99. Also
available: a carafe for €19.99, and 1970s-print dinner
plates from €5.99.
Among the other Monprix ranges for this season are
‘Sur la route’ – country chic with a twist – and the
Portuguese-inspired ‘Louxor’.
www.monoprix.fr

Clockwise, from top: the poupée

de Banat, key to the repatriation
of 12,000 people; Lefor in North
Dakota; stamp depicting the doll

Socking it to them Carry me home A French diaspora and

FOUNDED in 2012, the ethos of 100% Made in France hat, scarf
and sock makers Crochepied is ‘to grow up without growing old,
to be serious without taking ourselves too seriously, and to always
stay young.’
So now that it’s time for some post-summer sock drawer replen-
ishment, why not indulge in a pair or two of their vibrant range
AN environmentally-committed manufac-
turer of mountain clothing and accessories,
Lagoped was founded in 2018 by mountain
its emblematic doll
enthusiasts who met in the Alps. “Using to The Connexion by Hélène Say
recycled materials allows us to move away Barbey, director of the historical
from the logic of extracting raw materials,”
Did you know? archives of the Meurthe-et-Moselle

S
of chaussettes? Model pictured, ‘Alphonse Défonce’, price €14. they say. department.
www.crochepied.fr This Kiiruna Emissaries of Queen Maria Theresa
backpack, made ome 150 people from the of Spain promised land, a house,
from ECONYL® United States, Germany, agricultural tools and a three-year
(yarn from recy- Romania and Australia with tax exemption to any person willing
cled fishing nets very specific family origins to settle in Banat.
and carpets), can flew to Lorraine in northeast This piqued the interest of farmers
be used all year France last April for an event organised from Lorraine, since many were looking
round and is truly at the château de Lunéville (Meurthe- to leave the region after they opposed its
versatile. Perfect et-Moselle). incorporation into France in 1766.
for skiing, hiking The family-tree foreigners were look- However, many became disillusioned
and mountaineer- ing to trace their descendants who had upon arrival in Banat, finding only
ing, the backpack settled in Banat, a geographical and swamps and more misery. Some
is very sturdy. historical region that straddles Central returned to France or sailed to the
Its size can be and Eastern Europe whose territory United States in the late 19th century, as
adjusted to 25L, overlaps Romania, Serbia and Hungary. was the case for members of the Lefort
32L or 36L. 15,000 lorrains (Lorraine natives) family. Lefor, in North Dakota, was
Price, €190. migrated to Banat from 1718 to 1772, named after them once they settled.
en.lagoped.com attracted by the El Dorado inspired Lefor has the highest percentage of
promises proffered by the Austrian residents of Hungarian origin of any
empire on arrival. zipcode in the United States. When we
Terrific tapis “This is an out-of-the-ordinary
migration story with plot twists and
read the town’s Wikipedia page out
loud to Mr Hilaire, he said with much
for a lifetime dramatic developments that is not very
well known by Lorraine people,” Daniel
surprise, “Well, prior to Hungary, many
came from Lorraine.”
BUY a handmade rug (tapis) Hilaire, president of Les Lorrains du The Hungarian revolution in 1848, the
produced by Toulemonde Bochart Banat, an association shedding light on heavy melting-pot of descendants’ ori-
(founded in 1946) and you make a life- their history, told The Connexion. gins and the Treaty of Trianon, annihi-
time investment in style and excellent The emigrants came from Arracourt, lated any aspiration to turn Banat into a
craftsmanship. Athienville, Bezange-la-Grande, geopolitical reality, relegating its specifi-
They work with the best contempo- Bathelémont, Parroy (Meurthe-et- cities into the realms of history.
rary designers to produce a constantly Moselle), Dieuze, Guébling, Marsal, But its history was preserved by Jean
dazzling range of rugs. Coume, Morhange, Sarrebourg, Saint- Lamesfeld, a Lorrain from Banat who
We love this Hubert, Sainte-Barbe (Moselle) and escaped Romania during World War II.
Alliance model, Charleville (Ardennes). Arracourt in He hid a message in a doll sent to the
designed by particular saw a hefty exodus, with 80 then-prime minister Robert Schuman
Géraldine Prieur people out of its 800 population leaving who, upon reading it, repatriated
and available in in the 18th century, said Mr Hilaire. 12,000 Lorrains to France.
‘Forest and Banat is a 28,500 square kilometre The doll is now an official La Poste
Powder’ colours. territory, the size of Belgium, that was stamp (see image above).
The company claimed by the Habsburgs in the Banat’s migrants are now disseminat-
aptly calls it ‘a true Turkish empire and incorporated into ed around 20 French departments,
hymn to joy in an the Austrian empire in 1718. according to Ms Say Barbey, with
overly convention- The Habsburgs aimed to repopulate the Vaucluse village of La Roque-sur-
al world.’ Price €1,150. the area after 150 years of agricultural Pernes having absorbed 98 people from
www.toulemondebochart.fr/ decline, according to a document given the 1950s to the 1960s.
shop/en
22 History connexionfrance.com French Living I September 2023

Painting through poverty

and war: the story of Renoir
Samantha David paints a vivid picture of the world-famous and prolific French Impressionist artist, whose
commercial success blossomed despite humble beginnings, experience of war, and a degenerative illness

P
ierre-Auguste Renoir (1841- Moulin de la Galette, Two Sisters and

1919) was born in Limoges
(Haute-Vienne), where his
father was a tailor and his
mother a seamstress. With
seven children (Auguste was the sixth),
the family’s finances were precarious and
so they moved to Paris in search of better
paid work when Auguste was a toddler.
The family did not have the resources to
give their children more than a basic edu-
cation; despite his obvious creative talent,
Auguste left school at the age of 13. He
became an apprentice at a porcelain facto-
ry, painting plates, and attended evening
classes in drawing and decorative arts.
He also studied music. When decorating
china became mechanised, he found work
painting fans and wall hangings.
In 1862 (aged 21), he passed the
entrance exams for the Ecole des Beaux-
Arts, where he became close friends with
three other young artists: Claude Monet,
Frédéric Bazille and Alfred Sisley. They
would all go on to be central figures in
the development of Impressionism.
The style uses small, visible brushstrokes
to depict natural light in a way that gives
an impression of movement, emotion,
and atmosphere.
Until then, most painting aimed to be
ultra-realistic, like a photograph. But as
photography developed, the need for art to
be an accurate portrayal of reality receded.
Renoir left the Ecole des Beaux-Arts after
two years and began exhibiting his work at
the Salon de Paris. He destroyed the very
first work he showed, but the portrait of
William Sisley he exhibited in 1864 is
extraordinarily accomplished and mature.
Even at this early stage of his career, he
was producing many paintings and would
continue to be prolific for the next half
century, until his death. Renoir’s oeuvre
includes several thousand works.
The early years were not all
plain sailing, however. When
Impressionism first
emerged, it was aesthet-
ically revolutionary
and not everyone
approved. In 1867, a
portrait of his model,
muse and mistress
Lise Tréhot (Lise à
l’Ombrelle) was much
admired by an upcom-
ing young writer called
Photos: left, National Gallery of Art, Washington, Public Domain, and inset, Indianapolis Museum of Art, Public Domain
The Umbrellas.
Renoir is known for selecting
light-hearted themes, charming scenes,
and attractive people portrayed with affec-
tion. He uses visually appealing colours,
combines lines and forms to produce har-
monious shapes. His paintings of women
are intimate and flattering, his portrayals
of family life filled with tranquillity.
Mobilised during the Franco-Prussian
war of 1870-1871, he joined the cavalry
but became so ill that he was hospitalised
in Bordeaux and subsequently demobi-
lised. In 1872, he met the influential art
dealer Paul Durand-Ruel, and in 1874,
inspired by Camille Pissarro and Edouard
Manet, joined forces with a group of art-
ists including Monet, Sisley and Pissarro
to mount the first ever Impressionist exhi-
bition. Overall, the critics were not
impressed, but that same year Durand-
Ruel showed two of his works in London.
In the 1870s Renoir was so broke that he
sometimes could not even afford to buy
paint. So at the second exhibition of
Impressionism, he mainly showed por-
traits, hoping to attract commissions. By
the end of the decade, following the suc-
cess of his painting Mme Charpentier and
her Children, his work had become fash-
ionable and he was financially stable. His
painting evolved, becoming more solid,
more clear, more in focus.
In 1881, he set off on a grand tour as
part of his ongoing artistic self-education,
visiting museums and art galleries in
Algeria, Madrid, Florence and Rome. His
portraits became more crisply drawn and
sculptural. He painted Richard Wagner at
his home in Palermo, Sicily, and caught
pneumonia. He recovered in Algeria, and
resumed his travels. In 1883, while visiting
Guernsey, he produced 15 works, mainly
landscapes, in just over a month.
Back in Paris, still producing com-
missions, he also employed the
artist Suzanne Valadon as a
model for works including Above, A Girl with a Claude (1901-1969). All three went on to
The Large Bathers (a Watering Can, paint- excel in creative careers. One of Renoir’s
series of nudes in a land- ed in 1876, is typical best-loved portraits from this period is of
scape) and the famous of Renoir’s soft his son Jean sitting with his nurse,
painting, Dance at Impressionistic style; Gabrielle Renard, who was Aline’s cousin.
Bougival. It is one of inset, Springtime in At this time he created five different
three works commis- Essoyes, painted versions of Two Young Girls at the Piano,
sioned by Paul Durand- towards the end so that the Minister of Fine Arts could
Ruel, each depicting a of Renoir’s life, choose one. They are very similar, recall-
couple dancing. The other depicting the town ing 18th-century genre scenes. He contin-

Emile Zola, but generally
critics did not like his work.
He and Lise had two children, Pierre
(1868-1930) and Jeanne (1870-1934).
A two-month stay with Claude Monet
at La Grenouillère in Croissy-sur-Seine
changed Renoir’s artistic direction. The
resort offered boating and picnics, bath-
ing, dancing, waterscapes and natural
gardens. Painting outdoors, he learned to
avoid black for shadows, discovered how
to replicate the play of sunlight, and began
using an altogether lighter colour palette.
This was his Impressionist period, during
which he produced many of his best-loved
works, including The Swing, Dance at the
two are called Dance in the
Country and Dance in the City.
They are amongst Renoir’s most recognis-
able images. Eventually Suzanne Valadon
became the first female painter to be
admitted to the Société nationale des
beaux-arts.
In 1890 (aged 49), Renoir married Aline
Charigot, a dressmaker who also worked
as an artist’s model. (She can be seen
towards the foreground of Luncheon of the
Boating Party seated on the left, playing
with a dog). Twenty years his junior, she
had already given birth to their first child
Pierre (1885-1952), and went on to have
two more sons, Jean (1894-1979) and
“
where he lived and ually experimented, producing portraits in
is now buried which the background and often the hair
of the subject were unfocused compared
to the face and particularly the eyes.
The Renoir family, now comfortably
established, bought a house in Essoyes (in
Aube), the village where Aline was born.
In the 1870s Renoir They visited regularly from 1888 to 1919
and Renoir had a studio there, which now
was so broke that houses the Atelier Renoir and is open to
the public.
he sometimes could In around 1892, Renoir developed
rheumatoid arthritis, a progressively
not even afford crippling condition of the joints. In 1907,
the family moved south hoping that a
to buy paint warmer climate might help. They settled
September 2023 I French Living
into a house called Les Collettes, near
Cagnes-sur-Mer (Alpes-Maritimes),
which was surrounded by gardens.
There, they brought up their sons and
Renoir continued painting, despite his
increasingly limited mobility.
In his later years, his deformed
hands were often bandaged to protect
his skin from developing rashes, but
he was still able to paint, even though
towards the end of his life he needed
an assistant to place the brushes in his
hand. Despite her own failing health,
Aline was a devoted wife and nurse.
His skill was at its peak in his por-
trait of the Austrian actress Tilla
Durieux (1914). The whole style of
the portrait is resolutely modern.
During WW1, although they both
ultimately survived, two of his sons,
Pierre and Jean, were wounded in
action. In 1915, Aline, ill with diabe-
tes, travelled to visit Jean in hospital,
but died shortly after returning home,
devastating the family.
In 1919, Renoir visited the Louvre
to see his paintings hanging amongst
all the other masterpieces. Asked why
he continued working despite the
pain of his arthritis, he famously
replied, “the pain passes, the beauty
remains.” He also created sculptures
in collaboration with a young artist
called Richard Guino, who worked
the clay for him.
Renoir died at home in Cagnes-sur-
Mer in December 1919, aged 78. He
was initially interred beside Aline in
Nice, but in 1922, their remains were
moved – in line with their last wishes
– to a plot in Essoyes.
Their sons Pierre and Jean were
eventually also buried with their
father. The grave is marked by a bust
of the artist, sculpted by Richard
Guino. Their son Claude is buried
with his mother in the adjoining plot.
Another bust, also sculpted by
Richard Guino, was stolen in 2005.
The house in Cagnes-sur-Mer is
open to the public and now contains
a museum about Renoir’s life.
connexionfrance.com Local history 23
Photo: Cleveland Museum of Art, Public Domain
France’s hotspot for the
earliest summer sunrise
Annaliza Davis reveals how visitors to Erbalunga in Corsica this
summer can experience a sunrise they will never forget, earlier
than anywhere else in France. Just remember to set the alarm.
Secret history of villages
T
his is the month to make the
most of the sunlight: the
intense summer heat eases
into the languorous warmth
of September, and we can still
enjoy long, light-filled days. If you are
heading to Corsica this month, be sure to
travel north of Bastia to find Erbalunga,
a tiny village where the sun will rise
earlier than anywhere else in France.
This ancient fishing village is at the top
of Cap Corse, which is the rocky penin-
sula in northeast Corsica that looks like
a pointing finger.
There is only one road to Erbalunga,
and it offers stunning views of the daz-
zling sea. Head north of Bastia and follow
the coastline, carefully navigating the
curves until the village pops
into view around one of
the bends.
Your first sight is
a cluster of old
buildings
crammed in a
rather improb-
able fashion
onto a stretch
of rock bor-
dered by the
Above, Frédéric sea on three
Bazille’s Portrait sides.
of Renoir, painted Once you have
when Renoir was 26 parked up, you
approach the village
itself on foot, and final-
ly get a feel for the magic
of the place.
From the 1100s to the 1700s, this was
one of the island’s main ports, thriving
on its trade exports of olive oil and wine.
In contrast to much of Corsica, residents
have always lived on the coast throughout
the year in Erbalunga, and local families
have always fished its waters.
It is such a picturesque spot that it has
attracted countless painters over the dec-
ades, notably back in the 1930s when it
became an artists’ colony.
The village continued to appeal to crea-
tive types, and from the 1960s it has been
nicknamed the artists’ ‘nest’ or ‘refuge’,
unsurprising given the spectacular views
and architecture.
In the heart of Erbalunga, you will find
the church of Saint Erasmus – named
Photos: Villa U Scogliu
The idyllic Corsican
coastal village
of Erbalunga
after the patron saint of sailors – and a
neighbouring chapel with painted fres-
coes from the 1300s. But the true charm
comes from the arches and alleyways that
have organically developed along with
generations of local families.
You can easily walk around the village
in about an hour. No cars are allowed in
the centre, so you can stroll the cobbled
streets in safety, quietly sip a coffee or
aperitif in a pavement café, then explore
the various side streets, snapping pictures
as you go.
You cannot fail to notice the remains of
Torra d’Erbalunga, one of the network of
around 150 circular watchtowers in
Corsica that were built by the Republic of
Genoa in the 1500s, when they were used
as defensive look-out posts to guard
against attacks from pirates.
The original tower in Erbalunga was
destroyed by French forces in the 1550s,
then rebuilt, and was listed as a
Historic Monument in 1927.
Despite being partly
ruined – or perhaps
because of this – it
continues to feature
in countless pho-
tographs and
paintings, a stead-
fast reminder of
the village’s past.
Walk to the end of
the harbour for a
great view of the
tower with the sur-
rounding rocks that
seem to rise out of the
waves, reaching towards the
structure. Take the path that
leads to the harbour where you can
explore the docks, then, at the end of the
pier, you can take a seat to enjoy the view
looking back towards the village and the
mountains beyond.
If you are visiting Corsica this month,
make sure you go to Erbalunga for the
sunrise on Saturday 23 September. This
date is the autumn equinox, the day on
which the sun rises directly in the east,
meaning that the first places to see day-
light in France will be this artistic
Corsican village and the nearby city
of Bastia.
After this date, the days become shorter
than the nights, up until the shortest day
of the year on 21 December, the winter
solstice. So make the most of the sunny
mornings and long afternoons!
24 The big picture connexionfrance.com French Living I September 2023

Exhibition honours wartime nurses

Samantha David

Exhibition images: Musée de la Grande Guerre, Meaux

previews a WW1 camp
re-enactment and a
display of nurse-related
memorabilia in Meaux

L
e Musée de la Grande Guerre
in Meaux will be the scene of a
large WW1 encampment over
the weekend of 2-3 September.
“We have been organising
this for 11 years,” says Audrey Chaix,
Director of the museum which is on the
river Marne in Seine-et-Marne, 40kms
east of Paris.
“There will be around 300 re-enactors
and we expect around 6,000 visitors, who
will be able to wander through the camp
and talk to the re-enactors about the
history of WW1.”
The camp will be installed in the spa-
cious grounds of the museum and will
include soldiers from various regiments
and of various nationalities, plus artillery
and tanks, all kinds of weapons, vehicles,
medical units, cavalry, carrier pigeons,
civilians, even a taxi dating from 1914-18.
Many re-enactors have researched the life
of the specific soldier they will represent,
and they can relate their story to anyone
who asks.
“The aim is to show visitors as much as
possible about life at the front, as well as
on the home front during the war. Obvi-
ously the Battle of the Marne took place
near here and the re-enactors inhabit Héroïnes Silencieuses de la Grande Guerre Clockwise, from cally and mentally incredibly hard work.

Photo: Stephane Veniel

the roles of soldiers who took part in it.
They describe it to visitors, telling them
how hot it was in early September 1914,
for example.”
There is also a presenter who wanders
around with a microphone, interviewing
the re-enactors; there are parades through
the town, and demonstrations in the park.
“Most of the re-enactors are men, but
there are increasing numbers of women
too. Some of them play nurses, but others
are soldiers and cavalry officers.”
She says the re-enactment is very popu-
lar with the public and attracts many fam-
ilies. “There is always a great atmosphere,
it’s great fun and also very educational
for children.”
This year there is also the attraction of a
temporary exhibition (running until De-
cember 31) about First World War nurses:
(The Silent Heroines of the Great War).
“During WW1 France’s 120,000 nurses
were often volunteers without training
or previous experience. Many came from
sheltered backgrounds, were nuns, young
single women, or ‘spinsters’. They had
very little experience of men’s bodies and
certainly were ill-prepared to deal with
the horrific injuries, extreme wounds,
and diseases suffered by men at the front.
It was also physically demanding work.
They had no single-use dressings or
equipment; everything had to be sterilised
by hand.”
The exhibition follows the lives of eight
specific nurses during the war, as well as
the lives of women nursing the civilian
population during WW1. “Their living
conditions were slightly more comfortable
than those at the front, but it was physi-
above left: exhibits
include this photo of
nurse Mademoiselle
De Gesse, bearing
arms and medals of
her patients; a 1915
illustration by Léo
Fontan entitled
‘La plus jolie mode’;
300 re-enactors will
be present at the
camp in the museum
grounds in Meaux
It was a massive change of lifestyle for
most of them. Inevitably, some formed
new relationships.”
Unlike the UK, which had been train-
ing nurses since the Crimea War, nurses
in France at that period were basically
making it up as they went along.
They only began to receive training
and qualifications during the 1920s,
meaning that WW1 was a turning point
for the profession.
“The exhibition has attracted a new de-
mographic to the museum, women who
normally wouldn’t have visited us. We and the second was for Tranchées last
have received very encouraging feedback. year “We very proud that our work has
Also the Ministry of Culture has labelled been recognised in this way.”
the exhibition an ‘Exposition d’Intérèt
National’. It’s the third time we’ve received Héroïnes Silencieuses de la Grande Guerre
this label,” says Audrey Chaix. “The first runs at www.museedelagrandeguerre.com
time was for Familles en Guerre in 2019, until December 31, 2023.

Quiz answers from page 19 Answers from page 18 and 19 A ACTOR,

A AFTER,
A AHEAD,
1. B – Richard the Lionheart, who was fatally injured while laying siege to Châlus-Chabrol in 1199 Guess the region Toughnuts A ANGES,
A ASH,
2. C – They are all masculine in the singular and become feminine in the plural 3. C – The team boarded Cirque de Saint-Même (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes), is not A ASSUME,
the SS Conte Verde at Villefranche to find that Yugoslavia’s team were already on board. The Belgian team far from the Chartreuse monastery where the famed B BETWEEN,
came aboard the next day in Barcelona and, a few days later in Rio, the Brazilian team 4. A – Solti was green liqueur is made by monks. Image: Florian Olivo C CREEP,
C CUCKOO,
record Grammy winner until Beyoncé won her 32nd award this year. His Chicago Symphony Orchestra on Unsplash D DÉSIR,
performance of Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg took his final Grammy in 1998 5. B – They Bilingual cryptic crossword
D DIT,
mark Napoleon’s victory at Marengo in 1800, Wellington after Waterloo and the 1827 naval victory over É ÉCHEC,
Across: 7 Ramoneur, 9 Opéras, 10 Gens, E EDITOR,
Ottoman forces at Navarino Bay, Greece 6. It happened in 1997 in the tunnel under the Pont de l’Alma 11 Tantamount, 12 Jardin, 14 Evensong, 15 Donner, E EIGHTH,
7. The first century Pont des Marchands in Narbonne, in the south west, and the Pont De Rohan in 17 Drifts, 20 Comedian, 22 Soldat, 23 Understand,
E ESSAY,
Landerneau, Finistère, both have buildings as part of the bridge 8. It is closed for the 23.7km running É ÉVIER,
24 Bien, 25 Penser, 26 Salt away. G GIANT,
race, the Course Eiffage du Viaduc de Millau en Aveyron. It was last held in May, 2022 9. Avignon. The H HAPPEN,
song Sur le pont d’Avignon, became popular in 1853 when used in an opera 10. Les ponts, working days Down: 1 Face card, 2 Vous, 3 Veston, 4 Voyageur, I IRISH,
which can be taken off to link public holidays or lead to a longer weekend break 11. It is not on the Loire. 5 Remorseful, 6 Cannon, 8 Ranger, 13 Dangereuse, K KNOWN,
16 Emissary, 18 Spaceman, 19 Annals, 21 Ounces, M MARCH,
Chenonceau is built on a bridge spanning the river Cher 12. Fontainebleau. After the Second World War M MONTH,
the chateau was the Allied military HQ under Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery and filled the same 22 Saddle, 24 Beau. P PAC,
role for Nato until President de Gaulle withdrew France from its command 13. Château royal de Blois P PRAYER,
French-themed crossword R REACH,
which has a fortress wing and other wings by Louis XII, François I and Gaston d’Orléans 14. Guédelon, at Across: 1 Mérimée, 3 doigt, 6 drôle, 7 Degas, 8 uni, R REPOSE,
Treigny, west of Auxerre in Yonne, is a centre for experimental archaeology and techniques redeveloped 9 fer, 11 carafe, 14 oeuvre, 15 milieu, 18 pichet, 19 âne, R RUG,
there have been used in the rebuilding of Notre-Dame in Paris 15. Chambord. Since 2020 the chateau Solution No.19 (AVENUE FOCH) S SALSA,
20 ami, 23 linge, 24 rénal, 25 terre, 26 Simenon. S SAUTA,
grounds have held a flock of brown-headed Solognotes sheep. Only 300 animals survived in 1970 but S SIXTH,
Down: 1 midi, 2 Moët, 3 Dogmatix, 4 issue, 5 traiteur,
there are now more than 5000 16. Thousands of spectators saw them herd sheep to new park grazing T TALON,
7 drap, 10 eau, 12 Foucault, 13 brocante, 16 ion, T TESTS,
in La Petite Transhumance de Grand Lyon. Organisers La Bergerie Urbaine use the sheep for itinerant
17 Sète, 18 piler, 21 Bram, 22 flan. T TÔT,
grazing and educational activities 17. It was the official tournament mascot 18. Snails, in escargots à T TWO,
Unscrambled answers: idée fixe (Idéfix).
la bourguignonne. Père Vallée’s recipe was made famous by French statesman Charles Maurice de Tall- U UN,
eyrand-Périgord, who served it to Tsar Alexander I 19. Poet and fabulist Jean de la Fontaine (1621-1695) Fun French facts U UNCOVER,
U USE,
20. A penguin. The bird is actually a great auk, the extinct ‘penguin’ of the northern ocean. 1 Mercedes, 2 August 25 1944, 3 scorpion fish V VIF,
W WISDOM.
 The Connexion September 2023
Big growth in car-sharing apps
Certain cars can be unlocked using an app
HOLIDAYMAKERS are among
those driving the success of France-
based car-sharing platforms that
allow you to hire a car from an indi-
vidual rather than a rental company.
OuiCar, one of the main platforms,
now features 35,000 vehicles and
two million renters. The company
increased its business by 50% last
year, says marketing director Antoine
Lacharmoise.
A major factor is the price – 30% to
50% less expensive than traditional
rental companies, according to
OuiCar. Users can also get extras
such as a child car seat, GPS or
additional driver for free.
Another advantage is the proximity
– while more are in cities and coastal
areas, there are cars all over France
on the platform, and not just at select
locations such as airports or train
stations, as is the case for traditional
rental firms.
This has proved attractive to holi-
daymakers, including “Parisians who
rent in Paris and drive to the South,
or people who take the train and rent
a car when they get there,” Mr
Lacharmoise said.
The platform offers everything
from removal trucks to classic cars
for weddings.
There is a rise in users any time
there is a rail strike in France.
SNCF was the majority shareholder
of OuiCar between 2016 and 2020,
which saw it as a solution to the final
part of a journey after taking the
train. It has since been bought by
Benefit explainer: Prime d’activité workers’ aid
AS PART of our series on the benefits and
assistance available in France, this month
we look at the ‘activity bonus’
What it is: The prime d’activité was created
in 2016 to help workers on relatively low
incomes. It replaced the RSA income sup-
port benefit for those who are in work.
The objective is to encourage people to
continue working or to return to work.
Who can apply: The benefit is aimed at
people over the age of 18 who are settled
in France and are either a salaried or inde-
pendent worker. You must live in France
for at least nine months of the year.
People from France, the European
Economic Area or Switzerland can apply.
If you are a citizen of any other country,
you need to have lived in France for at
least five years, or have a carte de résident
(10-year resident card).
British citizens with Brexit Withdrawal
Agreement cards are also eligible, as are
students and apprentices who have been
earning at least €1,055.39 per month for
three months or more. Eligibility depends
Photo: OuiCar
American firm Turo and will eventu-
ally be integrated into the Turo brand
to make it easier for US and UK
clients to find the website and hire
cars in France.
While the average length for rentals
is four days, they can last between
one and 30 days, and can be renewed.
Many of those renting out their cars
are looking to recover some of the
costs of owning a vehicle, but
another profile has also emerged,
Mr Lacharmoise said: people who
buy two or three cars with the goal
of renting them out.
The two parties make an appoint-
ment to hand over the keys and
check the state of the car. For some
more recent vehicles, it is possible to
unlock them using a mobile app and
to take photos during the inventory.
Multi-risk insurance coverage is
provided by Axa, meaning if there
is an accident, the owner’s no-claims
bonus will not be affected.
OuiCar is not the only platform
available. One of the main compet-
itors, Getaround, claims 60,000
vehicles in France and Europe, and
cars can also be unlocked via an app.
Another option is Roadstr, which
specialises in premium cars.
It is important to exercise caution
when renting from individuals.
A Parisian woman recently lost
€1,300 while trying to rent a car with
OuiCar after a scammer sent her a
link to pay via email. The firm said it
was not liable as the transaction did
not take place on its platform.
on the number of people in the household
but a single person with no children must
earn less than 1.5 times the minimum wage
(€2,074.62 net).
Amount: The amount is calculated accord-
ing to your income and that of the other
members of your household, including any
other Caf benefits, as well as the number
of adults and children in the household.
The maximum a person who lives alone
without children can receive is €595.24, or
€892.88 if they live with a partner or alone
with one child. It is €1,071.46 for a couple
with one child or a single person with two
children, and €1,250.04 for a couple with
two children. An additional €238.10 is
applied per child or dependent person.
The amount is recalculated every three
months, except in the case of a separation,
when it is recalculated immediately.
A simulator is available at wwwd.caf.fr/
wps/portal/caffr/simulateurpa.
Where to apply: You can apply for the bene-
fit at caf.fr by selecting Aides et démarches,
Mes démarches, then Prime d’activité. Bene-
connexionfrance.com
Lack of water fountains
ENVIRONMENTALISTS have
denounced a continuing lack
Start-up aims to make it easier to lend of water fountains in France.
This is despite a law from
TWO young entrepreneurs have set up a web-based January 2022 requiring estab-
company that allows friends and family to borrow lishments connected to the
cars and still have full insurance for €5 a day. water supply that receive more
Under French insurance, it is the vehicle that is than 300 members of the pub-
insured for third-party damage, not the driver. Most lic to provide access to drink-
policies cover more than third-party but usually the ing water.
extras are only linked to named drivers on the policy. These establishments, includ-
This means that if a vehicle is lent, it is legally ing shopping centres, museums
insured for third-party cover, but the rest of the costs and railway stations, are sup-
associated with the accident will fall on the policy- posed to provide at least one
holder, often in the form of a higher excess before drinking water fountain per
the insurance kicks in. 300 people and to make clear
Other costs associated with a claim, such as losing where they are.
a no-claims bonus, also fall on the policy-holder. More than 18 months later,
Oscar Bourgeois, 23, one of the founders of the fewer than 20% of the 30,000
firm, Cartage, told The Connexion: “We are both water fountains required by the
young and did not have cars of our own, so it was law are in place, according to
always complicated when we borrowed cars. the No Plastic In My
“We were talking about it and said there must Sea association.
be a way to insure friends and family when they Earlier this year, it
borrow cars.” started a petition,
Mr Bourgeois and his co-founder Raphaël which received the sup-
Toledano, 23, were studying at the prestigious Mines port of other associa-
engineering school in Paris and spent part of their tions, scientists and
final year, with the support of the school, setting up politicians, calling on
the company and developing its web platform. the people and organi-
After graduating, now working full-time on the sations running large
project, they took on an associate, Gwenaël Moy, establishments, includ-
who set up the insurance scheme for the ride-sharing ing the SNCF and RATP, to
platform BlaBlaCar. comply in prepar-ation for
The company is registered in France as an
the summer.
insurance broker and has legal guarantees from two
The petition highlighted the
insurance companies, but does not deal directly with
prohibitive cost, as well as the
insurance companies for claims.
environmental damage caused
“If there is a problem, we deal with the holders of
by producing and throwing
the vehicle insurance – they send us the financial
away plastic water bottles: “In
details of how much the accident will cost them
train stations, the average price
before their own insurance kicks in, and we pay
is €2 to €2.50 for a 50cl bottle
them back,” said Mr Bourgeois.
of water – more than €8 for a
“Obviously, with things like the no-claims bonus,
there are all sorts of factors involved, so we have also family of four.”
kept that simple and have a generous fixed, one-off The petition has so far
payment scheme, instead of trying to work things out received more than 18,000
over years.” signatures, and can be found
Anyone who wants to lend a car just has to sign up at tinyurl.com/signwater.
to the site, cartage.club, give basic details, the vehicle
registration, the number of days required, and pay €5 MONEY-SAVER
for each day. The insurance can take effect instantly if
you want it for the same day.
Professional use is also possible – gite owners who
have an insured vehicle with the house can register
Affordable osteopathy
the guests for the same price. YOU might have heard of
Accidents caused by drink or drug-driving or when hairdressing or culinary
the car has been rented out for gain are not covered. schools where students will
give you a trim or cook you a
gastronomic meal for a low
price in return for the chance
to develop their skills.
Did you know the same
concept applies to healthcare?
ficiaries must declare their income from Specifically, each of France’s
the previous quarter every three months 22 accredited osteopathic
via their online Caf account. colleges has a clinic where
Any changes to your professional or fam- an appointment will set you
ily circumstances must be declared online back less than the €45 to €60
via the Déclarez un changement option. you can expect to pay to see
a fully qualified osteopath.
Good to know: If you are self-employed, it This can be an attractive
is usually your commercial and industrial offer, as osteopath appoint-
profits (BIC) or non-commercial profits ments are not reimbursed by
(BNC) from the previous year that are the public healthcare system,
taken into account, or in some cases your as it is seen as alternative
quarterly turnover. medicine. Only some
The government has announced that 39 mutuelles will cover the costs.
communes, intercommunalités and depart- Patients are usually seen by
ments will take part in a trial aimed at fourth or fifth-year students
reducing the number of eligible people who are almost ready to
who do not claim benefits, including the graduate, and appointments
prime d’activité. This will involve additional last 45 minutes to an hour.
support for applicants. See the list of par- The students are supervised
ticipating areas at tinyurl.com/benefitzones. by experienced tutors.
There are also plans to simplify the At the Ecole Supérieure
application process, with the Caf set to d’Ostéopathie in Paris, for
contact beneficiaries directly with a example, consultations cost
prefilled form with information about €15. It has the largest clinic in
their income levels, which simply needs France, with some 34,000
to be validated or modified.
Practical 21
No Plastic In My Sea and
other environmental groups
have since written to Ecology
Minister Christophe Béchu to
highlight the issue.
By 2030, France is hoping to
reduce the 15 billion plastic
bottles sold annually by 50%,
but the figure actually rose
by 4% in 2022, according to
the association.
They are calling on the
ministry to demand the
various organisations submit
a plan for rolling out the new
fountains, and to organise
checks and impose the sanc-
tions allowed by the law.
They are also proposing to
create a catalogue of water
refill points that can be added
to a map, similar to the
Refill app in the UK.
There are already apps
that can help you locate
water fountains, or busi-
nesses that will allow
you to fill up your bot-
tle, such as FreeTaps
and Water-Map.
Paris water company
Eau de Paris has devel-
oped an interactive map show-
ing the different public water
fountains in the capital, at
fontaine.eaudeparis.fr.
It also shows the 825 shops,
businesses and restaurants that
let people fill up their water
bottle for free as part of the
Ici je choisis l’eau de Paris
campaign.
The venues can be recognised
by the blue sticker in the
window (pictured). The 1,200
fountains can also be found on
Google Maps while you are in
Paris by typing fontaine à eau.
consultations each year.
There, you will be seen by a
student, as well as a classmate
who is there to assist them.
Appointments begin with
a discussion around the
patient’s medical history and
their reason for consulting
an osteopath, followed by a
series of exams. The student
will then debrief with their
tutor, and will carry out the
treatment once this has been
approved.
At the end of the session,
the trainee osteopath might
encourage you to see a
doctor, kiné or other special-
ist if necessary.
Most other schools offer
appointments for between
€15 and €20.
The Conservatoire
Supérieur Ostéopathique
Toulouse’s clinics offer
consultations for €20, or a
yearly subscription for €50,
plus €5 per appointment.
See the full list of accredited
colleges in France at
tinyurl.com/osteoschools.
It is usually recommended
that you see a doctor before
making an appointment to
see an osteopath.
Business Directory
Use these pages to find English-speaking tradespeople and firms across France. For your security, we check that all French
businesses listed here are registered. The listings are arranged geographically by the 5 landline telephone zones of France.
Are you a business searching for new clients?
Advertise with us - prices start from just €165 HT for 1 year!
To book a space email: sales@connexionfrance.com or place your advert online at the Directory section of connexionfrance.com

P23 All of France P24 North France P24 South East France P24 South West France P25 Classifieds
All Tel Codes Tel Codes 01 - 03 Tel Code 04 Tel Code 05

COMMERCIAL FEATURE

Learning French via a residential course or Skype

Claire Campbell has been
teaching French in Cucugnan
since 2010, mainly as one-
to-one residential courses.
Now however, thanks to
“confinement”, she offers
not only courses but also
lessons via Skype.
“IT IS a chance to learn in the comfort
of your own home, without disarranging
your usual activities,” says Claire. “One of
the great advantages is that a weekly lesson
gives you a deadline: it helps you avoid
putting things off: it gives you a motive to
‘get round to it’ today rather than at some
nebulous date in the future.”
Claire believes that a native English
speaker can best understand the problems
of English speakers learning French. She
feels that explanations should be given in
English, to ensure proper understanding,
and, above all, that confidence is the key to
success. “Everybody is different,” she says.
“One-to-one lessons enable you to progress
at whatever pace suits you best, to practice
at length whatever you find difficult, and to
build on your own particular strengths.”
Claire fell in love with France as a
teenager staying with a French family. Her
appreciation of the language, literature and
history of France inspires the enthusiasm “And with weekly Skype lessons now on
for sharing which, she believes, underlies offer, you no longer have the excuse to say:
her teaching. ‘Well, perhaps next year…’ Perhaps this year
A degree in history at Oxford University is the time to ‘get round to it’.”
was followed by a few years teaching in
schools. She then taught English as a
foreign language to adults and enjoyed
teaching French to adults in evening classes
for several years.
Since moving to France Claire has
continued teaching French in Cucugnan, a
picturesque village in Languedoc, between
Narbonne and Perpignan. Why Cucugnan?
“It has splendid wines, good restaurants,
a famous organic bakery and wonderful
scenery. It is a tiny village but is an ideal
choice for a “study-holiday”. Comments
from the visitors’ book by former clients
vary from: ‘Fantastic!’ and ‘Enjoyed every
minute’ to ‘My husband now speaks in Visit www.frenchcourse.fr
sentences!’ and ‘This course is just the job!’ or
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 The Connexion September 2023
English-speaking insurance agency addresses concerns over health cover
Based in Bordeaux, we are
the only SwissLife agency in
France to work with English-
speaking clients all over
France. We offer a wide range
of healthcare insurance,
general insurance solutions
and private banking, backed
by one of Europe’s leading
insurance providers.
AS you would expect health cover offered
by Swisslife is comprehensive and we
enhance this with our helpful, English-
speaking, customer service.
We are currently offering three principal
types of health insurance cover:
Swisslife Santé Retraités appropriate
for retirees only. There are eight
GOLDENWAY
INTERNATIONAL PETS
& LIVE ANIMALS
World Wide Pet
Relocator
Ministry approved
No. 61195004 – 61195001
Offices CDG Airport Paris
Offices and Kennels Normandy
Tel: 01 48 62 87 25 CDG Paris
Tel: 02 33 38 41 32 Normandy
www.goldenwaypets.com
Siret: 397549551
BEREAVEMENT
SUPPORT NETWORK
Are you grieving for a loved one
and needing to talk?
We support the bereaved and
terminally ill, face to face
in the Var, and by telephone
elsewhere in France.
www.bsnvar.org
info@bsnvar.org
06 24 50 22 74
(Mon - Fri between 09.00 and 17.00)
www.connexionfrance.com
COMMERCIAL FEATURE
complementary policies for retirees. After We understanding that many people
3 years, 4 years and then 5 years of loyalty, are confused by the need for even a basic
we automatically enhance your level of level of protection let alone why one
Health Care Insurance, for free and offer would need additional cover for expenses
better reimbursements. over and above the French state scale of
Swisslife Santé. This is suitable for reimbursement. Hence we explain step by
customers aged 18 to retiring age. We step the procedures that are relative to an
offer nine complementary policies, all individual’s situation.
policies also include reimbursements Each case is different and there are many
for bills which are not reimbursed by misunderstandings based on hearsay or
the French health system. inaccurate translations through a claim
Swisslife Hospitalisation only. These are reimbursement. Frequently asked questions
available for life-long cover but must be often relate to the care path and why at
subscribed before the age of 65. The top up times one receives a lower reimbursement
of any bills relates to hospitalisation only. than expected. Medical franchises and
Swisslife santé Retraités and Swisslife certain common phrases used in the
santé provide full cover which includes healthcare industry can lead to confusion.
hospitalisation, surgery Dentistry, Optical, Why do I need a health cover policy? Will
doctor fees, specialists, xrays, Cardiologists, my medicines be free as they are in the UK?
pharmacy. Essentially anything covered by Declaration de médecin traitant, what is
the French health system will be reimbursed the importance of this, how do I proceed?
by Swisslife. What is the télétransmission system? How
SwissLife
Insurance
LEARN FRENCH Since 1898, we have specialised
One-to-one courses and in top-up health, home, car
one-to-one Skype lessons available. insurance and private banking.
Professional language teacher with
Oxford degree. Please call Marie and Lawrence
On: 05 56 28 94 64
www.frenchcourse.fr Web: swisslife-health-insurance.fr
bordeaux.theatre@agence-swisslife.fr
Certified translations
as required by
CAF, Courts, Notaires, Prefecture,
(Births, Adoptions, Marriages, Deaths –
NLE
Accountants and Tax Advisors
Divorces - Pensions – Wills – Family Law…)
Contact: 06 88 59 91 90
elisabeth.clavier474@orange.fr Paris & London offices
Services offered in France and UK
SWORN
Tax Returns n Accounts n Business setup
TRANSLATION
n Payroll n VAT
AND Paris Tel: 01 42 93 18 42
London Tel: 0208 242 5540
INTERPRETING Website: www.nle-accounting.fr
SERVICES Email: info@nle-accounting.com
Please contact Hilary Decaumont
AXA
00 33 (0) 6 10 69 05 53
Email: info@leapfrogservices.net
www.leapfrogservices.net Agence International
Dedicated English speaking
agency staffed by native
English speakers
• Insurance
• Health insurance
BEAUX • Pensions & Investments
• Life assurance
VILLAGES •
•
Banking & lending
Business insurance
IMMOBILIER Tel: 05 61 07 16 84
Selling your French home? Talk to us! agence.international@axa.fr
Local, professional, expert team www.axa-in-france.fr
International Associate of Savills
ASTTRAL sa
Voted Best Agency in France
INSURANCE BROKERS
Join BVI Plus and connect
with our hottest buyers Regulated Insurance
Broker Independent -
Freephone: 08 05 69 23 23
enquiries@beauxvillages.com not tied to
www.beauxvillages.com one company,
best price & quality
We can meet all your
insurance needs
Health (top up or private),
House, Car, Business /
FOREIGN EXCHANGE Commercial
VOTED #1 – RATES AND SERVICE
Email: nchubb@asttral.com
www.PioneerFrance.com Tel: 04 68 32 41 20
40yrs info@pioneerfrance.com FCA
Web: www.asttral.com
£ € $ +33 (0)5 53 07 06 27 £ € $ Siret No: 411 673 106 00018
ALL OF FRANCE Directory 23
does it operate? What is a dépassement
d’honoraires? (specialists’ excesses). The
importance of requesting a prise en charge
hospitalière before an admission to the
hospital. These are questions which form
part of our ‘day to day’ telephone calls and
emails. We communicate the answers in
clear English.
For more information regarding our
health insurance plans, general enquiries
or questions on sales or claims procedures
contact our main administration office:
+33 (0)5 56 28 94 64
and speak to Marie
Email:
bordeaux.theatre@agence-swisslife.fr
Website:
www.swisslife-health-insurance.fr
(in English)
LAWYER IN PARIS
Sole practitioner with
27-year international experience
INDEPENDENT BROKERS
Working with selected
advises and represents insurers to find the best
companies and individuals policy for your needs
throughout France for corporate at competitive rates
law, litigation, family law,
immigration, and criminal law.
MOTOR, HOUSE, MEDICAL
T: +33964006059
E: luis@wolffkono.com TRAVEL, BUSINESS
W: wolffkono.com
For information and quotes
INDEPENDENT
INSURANCE
in English contact Penny
at G.S.A.R. 05 53 40 15 71
BROKERS
pennym.gsar@orange.fr
HEALTH - HOME - CAR -
BUSINESS - ETC
APIVIA, ALLIANZ,
SWISSLIFE, AXA,
HISCOX, GENERALI,
APRIL, CHUBB, POOL FENCE
The pool security system
SOLLY AZAR... that works.
Contact Kasia, Catherine, AFNOR approved.
Mark or Philip for quotes www.poolparc.com
Tel: +33 (0)5 57 80 43 35
Email: info@wminsurance.fr LIFELONG SWIMMING
W & M INSURANCE BROKERS
POOLS IN FRANCE
TAX service covering 1 week build, bespoke design & filtration
UK & French Returns. Self cleaning & remotely monitored
HMRC agent. Free estimate We are British & understand
of your tax liabilities. the French system too
W: taxspec.com www.gaiusta.com
T: +44 1323 657320
AXA
ALEXANDER PEARSON (MSc - CIWEM)
alexander@gaiusta.com
+33 (0)5 58 55 72 15
+33 (0)7 77 23 11 16
INSURANCE STOP CLEANING
Jean-Marie LECOMTE
YOUR POOL
ST HILAIRE DU HARCOUET - 50600
HOME - CAR - HEALTH
PET AND TRAVEL INSURANCE-
YOURSELF
BANKING / LOANS PoolGobbler Pro
automatically removes
(call Angeline: English speaking
contact) - 02 33 49 12 34 all flies, wasps and leaves
agence.lecomte@axa.fr from your pool surface.
NEED FRENCH LEGAL www.pure-piscines.com
ADVICE IN ENGLISH? or call 0565 319623
Tax returns, pension
schemes (QROPS),
Estate planning,
financial advice.
We are expats qualified in France,
call to try our unrivalled service TOP PRICE FOR
+33 (0)6 72 34 48 50 / VINYL RECORDS
+44 (0)20 3807 8311 Mobile: 06 83 32 65 15
or sue.davage@wanadoo.fr
www.
dtbwealthmanagement.com 82120 Marsac
24 Directory
Taking the paperwork and pain out of a left-hand drive vehicle purchase
At Gary Automobiles near
Lyon, convenience and quality
are assured for customers
buying a left-hand drive car
ARE YOU looking to buy a left-hand drive
vehicle for your new life in France?
Gary Automobiles is an English-owned
motor dealer based just outside of Lyon in
the Rhône-Alpes, specialising in the supply
of quality new and pre-owned, left-hand
drive, French registered vehicles to expats
moving to France.
The company has been operating in
France since July 1 2003 and customers
only ever deal with Gary personally.
Convenience for the customer is a key
element in the company’s ethos, which is
why Gary Automobiles now has the facility
to register your vehicle in your name at
PROBLEM SOLVING
Advice on all aspects of living in
France, buying/selling,
French administration, income tax,
etc...
Competent, experienced.
Contact me now for your free consultation.
Rachel THOMAS-BONNET LLB Hons
+33 (0)6 62 78 39 77
perfidealbion@bbox.fr
Visit me at
www.perfidealbion.com
GARY AUTOMOBILES
Specialists in supplying quality
New and Pre-owned
French registered vehicles
We buy LHD/RHD vehicles
Part-exchanges welcome
Unlike UK LHD specialists we
handle all the paperwork and
re-register the vehicle in your
name at our premises!
French registered, English owned company
Tel 0033 (0)4 74 43 89 51
or 0033 (0)6 84 85 04 61
gary.automobiles@wanadoo.fr
www.gary-automobiles.com
From a UK vehicle LOGBOOK
To a FRENCH vehicle
LOGBOOK – DONE !
PAULPALMER@CAR-REG-FRANCE.COM
WWW.CAR-REG-FRANCE.COM
Tel: 0780493243
Campervans, cars
and vans wanted
Both LHD and RHD.
Also part-exchange. Collection in
the UK or France. Polite service.
Please email, text or telephone
and we will call you back.
sunnyskycars@gmail.com
or Tel +33 (0) 6 17 22 93 23
00 44 738 325 3605
LEGGETT
Property Management offer a
comprehensive property management
and rental service for your holiday home.
www.leggettpm.com
hello@leggettpm.fr
ALL OF FRANCE
their premises – meaning there is no need
to worry about translation and paperwork
issues. Gary will issue your new carte
grise directly from his
office and can even
arrange your French
motor insurance and
transfer your no
claims bonus.
“I remember how hard
it was to understand the
French paperwork and
red tape when I made the
move over to France in
2001. I am happy to assist
fellow expats and take
that burden away,” says Gary.
Reassuringly, they are fully French
registered company with Siret / Siren / and
TVA numbers and only supply vehicles with
European specifications.
For customers wishing to stay over and
ANGLO FRENCH
EURO REMOVALS
Weekly services to and from
the UK and France
Full and part loads
40 years’ experience
Full or fragile packing service
Storage facilities in the UK
and France
UK - 0044 (0)1237 751 293
France - 0033 (0)545 894 957
info@anglofrenchmail.com
www.anglofrenchremovals.co.uk
UK Reg: 5437760
DORDOGNE STORAGE
SOLUTIONS AND
REMOVALS
European specialists France to
France, Spain, Portugal etc.
Removals, Storage,
House Clearance, Car and
Plant Transport.
French registered professional
friendly service.
+33 (0)6 73 96 38 39
www.
dordognestoragesolutions.com
Stockagedss@gmail.com
Siret number 80114632500015
Salisbury Removals Ltd
REMOVALS
UK - FRANCE - UK
• Full and part loads
• Container Storage
• Online Quotations
• Estimates in France
00 44 1722 698090
info@salisburyremovals.co.uk
www.salisburyremovals.co.uk
Company Reg No: 13709611
VAT No: 424046035
www.connexionfrance.com
COMMERCIAL FEATURE
visit the area (easyJet and Ryanair fly into
nearby airports), Gary can come to collect
you from the airport or train station, as
well as arrange
reservations or
advise on local
Lyonnais hotels.
Another part
of the service
offered by Gary
Automobiles is
that they do not
put people under
pressure to make
a purchase. They
understand the
logistics of moving abroad, so if they have
a suitable vehicle in stock they we will keep
it until you are ready to collect – with no
time limitations.
Part exchange with your right hand drive
vehicle is also available, while the company
CRANBURYS
Movers - Shippers - Storers
Full and Part Loads
throughout France
Secure storage
Tel +44 (0)1962 777 684
Email moving@cranburys.co.uk
www.cranburys.co.uk
Greetings Cards
Birthdays, Anniversaries, Special Occasion,
Christmas, Hand-made and Open - From €1.00
Hand Written Service Available
Tel: 07 70 17 73 86
enquiries@englishcardsinfrance.net
www.englishcardsinfrance.net
Siret: 538 583 60000019
Love French Interiors
French Reproduction Furniture.
Hand crafted from Mahogany.
Wide choice of finish options.
Full customisation possible.
Bespoke Design service available.
Delivery throughout France.
www.lovefrenchinteriors.com
0044 (0) 20 3474 0092
Chenil Les Mille Calins
English Run
5 Star accommodation for Dogs/Cats
l Underfloor heated kennels
l Qualified staff
l Top Quality food and exercise
l Only 45 minutes south of Caen
l Convenient Ferry Access
www.goldenwaypets.com
Telephone 02 33 37 49 19
Emergency 02 33 38 41 32
Fax 02 33 38 44 16
The Connexion September 2023
also provides a car sourcing service –
meaning if they do not have the vehicle
you want in stock, they will find it for you.
For further recommendation, here are
some previous customer comments:
“Gary Automobiles made the whole
process as painless as possible.”
Colin Edwards
“I have used Gary Automobiles to source
and deliver a new car in France. Since I
don’t speak French it was a delight to deal
with Gary himself.” Tom Wall
“Gary’s personal and English-speaking
service has been really helpful and taken
the hassle out of buying and keeping a car
in France.” James Greig
Gary Automobiles EURL
Telephone: 0033 4 74 43 89 51
Mobile: 0033 6 84 85 04 61
Email: gary.automobiles@wanadoo.fr Gary at his office near Lyon
www.gary-automobiles.com
SKY IN FRANCE
Sky, Freesat
English TV in your & French TV
French Home Supplied & Fully Installed
Professional installations in Office: 05 63 59 85 16
Brittany & Normandy www.skyinfrance.co.uk
Mail-order throughout France Please see our main
Free, friendly, helpful advice
advert in the Connexion
TVBrittany
02 97 27 58 50
www.tvbrittany.com
Axa AngloAgence Building restoration
Car, House, Health, INSURANCE City & Guilds qualified builder
Bank, Savings, Investment Masonary, plastering, tiling,
Painting and decorating
Going Beyond since 1989
Areas: 24, 46
02 96 87 21 21
Tel: 06 48 56 22 83
agence.mpsdinan@axa.fr
Alex, Richard, Trystan Email: pabroadley@yahoo.co.uk
SWIMMING POOL LEAK
DETECTION AND REPAIR
WIFI Anglais
www.fuitedetection.fr
+33 781 444545 Keeping you connected
+44 7770 274528
Internet - WiFi - VPN
Web hosting - CCTV
hello@wifianglais.com
07 78 52 20 46
AUDE & HERAULT
Pool Specialist
DEMPSEY TREE SURGERY
Weekly maintenance, repairs,
equipment replacement. CONTRACTORS
Contact Anthony Main 06 62 76 20 93
British trained & qualified tree surgeon
All tree work undertaken.
Email: anthonymain.fr@gmail.com
Tel: 05 45 65 96 86 Mob: 06 61 90 04 92
Siret 48468735500038
enquiries@dempseytreesurgery.com
www.dempseytreesurgery.com
Working in dept: 16, 17, 24, 87
Siret: 48930027700014
Painter / Decorator DORDOGNE SERVICES
- interior & exterior - All Gardening Work - Cutting
Strimming - Hedge Trimming
Contact Martin Clearance - Property Services
martin.dodson79@gmail.com Depts - 24,46,47
Tel: Bob & Tracy 06 42 82 44 96
07 85 13 93 04 / 06 07 45 62 63 Email: bob.groundwork@gmail.com
Region: GARD/30 siret : 48293447800017
 The Connexion September 2023 www.connexionfrance.com ALL OF FRANCE Directory 25
COMMERCIAL FEATURE

A swimming pool for life and a return on investment...sounds like a dream!

forward process, if the pool professional is with 10-15 year lifespans. Gaius TA has a
Buying a swimming pool in France can be a challenging experienced and is willing to spend time philosophy of finding the best value, most
experience; multiple pool types and materials coupled listening and putting together a professional sustainable and longest lasting materials
with a wide range of pool companies….. how do you document. This consist of a ‘déclaration to create a beautiful place that can be
préalable’ and ‘déclaration de travaux’ and enjoyed by families and friends for many,
ensure that the company you choose will understand is needed for all in-ground pools under many years to come. Gaius TA can give
your design, dream or desires? Alexander Pearson 100m2 surface area. you an estimate over the phone and if the
(MSc - CIWEM) from Gaius Terra & Aqua («Gaius TA») helps “Timescales of swimming pool installations solutions are not within budget, Alexander
often have to be flexible; bad weather can is happy to offer impartial advice and
you make sense of the French pool market and bring some cause delays to the build, but with the rapid recommendations.
clarity to what should be an extremely pleasurable process. install of a one of our carbon reinforced
ceramic pools these issues, along with bad
“BUDGET is more than often top of the list, builder has Assurance décennale and is a weather can easily be overcome. The whole
especially if the pool is for a holiday home/ member of a professional accredited body, process, from dig to swim can be completed
let,” says Alexander. “Cheap pools are such as the highly respected Fédération in under 10 days.”
readily available in France but often come des Professionnels Piscine. It is also worth Gaius TA was founded by Alexander, a
with unforeseen or miscommunicated requesting references / case studies, and French resident who previously worked for
complications resulting in higher installation, even viewing a completed project first hand. 10 years in the high-end swimming pool
operational and/or maintenance costs. Alexander continues, “Planning and construction industry in the UK. He W: www.gaiusta.com
Often the material costs are mirrored in applications and the bureaucratical pitfalls sees it is apparent that a throw away culture E: alexander@gaiusta.com
the design and installation quality. It is of building or renovating a swimming has crept into the French swimming pool T: (UK) +44 (0)7983806244
very important to make sure the pool pool in France can actually be a straight market, dominated by cheap polyester pools (FR) +33 (0) 777231116

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2023 helpguide
euroinstallations.com
Areas: 16,17
Tel: 05 46 86 07 61
Email: trevor.miell@btopenworld.com
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• Rural Broadband Siret No. 49376573200015
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• UK & French TV in the rural villages of SW France. animal a home, please consider Head to your My Account area and
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Please visit us at:
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your guide (the first two pages)
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26 Directory
Should expats in France use a ‘contract’ or ‘trust’ QROPS pension scheme?
One is less recognised in
France and could create
tax problems, warns expat
financial adviser Daniel
Butcher founder of DTB
Wealth Management.
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FEATURES
“FOR Britons transferring a UK pension
to France, the Qualifying Recognised
Overseas Pension Scheme (QROPS) is
widely promoted as a suitable option.
However there is more than one way
of structuring these,” says Daniel who
reviews which is the most effective
solution, a contract- or trust-based
QROPS.
“To make the best choice, it is important
to understand that each type is viewed
differently by common law countries,
such as the UK, and those which operate
under civil law, like France.”
Examples of other civil law countries
are Germany, Italy, Spain and Switzerland;
common law countries include Canada,
India and Australia.
Daniel continues: “Trusts can be mis-
understood by civil law countries and,
although not illegal in France, they are
not seen through the same lens as in
HEALTH AND COUNSELLING
www.connexionfrance.com The Connexion September 2023
COMMERCIAL FEATURE
common law countries. The reality is that pleased to work with those in France with
trusts can encounter problems in France a trust-based QROPS who are considering
and could potentially be rejected as a changing to a contract-based policy and
pension by the French Tax Authorities look to achieve this in the quickest,
(FTA), so holders may end up paying smoothest way possible.”
more tax on income and gains arising
in the fund.”
While on paper both schemes look
as though they provide largely the same
benefits when moving a UK pension across
to France, Daniel advises his clients to play
it safe and choose contract-based QROPS
which can be declared to the FTA as a
‘pension’ or ‘pension étranger’, just as it
would have been classified in the UK.
Daniel details three schemes: STM Malta,
Sovereign Malta and Trireme. “We do not
have a preference between the three QROPS
listed,” he says, “however STM has an
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include an establishment fee.” contact@dtbwealthmanagement.com Daniel Butcher founded
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 28 Healthcare
Dementia care ‘going backwards’ in France
by Samantha David
AN ORGANISATION set up
to improve Alzheimer’s care in
France has accused the govern-
ment of moving backwards on
plans to deal with the disease.
In a recent meeting with
lobbyists, the health minister
promised action on Alzheimer’s,
Parkinson’s and multiple scler-
osis, branding them a “major
public health issue”.
François Braun promised
the ministry was working
on a long-term action plan
backed by a “strong financial
commitment”, which would be
unveiled next year.
For Lorène Gilly, head of
public policy monitoring at
France Alzheimer et Maladies
Apparentées, action cannot
come soon enough.
“Millions of people are affect-
ed by these diseases but French
provision relating to them has
slid backwards in recent years.”
In 2019, around 1.2 million
people in France had some
form of dementia.
The numbers are expected to
rise above 2.1 million by 2050,
yet Ms Gilly accuses the govern-
ment of spending less and back-
tracking from having a com-
prehensive National Dementia
Plan to having no plan at all.
“The G7 health ministers have
“
Families have no idea
what support they can get
Lorène Gilly,
France Alzheimer
committed to making dementia
a priority, highlighting the
importance of the WHO Global
Action Plan, but we are going
backwards, despite being a
signatory of that plan.”
With 225,000 new cases
diagnosed every year and a
suspected half a million cases
undiagnosed, the clock is tick-
ing, she warned.
“The Plan Sarkozy from 2008
to 2012 was good. It allowed
us to take steps forward and
connexionfrance.com
By 2050, 2.1 million “It was always clear this plan
people in France might wouldn’t work, and it didn’t,”
have a form of dementia said Ms Gilly.
She does admit, however, that
some progress was made.
GPs received awareness
Photo: Robert Kneschke_shutterstock
training in the diagnosis of
dementia, which is crucial to
catch the disease early and slow
it development.
Yet Ms Gilly is critical of gov-
ernment action in recent years.
“The last meeting was in 2019
and since then there has been
nothing – no plan, no money,
nothing. Along with other
associations, we have lobbied
hard and last year the minister
finally said that an evaluation
would be carried out.
“It was done by a Canadian
and a French investigator, both
working from home rather than
interviewing in person. They
didn’t accept we need more fa-
France had a comprehensive cilities and a coherent strategy.”
Alzheimer’s strategy. We were Discussions began but tailed
among the first countries in the off again as the 2022 election
world to recognise the chal- approached and have yet to be
lenge and a budget of €1.6bil- picked up, said Ms Gilly.
lion paid for 46 new measures “Families have no idea what
to be put in place. It made a support they can get or expect.
huge difference.” Millions are waiting for help.”
However, in 2014 President One issue identified by Ms
François Hollande announced Gilly is that patients under
that all neuro-degenerative 60 who are diagnosed with
diseases were to be tackled to- dementia are classed as disabled
gether, allocating just €470mil- workers, whereas those diag-
lion to that end. nosed after that age are cate-
The Connexion September 2023
gorised as dependent, which
means they get fewer benefits
and far less help.
She added that because
sufferers do not always ‘look’
disabled, they often face an
uphill battle accessing support,
including something as simple
as a disabled parking permit.
“In some areas of France,
people have to wait over a year
for an appointment with the
‘rapid response’ team after a
diagnosis,” said Ms Gilly.
“The postcode lottery extends
to EHPADs [care facilities for
dependent elderly people], only
a third of which are properly
equipped for dementia patients.”
She added: “In some areas, it
is almost impossible just to get
a diagnosis, which results in
unequal access to medication.
And now France no longer
reimburses them.”
The problems are exacerbated
by lingering stigma and prejud-
ice against dementia patients,
as well as poorly trained staff.
For this reason, said Ms Gilly,
the onus is often on families to
look after sufferers themselves
and fund their continuing care.
“Families can find themselves
under a lot of pressure, some-
times even giving up work to
care for a relative.
“Then, if that relative goes
into residential care, they can
be faced with massive bills, as
well as the agony of realising
their loved one no longer
recognises them.”
She added that the govern-
ment has done little to address
the economic consequences
of dementia: “Families can be
impoverished for generations
by bills relating to care. Some
people have to sell their homes
to pay for a loved one’s care.
“People need urgent, con-
crete, permanent answers.
“National solidarity should
not be a case of families being
impoverished and destroyed.”
n For information about
dementia and dementia care
in France, see tinyurl.com/
alz-France (in English) and
francealzheimer.org. The
Facebook group Strictly Santé
France also provides mutual
support on all healthcare issues
(in English). There is also an
English-speaking contact (Alex
Hewitt-Jones) at the France
Alzheimer Dordogne office
(email: contact24
@francealzheimer.org,
telephone: 05 53 27 30 34).
We would like to talk to readers
with a family member who has
been diagnosed with dementia
in France. Please contact us via
news@connexionfrance.com with
a daytime phone number.
 The Connexion September 2023 connexionfrance.com French life in numbers 29

French school system: 11 things Five things they don’t tell you...
about waistlines in France

you might be surprised to learn

by Samantha David

What would you add to the list?

Tell us at news@connexionfrance.com
by Samantha David La rentrée: Students head
back for a new school year
FRANCE’S education system is extremely
centralised. All curricula are drawn up
by the Ministère de l’Éducation Nationale,
which also assigns secondary teachers to
schools across the country, often with scant
regard for individual teachers’ wishes.
This is supported by teaching unions as

Photo: Anetlanda _ Shutterstock

a way of ensuring that talented staff are
spread equally between schools.

Photo: Norenko Andrey _ Shutterstock

France is divided into 30 académies,
each headed up by a recteur d’académie,
appointed in Paris. Primary teachers are
assigned to schools by these académies.
Most teachers are civil servants, recruited
and paid by the state. 1. Le régime kilos away – provided it is
Here are 11 other surprising facts about teamed with a calorie-con-
the French school system: IT IS FINE to be on a diet, as trolled diet. C’est sérieux!
long as it does not stop you

Photo: Carlo Prearo _ Shutterstock

1 School starts aged three 6 Boarding is subsidised
eating anything you like. As 4. Le sport
School is compulsory from age three when The state system includes boarding schools (l’internat) you accept a large serving of
children start l’école maternelle. They stay for for rural pupils who live too far away to commute potatoes cooked with cream IF A LITTLE too much
three years before moving up to l’école pri- daily. There are also special options for pupils who and butter, you just say loud- embonpoint becomes a
maire. Homeschooling is rare and regulated. excel at sport (known as sports-études), such as a ski ly that “it’s not diet food” and permanent state of affairs,
option in mountain areas. everyone will nod with such your GP could prescribe
2 Teachers trained in child psychology Boarding fees are affordable and such schools are heavily subsidised according to family sympathy that the calories sessions with a kiné to get
Teacher training has undergone massive income. Some children board monthly but most are weekly boarders. will instantly evaporate. you moving in the right
changes in the last 30 years. Teachers were Il faut manger! direction. And if exercise
once only trained in their specialist subject them), regarding them as inferior nutrition. and/or international sections, staffed does not do the trick, there is
but now also receive instruction in teach- Parents can consult menus on notice- by foreign teachers following foreign 2. La soupe always massage. Otherwise,
ing techniques and child psychology. boards outside schools to see their home curricula. These sections usually only you might have to join a gym
Teachers do not have a duty of pastoral meal planning does not offer the same. cover three or four subjects, with the THE SECRET weapon is or go shopping for cycling
care. Although most schools do their remainder done by the regular state soup made by blending a shorts. Il faut pédaler!
best, it is seen as a job for social services. 7 Learn subjects school does not offer
school. The schools are free but for- selection of boiled vegetables.
Children who want to learn a subject that eign-language sections generally Seasoning is allowed, but 5. La cure
3 Minimal extracurricular activity is not taught at their school can do so via have affordable fees. Entrance can butter, cheese, cream and
After-school activities are limited. Instead the Centre National d’Enseignement à be competitive. Pupils can sit exams croutons are definitely off the IF THINGS get really out of
of joining a school orchestra/gym club/foot- Distance (CNED), which offers a wide for the Baccalauréat Français International menu. This austere dish can hand and
ball team, children join external local clubs. range of subjects. Some schools will even or BFI (formerly the Option Internationale compensate for any amount you find
pay the fees (which are not very high). du Baccalauréat). of midday indulgence, as yourself in
4 Bullying is a crime long as it is served with a the 15.7%
Bullying (le harcèlement scolaire) is a 8 Most private schools are Catholic 10 Parents’ evening queues glass of decent red. of officially

Photo: kryzhov _ Shutterstock

problem, which the government is tackling 97% of private schools in France are Parents’ evenings at collège and lycée Cinq par jour! overweight
in a variety of ways including the creation Catholic – and mainly funded (73%) by the often mean waiting in line outside people
of a helpline (3020, open weekdays from state, resulting in very low fees compared to subject classrooms. Parents are allocated 3. La minceur living in
09.00 to 20.00). In addition, new legisla- the US or UK. Parents pay only for the non- five to 10 minutes each, but often over- France, la
tion was brought in last year to make state extras, such as religious instruction. run. MAINTAINING a slim figure sécu might
bullying a crime, with penalties of up Widely regarded as more disciplined, also requires attendance at the pay for
to 10 years in prison and fines. entrance into private schools can be 11 Philosophy for all pharmacie, where you discuss three weeks undergoing a
competitive, with uncooperative children The French are proud that philosophy is green tea versus cherry stalks, cure in a spa, where you
5 School dinners are first rate expelled quickly. 17% of primary, middle compulsory in the final year of lycée, and the merits of organic appetite will attend nutrition classes
School lunches are high quality, often three and secondary pupils go to private schools. has been since 1808. Pupils usually take suppressant pills, and the poss- between steamy sessions
courses and with a vegetarian option. There four hours a week and philo is required ibility of trying hypnosis or a designed to make you thinner
is generous help with payment and most 9 Follow a foreign curriculum to sit the Bac. It is often the first subject tisane guaranteed to melt the and fitter. Ça chauffe!
schools frown on packed lunches (or ban Some state schools also have European that starts exam season.

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 30 Animal welfare
Towns under pressure to be more dog-friendly
After Lille grabbed
headlines as the best
city to have a dog in
France, Victoria Gibson
looks at the serious
welfare concerns
behind efforts to make
urban areas more
accessible for pets
IT IS OFFICIAL: the best town in
France to own a dog is Lille.
So says animal welfare foundation
30 Millions d’Amis, which every year
scores towns of more than 100,000
residents on everything from access to
green spaces and dog mess facilities
to the state of their pounds and the
efficacy of sterilisation campaigns.
The survey, called Où fait-il bon
vivre avec son chien?, started in 2016,
with this year’s winner Lille singled
out for its many dog parks. Second-
placed Nice,
meanwhile,
scored well for
creating a ‘pet
friendly’ label, pictured, for hotels,
activities and restaurants that welcome
and cater for dogs, and for letting staff
employed by the town hall bring their
pets to work with them.
In third place, Montpellier got a
pat on the head for its policy of free
access to public transport for dogs.
While the scheme might give
municipalities something to gloat
about and newspaper columns some
feel-good material, Katia Renard,
founder of the survey and editor of
the 30 Millions d’Amis magazine, says
there is a serious message at its heart.
“I created this list because year after
year I was noticing a slow ‘leak’ of dogs
(and therefore owners) from Paris.
“This meant that the city was less
and less inclined to welcome dogs
in public spaces, evidenced by the
disappearance of canisites [enclosed
spaces designed specifically for dogs],
no dog parks and no authorisation to
use public transport,” said Ms Renard.
The survey looks at five distinct cate-
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connexionfrance.com The Connexion September 2023
Whipped horses and Napoleon’s lost dog: a potted history of the SPA
THE SOCIÉTÉ protectrice des animaux (SPA) is eventually found.
the oldest and largest organisation dedicated to the The lady who
protection of animals in France. returned him
The idea began in Paris in 1843 when a doctor,
Pierre Dumont de Monteux, witnessed a cart driver
received a gold
medal. Néro was
mistreating his horse by whipping and kicking it.
Dumont intervened and, afterwards, wrote a letter to
later immortalised
in a statue along-
the city’s prefect of police about the incident, which side Napoleon’s
was also published in La Rédaction Agricole. young son.
Weeks later, the prefect signed an order that, with the Throughout the
threat of immediate penalty, banned coachmen and cart years, the SPA’s
workers from hitting horses with the handle of their whips. mission has
remained firm: to
This was just the beginning. Inspired by the creation
of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals care for animals,
(RSPCA) in England in 1824, Dumont gathered a group collect abandoned
of animal-lovers and activists on December 2, 1845, and or abused pets
they formed the SPA. Physician and psychiatrist Etienne and give them a
Pariset became its first president and Dumont was second chance,
Photo: SPA
Photo: Arwen Matthijssen _ Shutterstock appointed to draft the statutes. raise awareness
The SPA’s creation was made public on April 3, 1846, of animal welfare,
and soon after, the French parliament approved the first and campaign against animal abuse and abandonment.
law relating to the mistreatment of domestic animals. Since 1948, the Section Jeunes de la SPA has also
In 1860, Napoleon III recognised the organisation as educated young people about animals and their wellbeing.
being one of ‘public utility’. The ruler himself was said Today, the association is supported by 20,600 members
to have a soft spot for dogs, his most beloved being an and 290,000 donors, working alongside 710 employees and
English pointer called Néro. Néro’s escape from the 5,000 volunteers. It provides aid to 289 animal protection
Tuileries in 1865 sparked a huge search, including posters associations and is an official partner to the gendarmerie
and a notice published in newspapers, before he was nationale, police nationale and police municipale.
A woman and her dog in Lille in June
gories: accessibility, cleanliness, aware- and neutering their pets. In terms of of summer alone. Hundreds of other and support for owners.”
ness, engagement and chats libres – cleanliness, towns offering free dog animal refuges have also reported a She pointed out that by offering
stray cats that have been neutered and waste bags and actively encouraging surge in abandoned pets, citing the more opportunities for dogs to
identified by authorities and, as such, owners to pick up dog mess – often by cost of living crisis among reasons. socialise, behavioural issues should
have some protection from pounds. imposing penalties for flouting rules A law, approved in 2021, aims to decrease.
“All of these are important,” said Ms – score higher. help by including a requirement for Currently, a major concern of many
Renard, “but accessibility is essential Some 7.5 million people in France new pet owners to sign a certificate animal shelters is the length of time
because if dogs cannot accompany owned a pet dog in 2022, according to confirming they understand the dogs are staying there. This is often
their owners when they’re out and Statista. The country ranked second responsibilities involved. It also linked to the rehabilitation and social-
about, they become a source of for pet ownership in Europe, just brought in harsher punishments isation of some dogs, which delays
problems for owners.” behind Germany, according to the for abandonment and cruelty. their rehoming opportunities.
She said access to dedicated parks Fédération européenne de l’industrie Ms Renard hopes that by getting Another way for towns to reduce
came a close second by helping dogs des aliments pour animaux familiers. local authorities on board to improve abandonment is making future adop-
become socialised, and therefore Yet animal abandonment continues amenities for dog owners, fewer will ters more aware of their responsibili-
behave better, and giving owners to be a big issue in France. be inclined to re-home their pets. ties, says Ms Renard.
a chance to share best practice. The Société “It’s in the biggest cities with the “And support owners who, for one
Regarding cats, Ms Renard said the protectrice des highest concentra- reason or another, and sometimes
problem of strays is a growing issue in animaux (SPA), one tion of people that temporarily, are experiencing difficul-
large cities but one that is being dealt of France’s leading the obstacles to liv- ties with their pet – behaviour, care,
with “more and more effectively”, animal protection ing with a dog are or change of professional, family or
thanks largely to town halls reaching associations (see greatest,” she said. financial situation, such as entry into
agreements with local associations panel above), “We must work a retirement home.”
and voluntary groups to sterilise, feed appealed for funds on the areas in Until more towns take action,
and monitor them. in August after which [municipal- surveys such as Où fait-il bon vivre
The survey also advocates greater revealing its refuges ities] fall short, avec son chien? will continue to apply
support for owners who need assist- were “saturated”. It which are often pressure, feeding into the general
Credit: SPA
ance with their pets – for example, said it had accepted access to public discourse on pet welfare and, hope-
better access to puppy classes or, for 12,000 animals transport, creation fully, paving the way for a brighter
homeless people, to microchipping since the beginning An SPA volunteer holds a small dog of dedicated spaces future for dogs and their owners.
Ref: A18604 €895,000 Ref: A22607 €340,000 Ref: A07574 €699,999 Ref: A20844 €344,000
Provence
Charente
Vaucluse
Lot
EXCLUSIVE
Agency fees paid by the seller. Agency fees paid by the seller. 4% agency fees included paid by the buyer. Agency fees paid by the seller.
Energy class: E Climate class: B Energy class: D Climate class: B Energy class: E Climate class: D Energy class: C Climate class: A
Information on the risks to which these properties are exposed is available on the Geohazards website: www.georisques .gouv.fr
We have helped 1000s of clients buy and sell
property in France and have 8000+ properties
listed on our website. If you are looking to sell,
contact us for a free market appraisal.
+33 (0)5 53 60 84 88 · leggettfrance.com · info@leggett.fr
 The Connexion September 2023 connexionfrance.com Community / Profile 31

Toulouse prepares to welcome

visitors to rugby's World Cup
Sally Ann Voak meets some of
the people looking to
Awards for
'most British

Photo: Emma Birski

benefit from the matches held
in France's 'capital of rugby'
IF YOU live in or near France’s ‘capital
of French artists'
of rugby', the chances are you will be by Liv Rowland worry about masculine and
involved in one or more of the Rugby feminine labels.”
World Cup events planned this autumn. YOUNG Franco-British artist In terms of a look onstage,
Toulouse, whose team captain Antoine Maddy Street looks set for a Maddy is still “trying to figure
Dupont is also captain of the national side, blossoming career in French out if I have to choose one".
will host five matches at the city's football pop after winning two prestig- The songs on Maddy's EP
ground, Stadium de Toulouse, which can ious awards this year. British Boy? are inspired by
accommodate 33,300 people, compared to Maddy, 25, who identifies as reflections about their identity,
19,000-capacity Stade Toulousain. non-binary and asked us to use such as Merlin, the name
The city is also home to the Japanese the gender-neutral pronoun Maddy’s parents would have
team’s training camp, so flyers, handouts ‘they’ in this article, has been chosen for a boy, or Wish I Was
and booklets are being printed in French, called ‘the most British of You, about wanting to be both
Photos: Sally Ann Voak

English and Japanese. French artists’ by media the men or the women they
Some locals are even attending special including Le Parisien, and is saw on television.
Japanese language classes to help them the child of British parents A break-up with a girlfriend
welcome thousands of tourists flying in living in Normandy. who had to go back to Aus­
for the games. One of the many rugby-themed artworks being exhibited in Le rugby à Toulouse: This year, they won two tralia due to Covid inspired
Yorkshire-born walking tour guide naissance d’une passion (1890-1930) at the Musée du Vieux-Toulouse until October 7 awards for up-and-coming Hey Friend and Tiny House.
Penny Dickinson is among around 50 artists: the Prix Pernod Ricard Maddy's musical inspirations
volunteers working for the Les Oeuvreurs ANNETTE the game that he became a benefactor and France Live Music 2023 and include British rapper Little
de Toulouse, a committee formed of Hardouin and the first president of Stade Toulousain. the Normandy region’s Go+, Simz and Ed Sheeran, as well
tradespeople, rugby players and fans. her partner in life The club's ground is named after him, which give a year of support, as classic pop, rock and soul
“Toulouse is a friendly city, with an and work, Yves and his red and black law robes provided including advice from estab- such as the Beatles, Fleetwood
inclusive atmosphere and people from lots Patissier, are both the inspiration for today’s team colours. lished professionals. Mac and Aretha Franklin, or
of different backgrounds and countries.” artists, each work- The Pernod Ricard prize also The Blues Brothers film.
she said. ing in different ARTHUR gives slots at 10 festivals, and Maddy said: “I support the
“To be involved in the Rugby World Cup media. LeMasson is Maddy has been performing French football team but prefer
is a great honour and will, of course, help Annette designs fabrics and garments an apprentice throughout the summer, gain- English music.
my business, ToulouseWalkingTours.com. made with a blue dye called woad (or chocolate maker in ing new fans. "I’ve never lived in the UK so,
“I already have tours booked in advance, pastel), which is also used in the paint on La Compagnie du Maddy sings mostly in for me, France is my home, but
including by Japanese visitors." many Toulousain houses. Yves is a sculp- Chocolat, a chain English in a pop-rock-rap style. English music and films are my
Penny, 49, worked in Japan for two tor. The couple own a ‘blue boutique’ in of shops set up in They studied English literature culture too.
years in the mid-1990s, teaching English. the heart of the city, fitted out by Yves. 1994 by famous at Sorbonne Nouvelle univers- “I wonder if I should write
“It was a long time ago, so I will be “We met nine years ago when he rang to local chocolatier Vincent Puyuelo. ity, so songwriting allows them more in French, to be more
refreshing my vocabulary,” she said. inquire about my designs,” said Annette. Arthur, 20, will be offering visitors daily to “tie together” a love of lang- francophone-accessible, but
France face New Zealand in Paris for “I was about to fly to Germany to a show demonstrations of the art of chocolate- uage and music. They also for now I’ve just tried to switch
the tournament's opening game, and but answered the call. making, including how to create pictures make their own music videos. more between the two. People
the match will be shown live on two big “We fell in love, which, at our age, is a of rugby games and produce scrummy, “The text always comes first like that and enjoy my British
screens at the Toulouse rugby village, the blessing. Toulouse is a romantic city, even award-winning fudge. for me,” Maddy said. punky attitude, mixed with the
largest outside the capital. for seniors!” “Rugby fans will be able to eat home- “It stems from my love for French rap and pop elements.”
“The whole city will be there, including Annette is running dyeing and crafting made chocolates while they cheer on their literature and also from parents Maddy said France’s strict
me, as a meeting and greeting helper,” said classes specially tailored to rugby visitors team. It is also a comforting treat if your who are both bookworms. work regulations, such as the
Penny. “I never imagined I would do this in her cellar workshop. team are losing,” he said. "Growing up, we would con- intermittent du spectacle status,
job. It's great!” She has also designed a scarf printed stantly have music playing in allow young artists here to get
with rugby balls for her collection. “Allez MURIEL Martin some shape or form, and my paid regularly, including if
Below, Toulousains discuss their plans for France, et Toulouse!” she declared. heads the Club dad played the guitar, inspiring appearing as an opening act,
the upcoming Rugby World Cup: des Ambassadeurs me to learn.” whereas “the best you can
A YEAR ago, de Toulouse, a Maddy started writing music expect in the UK is your food
THOMA Gregson Jérome Kerambloch, global network in high school. “It was an and a pint.”
(left, with Penny who works at the promoting the escape because I didn’t enjoy This year, they also benefited
Dickinson) is an Musée du Vieux- city’s tourism the first years due to bullying from the Scènes de musiques
executive at the Toulouse, had the and commerce. over my bisexuality. I learned actuelles (SMAC) system,
Toulouse organising idea of mounting For the World Cup period, a temporary covers and ended up writing where the state supports local
committee for the an exhibition embassy has been set up in the Capitole my own stuff.” pop concerts, in this case in
Rugby World Cup. celebrating the area for tourist information. Lycée was better as they made primary schools and collèges
An ex-second row history of the Stade “Toulouse often misses out as a holiday friends who were more “my in Saint-Lô, Manche. The
forward, Thoma, 25, says: “My job is to Toulousain Club. destination in favour of Paris and the crew”, and a last university year children were a “wonderful
coordinate and oversee things but all this “It took over a year researching and using south of France, but we offer so much in Melbourne, which had a audience”.
effort is being generated by residents them- detective work to collect exhibits and put here,” Muriel said. welcoming LGBT scene, also Maddy said it was “crazy” to
selves, from cab drivers to shopkeepers, city on the show,” he said. “Artefacts such as “We have worked together over the last “really helped”. win the Pernod Ricard award
dignitaries, and people who are only recent pictures and cartoons were not stored seven years to promote our wonderful city. However, Maddy said it can as they were competing against
devotees. Everyone is enthusiastic. together, so we hunted them down. I We want to develop more business links. be “a nightmare” to navigate thousands. “I knew some of the
“It is a short period (September 8 to contacted former players, who searched “Toulouse is a great place to hold a the gendered French language. bands and thought ‘there’s no
October 28) but the Rugby World Cup their attics, and we found action paintings, conference, as well as watch rugby.” For example, not everyone way I’m winning this’, but it
offers us a golden opportunity to bring the photographs, sculptures and books.” knows the gender-neutral goes to show you shouldn’t
community even closer together and Their diligence paid off, with a display The five games held in Toulouse pronoun iel’. doubt yourself too much.
generate revenue for city projects. We are that charts the foundation and growth of September 10: Japan v Chile “After shows, I get lots of “I hope from the visibility
also holding a special event for smaller one of the world’s greatest clubs. September 15: New Zealand v Namibia people thanking me for the I’ve gained this year I will get
clubs. Rugby is a game that unites families. Gems include archive photographs of the September 23: Georgia v Portugal representation I give, as there to work with a music label. I’m
“Funding has come from the city, the women’s team and a half-hour film made September 28: Japan v Samoa aren’t many French singers also starting to work with a
French Rugby Federation, and sponsors. in 1928 in which two ladies try (and fail) October 8: Fiji v Portugal using iel, and I have a ton of manager and a booking agent,
Local players are putting on gastronomic to seduce a couple of rugby forwards away supportive friends.” which makes a world of differ-
All games will be played at Stadium
experiences. La pétanque des copains, near from the game. However, even the best-inten- ence. I’m very happy and feel
de Toulouse, easily accessible from the
the Jardin des Plantes, is one of several The star exhibit is a portrait of Ernest tioned people sometimes still very lucky to get to this point.”
city centre by public transport and a
open-air restaurants set up by players. Wallon (1851-1921), the law professor struggle with gender ambiguity, Check out Maddy’s Facebook
pleasant walk from the supporters’
Toulouse and France stars Cyril Baille from Toulouse University who was so Maddy said. “I would like the or Instagram for details of
village at Prairie des Filtres.
and Antoine Dupont are involved.” impressed by his students’ enthusiasm for freedom to be fluid and not upcoming appearances.
 32 Practical
Electric car safety on ferries questioned Insurance to rise but
A FIRE aboard a cargo ship off the coast
of the Netherlands, believed to have start-
ed with an electric car, has raised safety
concerns over the transportation of
electric vehicles.
A reader contacted us to ask about the
possible implications for cross-Channel
ferry companies and electric cars.
The Fremantle Highway had 3,783 vehicles
onboard, including 498 electric vehicles,
when the fire broke out, resulting in the
death of a crew member.
The cause is not yet known but Dutch
broadcaster RTL released a recording in
which an emergency responder can be
heard saying the fire began with the
battery of an electric car.
A recent report from Allianz claimed
that lithium-ion batteries pose a “growing
risk” for car carriers, with fires mostly
resulting from “substandard manufactur-
ing or damaged battery cells or devices,
over-charging and short-circuiting”.
However, the Confederation of Fire
Protection Associations Europe wrote last
year: “According to studies from both
Denmark and Norway, there is actually
less risk of fire in electric and hybrid cars
than in conventional cars.
“The only problem is that when it does
happen, the consequences can be greater,
because fire in a lithium battery is difficult
to extinguish and can flare up again long
after it has been extinguished.”
It quoted a project manager with the
Danish Institute of Fire and Security
Technology, who said that “fires in electric
cars on ferries are manageable and not
something we need to fear”, following
extensive testing.
Tom Bartosak-Harlow, director of com-
M A K I N G
connexionfrance.com
spokesman for Danish company DFDS,
which runs several routes across the
Channel, told The Connexion it had
bought firefighting equipment for fires in
Photo: ANP / Alamy Stock Photo
‘alternative fuelled vehicles’ (AFVs) and
placed this on board all DFDS ships.
“DFDS has made special e-learning
training for awareness and knowledge
about fires in AFV-vehicles for all deck
and engine officers.”
It has not yet been confirmed whether The ferries also have CCTV and regular
an electric vehicle was behind the fire fire patrols by the crew on car decks, as
well as automatic fire detection systems.
munications for the UK Chamber of Damaged electric vehicles are not allowed
Shipping trade association, said: “Fires in onboard.
ferries are thankfully incredibly rare, but The spokesman highlighted differences
ferry companies do have clear safety between the Freemantle Highway and its
procedures in place to make sure we are passenger vessels, which “have water-based
minimising risks should a fire break out.” sprinkler systems on the car decks, where-
Precautions include sprinkler systems, as car carriers typically only have CO2
and various operators have taken measures systems for putting out fires on their
specifically related to electric vehicles. car decks.
“These could include patrols of vehicle “A water-based sprinkler system is better
decks looking for issues. Some mark than a CO2 in many ways: with a CO2
electric vehicles as they’re boarding [this is system, you can only release the system
the case with Brittany Ferries], with once to fight the fire, whereas the water
a windscreen sticker, for example, to show sprinkler system allows you to use an
they are to be placed appropriately, unlimited amount of seawater.”
perhaps near a fire suppression system.” Earlier this year, Norwegian shipping
It is not currently possible to charge an company Havila Kystruten decided to
electric car on ferry services between ban electric and hybrid vehicles from
England and France, although Irish Ferries its ferries.
offers charging points on its Dublin- With electric vehicles becoming increas-
Cherbourg WB Yeats ferry – provided that ingly prevalent, Mr Bartosak-Harlow said
passengers pre-book their space at an the industry in the UK is not currently
additional charge. Some ports have charg- considering similarly drastic measures.
ing points nearby (see openchargemap.org). “Electric vehicles are different to the cars
The Chamber of Shipping is planning to we’ve had previously. If you think about the
publish industry guidance later this year history of shipping, new technologies come
based on what operators are already doing, along all the time. This is another challenge
allowing them to share best practices. A of the kind the industry is used to facing.”
Did you know?
You can have your main home in France,
with a value at up to €1,800,000, and yet
pay no wealth tax at all!
Wealth tax, was historically the dealbreaker for those considering
moving to France. Wealth tax is now only on property and nothing
else, with generous allowances for main home owners.
Visit www.kentingtons.com for more information
Y O U R L I F E I N F R A N C E
France:
UK:
Web:
The Connexion September 2023
not due to riot damage
THIS summer’s riots saw 5,000
vehicles set on fire – but this is
not the reason why insurance
premiums are expected to rise.
Instead, climate change has
been blamed for an increase in
home and car insurance
prices. The costs of the riots
are just a drop in the ocean in
comparison, said Jean Barès,
secretary-general of FEDEXA,
a federation of independent
insurance experts.
A report from the France
Assureurs federation revealed
that insurance firms paid out
€650million following the riots,
mostly to businesses and local
authorities.
By comparison, in 2022
French insurance firms paid
out just under €10billion in
environmental damage due to
increasingly severe and frequent
storms, floods and droughts.
“We expect that number to
balloon up to €150billion by
2050,” said Mr Barès. “For the
next 20 years, natural disasters
are expected to become increas-
ingly destructive and costly.”
MPs recently approved a bill
that would make it easier to
claim for cracks to houses
caused by drought. It must
now be passed by the Senate.
A report from the French
insurance authority ACPR
L E S S T A X I N G
+33 (0)805 03 00 01
+44 (0)8451 23 84 23
www.kentingtons.com
predicts €143billion in environ-
mental damages by 2050, which
would cause home insurance
rates to double or triple.
Car insurance will follow a
similar trend, with rises follow-
ing inflation but with no notice-
able impact from the riots.
However, the garantie incendie
(fire/arson clause) required for
reimbursement if your car is set
on fire might become slightly
more expensive.
France has brought in extra
help for drivers whose cars were
damaged by rioting and who do
not have the appropriate cover-
age (10% to 15% of victims).
Those with taxable income
below €27,606 in 2022 can
claim up to €4,601, increasing
for every child in the house-
hold. This is drawn from the
Fonds de garantie des victimes,
the national victims’ fund to
which everybody with an
insurance contract contributes.
Claimants must fill in a form,
at tinyurl.com/12825-05, and
send it to the Commission
d’indemnisation des victimes
d’infractions (CIVI) at their
local court, with insurance
documents, proof of damage
and a reference of the complaint
filed with police. For more
information, call the govern-
ment’s free helpline at 116 006.
 The Connexion September 2023
The Connexion
Money / Tax page
Is capital gains tax
payable if we let
out our house?
FOR SEVERAL years we have rented out part
of our home in France as a seasonal holiday
let. We want to downsize but have discovered
that we will be subject to capital gains tax
(CGT) even though it is our main residence.
We bought it in 1999 and moved in perm-
anently in 2023.
How long, after saying goodbye to our last
guests, do we have to wait before we can
sell without CGT? A.C.
THE ISSUE that arises here is that the exemption
that exists from French capital gains tax on sell-
ing the main home does not apply to a property
that is used for letting.
If the tax office thinks a property is used for
letting, then the ordinary CGT regime is liable
to apply as for a second home. The rules are dif-
ferent again if you are considered a ‘professional
letter’, but this is unlikely to be the case for you.
However a reduction for length of ownership
will come into play, and there is no tax after 22
years, and no social charges after 30.
So, in your case you should only be eligible to
pay the social charges, which will also be reduced.
If you have owned the property 24 years, you
will get 46% off the charges.
The latter are usually 17.2%, but may be
reduced to 7.5% for people who have S1 forms
and no French pension and have their healthcare
paid for by an EU/EEA state or the UK.
You might find, therefore, that the bill is less
than you expect.
However, it is also worth discussing the issue
with your tax office as, if the letting activity is
only occasional and you retain use of the
property the rest of the time, you could argue
for an exemption due to that.
Also, as only a part of the home is concerned,
in theory the bill should only be proportional to
the part used for letting activity, ie. one quarter
if you let out a quarter of your home.
As a general rule, however, to avoid any issues
with the tax office it is advisable to stop any
letting activity at least one year before selling
the property.
Waiting long enough to make an annual tax
return showing no letting income would be ideal,
but this year’s new obligatory biens immobiliers
declaration, if it showed no letting activity at the
property, is also likely to help.
The Connexion welcomes queries and publishes a selection with answers in
every edition. However, please note that we cannot enter into correspondence on
money topics. Queries may be edited for length and style. Due to the sensitive
nature of topics we do not publish full names or addresses on these pages.
connexionfrance.com Money 33
Are more people
being asked to
pay wealth tax
Photo: Robert Kneschke_ shutterstock.com
due to recent
property rises?
I HAVE heard that in some areas second
homes bought for modest prices years
Send your financial queries to ago have surged in value to the extent
that people are now being told they should
Hugh MacDonald at declare for property wealth tax. How do we
money@connexionfrance.com. Please ensure you mark know when we are eligible for this? A.R.
your emails for the attention of Mr MacDonald
NON-RESIDENTS are eligible to pay
property wealth tax – impôt sur la fortune
How does France treat SIPP pension income? immobilière – if they have net French
property wealth of €1.3million.
WE moved to France in 2019 and so declare annuity, you leave money invested in the fund The sum holds for residents, but on their
our income, including state and SIPP pensions, while also taking a regular income out of it. worldwide property income. There is an
here. We are concerned about the treatment Money taken this way is still considered as exemption for foreign property until
of the SIPP, which pays out monthly in ‘draw- pension income by France, so there is no need the end of the fifth calendar year after the
down’, and whether tax is also due to gains to declare to France details of what happens one when you became resident, if relevant.
from various individual stocks held with fund inside the ‘pot’ of investments. To work out ‘net’ wealth, you need to esti-
managers within the SIPP. P.N. The drawdown money you have had from the mate the value of bricks-and-mortar proper-
SIPP can be declared in the French tax return in ty or unbuilt land you own. It can also relate
SIPPs – self-invested personal pensions – are often the same way as the UK state pension. to the value of rights over property or shares
held by Britons who have moved to France. There In both cases, however, you should also have in companies set up to invest in property.
is the standard UK version, into which you should completed the 2047 declaration of income from The value is as at January 1, 2023, and you
not pay if you have moved out of the country, and abroad. Note that it is not too late to make can deduct outstanding associated debts as
an ‘international’ kind. The latter can be paid into corrections to this year’s declaration of 2022 of that date that relate to your property –
from abroad and even set up from abroad, and income, if necessary. such as any remaining mortgage or bills
can be denominated in euros, if you wish, for ease If you declared online this year, then the yet to be paid for improvements – as well as,
of making transfers to France. corrections service is now open at impots.gouv.fr for residents, 30% of the value of your main
The ‘drawdown’ option is where, rather than under Accéder à la correction en-ligne inside your home. You can also deduct your estimated
using all the money in the pension to buy an personal online space. 2023 taxe foncière on the property, and
even the estimated amount of the IFI, which
means doing a second calculation incorp-
What is process for lower charges if I register S1?
orating this to work out the final bill.
If ‘net’ property wealth is less than €1.3mil-
lion, you do not have to declare. For those elig-
AS A new British state pensioner, I have international social security experts Cleiss said it ible, tax is levied on the part of the value over
received an S1 but have not registered it would be acceptable to use the S1 in such cases as €800,000, in rising bands starting from 0.5%.
with my Cpam health body. As I have been an long as the French pension body allows you to It is up to you to work out if you fall under
auto-entrepreneur since 2014, I can qualify for renounce the pension and the UK accepts that S1 this and to declare by the income tax return
a monthly €45 French pension should I choose. claimants may do so. This is significant, as claim- deadlines, either as part of the same declar-
If I do not take this, can I use my S1 to obtain ing a French pension means your healthcare will ation or, if you do not have French income,
reduced social charges on my investments and be linked to that instead. on a paper form. Bills are sent in Septem­ber.
UK pensions. If so, how do I do this? D.R. French pension caisses we contacted said it was If you have an account at impots.gouv.fr,
possible not to claim a pension or to explicitly form- there is a tool there that can help you
IT IS true that there are potential social charge alise this by renouncing it in writing (you would estimate property values.
benefits if you register an S1 as you are not con- use wording such as je souhaite renoncer définitive- In 2018-22, linked to property value rises,
sidered a burden on the French health service and ment à mes droits à une pension de retraite). households paying IFI rose 23% and the state’s
the UK will refund France for your health costs. UK government sources have said it is acceptable income from IFI rose by 42% to €2.35billion.
An exemption for foreign pension income can for people to use an S1 as long as they are not Average house prices in France rose 270%
be claimed by selecting box 8RP on your next receiving a French state pension or similar benefits since 2000, with regional variations, so it is
French income declaration, and a reduction for giving rise to healthcare benefits via France. How­ not surprising that more people now pay
property and investment income can be con- ever, they suggest that people should take advice (163,900 in 2022). Another factor is that the
firmed by selecting box 8SH. French-based official before giving up an entitlement permanently. €1.3million wealth tax threshold was fixed
from 2012 (when it applied to more kinds of
The information on these pages is of a general nature. Do not take action, or wealth) and has not changed since Presi­dent
refrain from taking action based on this information. Seek professional
advice on the specific facts of your case. No liability is accepted in respect of Macron brought in the current IFI tax in
these articles. These articles are intended only as a general guide. Nothing 2018. What is more, the wealth tax rates and
herein constitutes actual financial advice. bands have not changed for 10 years.
 34 Money connexionfrance.com The Connexion September 2023

Pension plans hinge on tax, inflation and longevity

This column is by Rob Kay, a
senior partner at Blevins Franks
financial advice group (blevins-
franks.com). Rob has decades of
experience advising UK nationals
in France and features regularly
in the media discussing the
issues affecting expatriates here
PENSIONS are often key to our long-term finan-
cial security, but unfortunately they are complex.
You need to navigate various options, establish
how they suit your objectives, research the tax
implications, and weigh up the pros and cons.
What is more, UK pension and tax regulations
change regularly, often affecting UK retirees in
France – and French taxation is rarely straight-
forward. Keep up to date on reforms in both
countries so you can review your retirement
planning and make informed decisions.
You also need to look ahead to potential threats
that might affect your pensions.
The longevity factor
How long will you live? And your spouse?
Without a crystal ball, this is an unknown factor
in financial planning, but an essential one
nonetheless because you need your money
to last as long as you do.
The average life expectancy for a male aged 65
today is 85, with a 25% chance of living to 92.
For a 65-year-old female, average life expectancy
is 87, with 25% chance of reaching 94.
We all hope to live longer than average, so we
should plan for this.
You should also take into consideration your
surviving spouse to ensure they have sufficient
money to live on. Studies show that many for expenses such as meals outs and holidays, abolished the pensions lifetime allowance and
people, including affluent households, overesti- and one-off costs such as a new car), then review resulting 25%/55% tax charges. This is not
mate how long their retirement savings will last. and adjust your plan to cater for year-to-year necessarily permanent, though. A future
While you might always be able to afford basic increases in the cost of living and portfolio government could reverse this move, and
living necessities, your later retirement lifestyle performance over time. the Labour Party quickly pledged to do so.
could fall well below your expectations. There may be a limited opportunity to transfer
Much depends on the type of pension you The tax factor – France your pension out of the UK and avoid any future
have. One that provides a secure income for life When weighing up the options for drawing your lifetime allowance charges.
can give peace of mind. Other options offer the UK pension in France, consider the French tax
opportunity for your funds to grow, but you implications. Seek professional advice
need to carefully manage investment risk and Except for government service pensions, all UK Pensions are very personal, so establish a solution
the rate of withdrawals from the pension to pension income is subject to French taxation. It that works for your individual circumstances,
meet your income needs. is generally taxed at the scale rates of income tax needs and objectives.
up to 45% (after a 10% reduction), with non-S1 Since they are so complex and making a wrong
Inflation, income and investment holders also paying 9.1% social charges. This decision could affect your retirement security,
Recent inflation levels have reminded us how includes lump sums. you really do need to take professional, regulated
much inflation can affect our spending power. When it comes to your non-pension capital, advice. In any case, UK rules require this for
While we cannot predict inflation rates in investment income is taxed at a flat 30%, certain pension transfers.
future years, even low levels reduce the value including social charges. The problem for UK nationals in France is
of savings and income over the long term. France also offers opportunities for tax-efficient that most UK advisers are not regulated to give
We need to plan ahead for it, both in terms investing. The popular savings arrangement advice to EU residents – they lost their ‘passport-
of our pensions and investment capital. assurance-vie, for example, provides many tax ing’ rights with Brexit. Unless they have taken
The last year or so has not been kind to retirees, and estate planning advantages. steps to be correctly regulated here, they should
with the rising cost of living and the possibility If your personal situation allows you to take not be advising you.
of investment portfolios being lower too. In this the risk of transferring all the capital from your Even without this issue, it is important to get
environment, people might be tempted to draw pensions into a more tax-efficient investment local advice in France. Most UK-based advisers
higher amounts from their pension fund. vehicle, and you can take your entire pension do not have in-depth understanding of French
When combined with longevity, spending too as one lump sum, it might be eligible for a fixed taxation, which could see you paying more tax
much in the short term (especially when port- 7.5% income tax rate instead (there are condi- than you need to. Find a qualified advisory firm
folio returns are lower than average) can affect tions, so establish if you qualify first). that is regulated to provide advice on UK
the long-term value of your funds and the ability pensions in France and has the specialist
to meet future income requirements. The tax factor – UK cross-border knowledge you need.
This, in turn, can cause a dilemma for retirees Income from government service pensions
who have to meet today’s needs while still remains liable to UK income tax. n Tax rates, scope and reliefs may change. Any
protecting their future. Non-residents currently continue to benefit statements concerning taxation are based upon our,
With a sensible portfolio and drawdown plan, from the £12,570 personal allowance (unless Blevins Franks, understanding of current taxation
this can be effectively managed. they receive ‘disregarded income’ treatment). laws and practices which are subject to change. Tax
The key is to understand your financial needs In welcome news for those who have built up information has been summarised; an individual is
(the amount required to cover basic living costs, larger pension savings, the UK’s 2023 budget advised to seek personalised advice.

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spotting reopenic Sommier, di CE

Photo: Fanch STEPHANT

P5 in Brittany Selling up, visas, monthly budget and more P6 ed Arro

manch rector of the ne
‘Data kiosks’
es D-Da
‘Adapt recipes to ‘Proof of life’ y Museuwly
certificates for m
what you like... I do’
to be put at
pensioners
may go online
‘LIFE certificates’ sent to UK pen-

borders for
sioners living abroad, including
in France, could be moved online.
The certificates are sent to UK
state pensioners overseas from
time to time to confirm they are
still alive and, therefore, that their
pension is still payable.

entry checks
Tech solution is part of efforts to reduce travel delays
by Liv Rowland
FRANCE has ordered 544 special ‘data kiosks’
for travellers and 250 tablets for ferry passen-
gers in cars in preparation for the launch of new
EU digital border checks.
Officials hope this will reduce queues at ports,
stations and airports when the Entry/Exit System
(EES) scheme begins and photos and finger-
prints of millions of people need to be taken.
Concerns have been raised over passport
control delays, especially at the start, when all
non-EU travellers entering France from outside
the Schengen area will need to have this data
taken and entered into an EU-wide database.
Those in the Schengen area when the checks
start will also be affected on leaving.
Check-in time will at least double, even with
kiosks, a report by France’s public finance watch-
dog the Cour des comptes estimates.
The same passengers will also be required to
pass in front of a border official’s booth to ensure
they are the person on the passport.
The pensioners must have a form
signed by a professional person
or retiree, and it has to be posted
back within 16 weeks. If it is not,
the pension is suspended, pending
contact from the pensioner.
UK pensions minister Laura
Trott referred to the digital
plan, which would replace the
current process of the Depart-
ment for Work and Pensions
have been tested in Paris and are being reworked sending letters abroad, in a letter
for improvements. But we will be ready, to Conservative MP Roger Gale
especially as we are sure now EES will start after that he shared with The Connexion.
the Olympics, even perhaps at the start of 2025. Pensions have on occasion been
“The only question is: will the booths be a stopped in error after issues with
miracle solution, which we seriously doubt.” logging the return of forms.
Once travellers’ biometric data is entered into The person signing must have
EES, with passport number, name, date of birth known the pensioner for at least
and gender, it will be stored for three years and 12 years, be able to identify
subsequent border crossings should be faster. them, and be ‘of good standing in
After three years, the data is needed again. the community’.
Those in the system will also have their Often, recipients ask their local
entries and exits from Schengen logged, so any mayor to help with this.
overstaying beyond ‘90 in 180 days’ is automat- The person signing should know
ically flagged. Passport stamping will end. the pensioner in a personal capac-
EES will affect non-EU/EEA/Swiss national- ity, but not be a relative.
ity visitors – including those who do not need a They do not need to have a
visa for a short visit to the Schengen area, such British passport.
as Americans and Australians, and those who do. The DWP said it had no further
Post-Brexit Britons are included, though EES information at this stage when we
was not triggered by Brexit. ‘Smart borders’ to asked about the possible time-
fight irregular migration were proposed by the frame, how a digital process might
EU in 2015, and EES was formally adopted by
Meet the work for signatures, and whether

It is hoped, however, that Americans, Britons
and many other nationalities can avoid this
second step after first entry and subsequently
Philippe TV chef
the Commission in April 2016. it might be difficult for some
French residency card-holders will bypass EES
requirements but could be caught in slower Connexion interview elderly people who lack IT skills.

Etchebe
use the automatic Parafe passport gates, said queues for passport control.
Nicolas Paulissen, general delegate of the Union Implementation delays, both for the IT system, France’s ‘rebel’ chef
st
L 14574 - 250 H - F: 6,25 € - RD
des Aéroports Français.
“However, the Parafes would need to be adapt-
overseen by agency EU-Lisa, and border infra-
structure, have seen EES put back several times. A Philippe Etchebest
Gardens
to
in August visit
ed and that’s a challenge,” he said. “The kiosks è Turn to Page 2

Beat the guilt France is rising Tourism reverse! Connection

of living away to Notre-Dame P9 Southerners head issues hit P4
from family P13 rebuild challenge north to cool off P7 fibre rollout

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 The Connexion September 2023 connexionfrance.com Ideas 35

Rubbish destined for landfill gets Blood tests

translated from
medical jargon
second life as gravel for concrete A FRENCH firm is offering to
‘translate’ blood test results into
normal language and use them
to make tailored health plans.

“
by Brian McCulloch concrete made with gravel Under the healthcare system,
from a quarry.” blood tests, carried out by
AN ENTERPRISING stone- Néolithe has headquarters in independent laboratories, are
mason is turning landfill waste Angers (Maine-et-Loire) and regularly ordered by doctors
into gravel after realising the employs 180 people. Its busi- as part of their diagnosis.
limestone he normally works ness model is based on being GPs might also order them for
My dad realised

Photos: Morgan View Communications / Inset: Néolithe

with is also essentially made
from ‘junk’.
Limestone can form biologic-
ally from the compaction of
ancient shells and skeletons,
which prompted William
Cruaud to consider whether
21st century rubbish would
work equally well to make a
gravel product for concrete.
When his engineer son
Nicolas qualified from univer-
sity, the pair co-founded a
company to develop the idea.
“My dad realised that the
stone he was working with
every day was essentially the
rubbish left over from the time
of the dinosaurs,” Nicolas
Cruaud told The Connexion.
“Together, we worked out a
process where non-recyclable
and non-compostable rubbish,
which would usually go to
landfill or incinerators, can
be turned into a mineral sub-
stance instead.”
that the stone he
was working with
every day was
essentially the
rubbish left over
from the time of
the dinosaurs
Nicolas Cruaud
The process involves chop-
ping and shredding the waste
into very small particles before
mixing them with a mineral
powder. A hydraulic extrusion
press is then used, which
allows the resulting ‘stones’
to be cut to size.
“Our gravel is the same price
as gravel from a nearby quarry
used for concrete,” Nicolas
said. “We have already got
Close-up of the Néolithe gravel and, inset, the team includes
Clément Bénassy, Nicolas Cruaud and his father William
authorisation for it to be used
in France in projects such as
roads, where non-structural
concrete is used. We are in
the long process of getting
it certified for structural con-
crete too.
“There is no problem with
the process, it’s just that it takes
a long time to get building
mater-ials certified in France.”
The gravel, which is called
Néolithe, contains visible bits
paid for waste disposal, with
the sale of gravel, which is
made on site, as a bonus.
Its customers are currently all
large firms, but Néolithe plans
to move into the market for
household rubbish collections
too, probably starting in
September 2024.
“With the new landfill tax
really starting to bite, it is
something that local author-
ities who organise rubbish
collections are keen to take
of plastic which, if crushed, part in,” said Mr Cruaud.
will escape into the environ- It is unlikely that Connexion
ment in the form of microplas- readers will ever be able to buy
tics. However, Mr Cruaud Néolithe gravel in DIY shops,
insisted that when it is used but those who frequent build-
in concrete, the chances of t ers’ yards might well find it on
his happening are minimal. offer alongside quarry gravel.
He said: “We have been Numerous patents protect
audited by all sorts of environ- the process from being copied,
mental bodies, and the conclu- with the most sensitive part
sion they all come to is that relating to the composition of
concrete made by Néolithe has the mineral powder added to
300kg less CO2 per tonne than the waste before it is pressed.
new patients as a baseline to
compare against future changes.
The tests are usually handed
to the patient to take to their
doctor, and interpreting the
results, often in obscure med-
ical jargon, can be hard.
Thomas Schmit, co-founder
of Numa Health, said: “It is not
just native English speakers
who scratch their heads.
“I realised it affected lots of
people and was also a good
way to move from the sick/not
sick result and use the informa-
tion for a balanced health plan.”
The system uses algorithms
capable of reading biomarkers
present in the blood to deliver
a health score, explanations
and targeted recommendations.
Patients can receive a ‘snap-
shot’ interpretation for €29
(excluding the test, which is
usually free if prescribed, or
around €25), or a year-long
plan for €149.

Smart collar tracks your

dog’s health and location UK pensions in France.
What can and can’t
A NEW ‘smart collar’ for dogs allows owners to Amélie Caudron
keep track of their pet’s whereabouts and health, and Peppa with a
and receive alerts to visit the vet. smart collar
A mobile phone sim card is built into the collar

you do?
as part of technology developed by a Paris-based
company called Invoxia.
The firm, launched in 2010, specialises in GPS
trackers for cars, motorbikes and bicycles.
Chief executive Amélie Caudron, pictured,
said: “Using the mobile phone network instead
of GPS satellites gives much more accurate real-
time positioning of the dog, and also allows its
health parameters to be monitored and stored.
“It does mean that, for it to work, dog owners
must also subscribe to the application website.
Your UK pensions remain governed by UK Talk to the people who know
regulations regardless of where you live,
“Having the two – the collar and the subscrip- 0 805 112 163 (N0 Vert)
but you also have to take the French tax
tion website – is the best way to make sense of
what the data means.” implications into account when weighing france@blevinsfranks.com
Photo: A Caudron

The collar costs €149 and the annual cost of a
subscription to the website is another €130.
The collar must be removed and the battery
recharged once a month.
At the moment, the collar is available from
a dedicated website, smartdogcollar.com, but
electronics stores could start selling it soon.
Health data recorded by the collar includes
heart and respiration rates, as well as sleeping/
waking times.
When data is outside the norm for the dog’s
breed and age, alerts are sent to the owner’s
mobile phone, suggesting it be taken to the vet
for a check-up.
Similarly, if the dog is ill a vet can look at all
the data from the past month or more to help
data. At the same time, it had to be waterproof
and as dog-proof as possible,” said Ms Caudron.
“It also has to come in different sizes so it fits
around different dog necks.”
She said buyers so far fell into two categories.
The first are people who treat their pets as
family members and are happy to pay for an
‘Apple watch for dogs’ to keep tabs on its
general wellbeing.
The second group are owners of expensive rare
breeds, or types of dog with known health prob-
lems, who want to monitor their pets so they
can catch issues early.
up which option is most suitable for you.
The tax consequences and benefits can vary.
www.blevinsfranks.com
Blevins Franks provides integrated advice
covering pensions, cross-border taxation,
estate planning, investment and residence.
Our recommended pensions solutions cover
all these elements, for both France and UK,
and are personalised for your circumstances
and objectives.
INTERNATIONAL TAX ADVICE • INVESTMENTS • ESTATE PLANNING • PENSIONS
Blevins Franks Group is represented in France by the following companies: Blevins Franks Wealth Management Limited (BFWML) and Blevins Franks France

with their diagnosis.
The product was announced early in 2022,
and launched in 15 countries in April.
“It was actually a difficult thing to make
“If the breed has a risk of heart problems, for
example, there is a chance the vet can give medi-
cation to stop it getting worse or slow the disease
progression if it is caught early,” said Ms Caudron.
182-fr
SASU (BFF). BFWML is authorised and regulated by the Malta Financial Services Authority, registered number C 92917. Authorised to conduct investment
services under the Investment Services Act and authorised to carry out insurance intermediary activities under the Insurance Distribution Act. Where advice
is provided outside of Malta via the Insurance Distribution Directive or the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive II, the applicable regulatory system
differs in some respects from that of Malta. BFWML also provides taxation advice; its tax advisers are fully qualified tax specialists. Blevins Franks France
SASU (BFF), is registered with ORIAS, registered number 07 027 475, and authorised as ‘Conseil en Investissements Financiers’ and ‘Courtiers d’Assurance’
Category B (register can be consulted on www.orias.fr). Member of ANACOFI-CIF. BFF’s registered office: 1 rue Pablo Neruda, 33140 Villenave d’Ornon – RCS
BX 498 800 465 APE 6622Z. Garantie Financière et Assurance de Responsabilité Civile Professionnelle conformes aux articles L 541-3 du Code Monétaire et

Financier and L512-6 and 512-7 du Code des Assurances (assureur MMA). Blevins Franks Trustees Limited is authorised and regulated by the Malta Financial
because we had to ensure it is comfortable for The collar is also fitted with a light that the Services Authority for the administration of retirement schemes. This promotion has been approved and issued by BFWML.

the animal while still being able to record the owner can use to see where their dog is at night.
 36 Work
PELs are among best
home loan strategies
for auto-entrepreneurs
Q: As a freelance worker
registered as a micro-entre-
preneur, I have been told it
will be hard to borrow money
to buy a house despite having
good accounts for the last few
years. Have you any tips?
AS YOU have no doubt realised,
the house-buying process in
France differs from many other
countries.
The most obvious example is
in the way money is lent – only
around 30% of house purchases
in France are done through a
mortgage (hypothèque) similar
to an English or American one.
Under this system, the
value of the property you have
bought is the bank’s guarantee
and it obtains a legal right over
it during the loan period: it
could seize it to be sold to pay
off the remainder if you do not
pay your mortgage.
This is seen as a riskier option
in France for the buyer, due to
the clearly defined right for the
bank over the property.
Instead, most home purchases
are completed through a crédit
immobilier avec la caution
bancaire, where banks lend
money but the risk of non-pay-
ment is covered by a guarantee
from a third-party financial
organisation that would pay
out in your place if you do not.
It would try to recoup the
money from you, but would
seek ‘amicable’ solutions such as
deferred payment. If necessary,
it could take you to court but
would not have an automatic
right to seize the property.
In practice, the guarantor is
usually Crédit Logement, a spec-
ialist company owned jointly
by the major French banks.
Part of your loan repayments
fund the caution, and you also
take out home loan insurance
in case of death or disability.
Linked to the crédit immobil-
ier system are regulated savings
accounts, such as the plan
épargne logement (PEL).
The idea is that you pay in a
regular amount – as close to the
repayments of a future house
loan as you can manage – and
it pays interest (currently 2%).
After holding one for four
years, it opens the door to
getting a crédit immobillier from
your bank at an advantageous
interest rate. This is fixed by the
government and set from the
date you take out the PEL.
It is currently 3.2% for PEL
plans taken out from January 1.
The money saved in the
PEL after four years is usually
enough for a good cash down-
payment, so reducing the
amount you have to borrow.
A good way to get home loans,
therefore, is to take out a PEL,
pay in regularly for four years,
thereby cultivating connections
with your local bank.
Admittedly, the latter is not as
easy as it was because banks are
connexionfrance.com The Connexion September 2023
Left: Number eight shapes
are cut from goat skin and
sewn together on to the ball
in one or two layers
Right: The finished pelotes
CRAFTS
in focus
Basque pelota ball maker
Photo: Ander Ugarte
Photo: Ander Ugarte
- Fabricant de pelotes
basques
Ander keeps his eye on the
Photo: Daenin _ Shutterstock
ball – and the record books
Freelancers should prove a
steady income with accounts
cutting down on staff and/or
rotating them more often.
If this is too long to wait, it is
true that persuading your bank
that you are a reliable client to
Photo: Drew McArthur _ Shutterstock / Inset: OSTILL is Franck Camhi_Shutterstock
lend to can be more difficult
than for employees.
The basics are to have at least
six months of accounts show-
ing steady income, and ideally
savings from them. If you
have been working for a while,
annual accounts showing your
business is growing and income
rising are good to have.
Being prepared to take out a
hypothèque on the property can
tip the scales in your favour too.
Photo: Ander Ugarte
Other ways include naming
someone with a contrat de
duration indeterminée (CDI)
as a co-borrower, or taking a
hypothèque on another prop- A player practises on a pelota court in Bilbao on a sunny day, possibly using one of artisan Ander Ugarte’s balls (right).
erty you own and putting the Inset: a player of jai alai, one of the variations of the sport, which is popular in Florida and other parts of the US
money towards the home loan.
Pledging other assets you by Théophile Larcher always a new tweak that changes rules laid down by the Fédéra- of the ancient jeu de paume,
own, such as a car, shares in things,” he says. tion française de pelote basque. nowadays played with a racquet
a company, art or jewellery, FASTER, higher, stronger, Basque pelota actually holds The next stage consists of and known as real tennis.
through a gage or nantissement encourages the Olympics the record for the fastest ball sewing goat skin around the Incidentally, it was on a jeu
can also help, as can taking out motto, and one man has taken throw in the world – a lightning outside of the ball. After this, de paume court near the palace
bigger loan insurance. its first precept to heart. 313km/h by Spanish player it is put in a machine and of Versailles that the Tennis
Another costly option might Ander Ugarte is the 58-year- Iñaki Osa Goikoetxea in 2020 bounced around for a few Court Oath – a pivotal event
be to sign up with the increas- old craftsman behind many that broke the previous record minutes until it becomes soft in the French Revolution – was
ing number of financial of the Basque pelota balls by 8km/h. to the touch. signed on June 20, 1789.
services companies offering ricocheting around courts in So quickly does the ball move It is now ready to be thrown This was the first time that
portage salarial for freelancers. France, Spain, and especially that, even with protection, against one of the many French citizens formally stood
In return for handing over the Basque Country, where accidents do happen and are frontons gracing towns of the in opposition to Louis XVI
your freelance income to the the sport originated. occasionally fatal. Basque Country or in sports by vowing not to separate
company as invoices are paid, it The game is played with a While the glove (or chistera) centres around Holland, Italy, until a constitution had been
takes an administrative charge ball, called a pelote in French, that players wear also plays northern France, Spain and established.
of around 6%, and then pays using one’s hand, a racquet, a a role in determining ball the UK. On a visit to Eton College
you back an agreed monthly wooden bat or a basket. speed, perfecting the pelote There are 22 different ways in England, Ander was told
‘salary’, usually lower than your The ball is hit against a wall is everything for Ander. the sport can be played, the that students played a similar
best months’ income. (fronton) or, more traditionally, When he started in the three most popular being game to Basque pelota, called
The advantage, according teams play face to face separ- business 34 years ago, the balls pala, chistera and pasaka – all Fives, as early as 1700. Fives is
to such companies, is that the ated by a line on the ground were still handmade. They are named after the specific glove generally considered to have
system allows freelancers to or a net. It has been an official now largely manufactured on that players require. originated from early forms of
enjoy the many legal benefits Olympic sport just once, in the machines with different sizes, Others have crossed the the French jeu de paume too.
employees have, and because 1900 Paris Games, when only weights and materials for every Atlantic, such as jai alai, which “I cannot prove it, but there
the ‘salary’ is adjusted for varia- two teams entered – France discipline played. is played in the United States. was a lot of immigration
tions in income, it offers banks and Spain. Spain won. Ander, who learned on the In recent years, the popularity between the UK and Basque
a clear picture of your earning Punpa, the workshop Ander job since no official training of the game has waned, even in territory,” said Ander, naming
potential, making it easier to named after the sound of the scheme exists, explains that the Basque Country, with the football and rubber as two
obtain a property loan. ball hitting the ground, is based the pelote is made out of a ascent of rival balls sports. resulting imports.
One leading French home in Ascain (Pyrénées-Atlantiques) boxwood core covered with “Football swallows every- “My theory is that Basque
loans broker, Cafpi, confirms and makes around 10,000 rubber, then bound together thing,” laments Ander. pelota originated in Bilbao via
this on its website, stating pelotes a year. They usually with lengths of wool. Rather than speculate on the UK. However, investigating
that benefits include regular sell for between €20 and €50, Over this goes cotton thread Basque pelota’s future, however, precisely how and when is for
payslips and a work contract. depending on the type. in different colours to differ- Ander is keen to explain his another day.”
It says that if you consider Ander has worked there since entiate the standard of player theories on the origin of the In the meantime, his work is
offers from portage firms, choos- he was 24, during which time the ball is designed for, from sport, which he says could have wholly concentrated on ways
ing a ‘CDI’ permanent contract he has helped hone the manu- beginners to elite athletes. started in the United Kingdom. to shape the future of the game
(see page 19) will carry the facturing process to make the To determine a ball’s size and Its emergence in the 19th – specifically, to make the ball
most weight. balls travel ever faster. “There is weight, Ander follows precise century is tied to the decline even faster.
 The Connexion September 2023
Loathed Paris landmark turns 50
with promise of ‘green’ makeover
Architecture
of France...
Montparnasse
By
THEOPHILE
Tower LARCHER
WHAT is Paris’s greatest view? From the
Montparnasse Tower, Parisians like to joke,
because it is the only place you cannot see it.
Obviously, this is not how the venue itself
chooses to market the structure.
La plus belle vue de Paris, the owners
of the observation deck on the 56th floor
proudly proclaim. The statement is left
unqualified – it is a matter of perspective,
after all.
There are 59 floors in the 1970s-built
skyscraper, as well as 7,200 windows,
1,306 stairs, six basements, 103,000m²
of office space, 30,000m² of shops, 1,850
parking spaces, and 25 lifts, taking you
to the 56th floor in just 38 seconds.
At 209 metres high, it was Europe’s tallest
skyscraper for 17 years and France’s highest
for 38 until it was superseded in 2011 by
La Tour First in La Défense at 231 metres.
Its size has never much impressed
Parisians who, despite their respect for
the high-rise skylines of places such as
Manhattan, prefer their own capital to
be more grounded.
It looks out of place amid historic
monuments such as the Sacré-Coeur, Arc
de Triomphe, Odéon and Opéra. It is too
tall, too ugly, too out of touch with Paris’s
atmosphere, they argue.
Such criticisms were voiced from day
one. The project did not ‘feel’ French, nor
did it resemble the Paris that had been
carefully arranged around wide streets of
five to six-storey Haussmannian buildings.
From Montmartre, the view of the city
follows straight lines and carefully aligned
and proportioned buildings that only
the Eiffel Tower pierces. When the first
drawings for the Montparnasse Tower were
released in 1958, popular opinion held that
it was too monolithic, too modern.
Architect Virginie Picon-Lefebvre,
former lecturer at Harvard University and
author of a book on the Montparnasse
Tower, said: “It put the complexity of
modern architecture at the forefront at a
time when French people wanted to see
a return to more beautiful buildings.”
Ms Picon-Lefebvre said the tower
symbolised a country chasing speed and
innovation, exemplified by the engineering
of Concorde planes and the increasing size
of cars – but it also felt too ‘American’, too
‘Manhattan’.
Across the world, cities were quickly
turning into crowded metropolises with
vast commercial centres packed around
sprawling transport systems, and architects
eyed the Montparnasse area as the perfect
environment to recreate that atmosphere
in Paris.
Frédéric Dupont, councillor in Paris’s 7th
arrondissement, complained in Le Figaro
in 1963: “Revolutionary urbanism has
nothing to gain here. You will turn our city
into a little Chicago.”
That US city is often regarded as the first
to have introduced skyscraper design in
the late 1800s
It was 10 years after the initial drawings
that André Malraux, then minister of cul-
ture under president Georges Pompidou,
gave the Montparnasse Tower project the
The Montparnasse Tower
dominates the Paris skyline
green light. By this point, the plans had
changed slightly after Wylie Tuttle, an
American real estate developer, took on
the initiative with his own fresh ideas.
Construction started in 1969 and the
tower officially opened on June 18, 1973.
Six months later, 7,000 Parisians had
settled in the skyscraper.
Public opinion, rather than softening
with time, continued to denigrate the tower
as an eyesore. Much ire was also directed at
the new shopping centre underneath it.
One problem was that architectural
trends had moved on. The era of modernity
was coming to an end and architects were
returning to more ornamental styles
“When the tower was finished, architect-
ure was already looking ahead,” said Ms
Picon-Lefebvre.
Place de Catalogne, also in Montparnasse,
is a case in point, she said. Redeveloped in
the 1980s, it was surrounded by two large
buildings in a neoclassical baroque styling –
complete with columns and pediments.
Tour Montparnasse was given its fair
share of epithets, none of them exactly
flattering. They ranged from the ‘Exclam-
ation Mark’, ‘Black Widow’ and ‘Urban
Heresy’ to ‘Concrete Lady’, ‘Paris Wart’
and ‘Gruesome Candelabra’.
However, it has also attracted some
high-profile fans in the last 50 years.
Presidents François Mitterrand, Jacques
Chirac and Emmanuel Macron have all set
up campaign offices there and the building
also inspired the 2001 crime comedy film
La Tour Montparnasse Infernale, about a
couple of window washers who swing into
action when the building is taken over by
a gang of terrorists.
It inevitably attracted the attention of
urban climbers too, including Alain
‘Spiderman’ Robert, who scaled it using
only his bare hands and feet with no safety
devices in 1995 and 2015.
For most people, however, the tower is
still unwelcome. It came first in a Le Figaro
poll in 2009 asking French people which
building they would like to see demolished.
A conservative candidate for Paris’s
mayoral election in 2014 made that
promise part of her campaign, calling the
tower an “urban catastrophe”. She lost.
Who is to blame for its unpopularity?
Former president Valéry Giscard d’Estaing
certainly did the skyscraper no favours
when, in 1977, he oversaw a ban on the
construction of buildings taller than 37
connexionfrance.com Property 37
Property Watch
Department 47:
in
Lot-et-Garonne
DEPARTMENTAL CAPITAL: Agen
MAIN CITIES/TOWNS: Marmande, Nérac,
Villeneuve-sur-Lot
LOT-ET-GARONNE is named after the two large rivers flowing
through the department. It is also a modern transport
corridor, with an autoroute, the A62, a railway line and a
navigable canal, which now dominates the economy.
Agen, the prefecture, is perfectly placed to benefit. It is
a small city of around 40,000 people with its associated
communes. It has much of the remaining industry in the
department – the factory making paracetamol and aspirin was
in the news virtually every night during the height of the Covid
pandemic. Before then, it was mainly delicious Agen prunes
that gave the city and the region renown.
It was not always so. Fumel, to the north west, was once a
major factory town and had blast furnaces making iron and
steel from local ore. Meanwhile, Marmande has agricultural
associations with a famous, segmented tomato named
after the town. Nowadays, it is mainly involved with making
aeroplane parts for factories in Toulouse and Bordeaux.
Photo: S Borisov _ Shutterstock
Much of the countryside is similar to the open parts of
Dordogne – large fields, rolling hills and little woods. It is a
lovely place to live for those of a rural bent. In the south, the
more hilly landscape typical of the Gers starts.
House prices are generally higher than some more isolated
departments, but there are exceptions for the brave. We
found an old bastide house over three storeys in Castillonnès,
near the Dordogne border, on sale for €12,500 with a crack
in the front façade and props at the back, but with a recently
converted shop on the ground floor. Another example was a
small, 65m² timber-framed house in Porte-Sainte-Marie, with
a living room/kitchen and three bedrooms, for €37,500.
What your money buys
Under €100,000
Photo: WillG80FR _ Shutterstock
The building’s imposing height could
be broken up with planting in future
An attractive 75m² village three- A three-bed detached house with
metres in Paris, leaving Montparnasse bed apartment in excellent garden and garage in the bastide
towering over the skyline in solitude. condition, with terrace, in Sos. town of Miramont-de-Guyenne.
Unmissable, it became undefendable. Stylish and fully renovated, set in a This house is located in a quiet
An asbestos scandal in 2005 did not help. quiet road close to the centre of a street with cafes and bars within
thriving Gascon village with shops walking distance, as is its popular
Monitoring revealed that legal limits had and services. Ideal holiday rental or Monday market. Bergerac airport is
been surpassed – by as much as 20 times on a second home to lock up and leave. just 30 minutes away.
at least one occasion. The cost of removing €79,000 Ref: A22326NJD47 €89,000 Ref: A19977AW47
the asbestos was estimated at €250million
and it has yet to be fully cleared.
Thankfully, a brighter future could be just
around the corner.
More than €183,000
The Montparnasse Tower is currently
preparing for renovation work after the
collective Nouvelle AOM won an inter-
national competition in 2017 to give it a
major facelift.
The scheme hopes to transform the
chocolate-brown exterior into a clear glass
spire, while the lower levels of the tower
will be covered in planting.
The whole thing will be crowned by a
conservatory, detached slightly from the What a gem! A 350-year-old A beautiful three-bed stone build-
main body of the tower to visually break up recently renovated stone two-bed ing with dovecote and solar pan-
its height. Meanwhile, solar panels should house with enclosed gardens. els, in Saint-Étienne-de-Fougères.
give enough energy to power half of the Situated in a hamlet of just seven This is a country house close to
building’s lighting systems. properties clustered around a manor amenities, with a fully enclosed
Nouvelle AOM hopes the makeover turns house, it also comes with a barn. garden, outbuilding with a double
the maligned tower into an “icon of the The nearest village is Pujols, voted garage, a workshop, and a storage
one of France’s plus beaux villages. room. On a plot of 2,036m²
21st-century energy revolution”.
We shall have to wait and see. Its grand €183,500 Ref: A21404HA47 €215,000 Ref: A21686STR47
opening, initially planned to coincide with Properties available through Leggett Immobilier
the Olympic Games in 2024, has been frenchestateagents.com Tel: 05 53 56 62 54
pushed back, according to Le Parisien.
Work will now start after the Games and is Next month: We look at Lozère
estimated to take four years to complete.
 LegalNotes
38 Property connexionfrance.com The Connexion September 2023

Quincaillerie is
Your questions
answered nuts and bolts
Helen Fullerton
of Ashtons Legal
answers a of any home
build project
reader query.

Be aware of planning rules before buying

Q: I am looking to buy and the additional consent
renovate a French property. Is of a specialist group, the
there anything I need to know Architectes des bâtiments

regarding local planning rules?
A: MANY buyers have big
plans for their new French
property.
The national planning
rules (règlement national
d’urbanisme) are supple-
mented or superseded by
local planning rules (such as
a plan local d’urbanisme).
The applicable rules
dictate which works necess-
itate planning formalities,
such as a declaration of
intended works (déclaration
préalable de travaux) or
more onerous planning
permission, such as a
permis de construire.
Properties in a protected
area (secteur protégé) can
be subject to additional re-
strictions. Localities can be
protected due to proximity
to historic monuments, her-
itage site status or because
they are within a nature
reserve or national park.
In these areas, most
projects, particularly those
altering the exterior aspect
of a property, require
Tel: +44 (0)113 393 1930  www.heslop-platt.co.uk
contact@heslop-platt.co.uk
de France (ABF). If consent
is granted, it can be subject
to conditions to ensure the
visual harmony of the area
is respected.
Depending on how import-
ant the proposed works are
to their future plans, buyers
could make their purchase
conditional on receiving
a Certificat d’urbanisme
d’information (CUa), which
indicates a future planning
application is likely to result
in a favourable outcome.
We ask clients what their
intentions are for the prop-
erty and whether they would
still buy it if they could not,
for example, convert the
cellar or barn, or extend into
the garden. We also discuss
additional costs and delays
associated with planning
requirements.
Based on our clients’
responses, we can negotiate
the necessary amendments
to the initial contract to give
them the option to withdraw
from the purchase without
penalty if they learn their
project is not possible.
DIY
Nick Inman
charts the ups
and downs of
renovating
an old
French
farmhouse
“WHAT you need is a thing-
ummy,” said my friend Denis,
who often advises me on DIY
jobs. “And you could get a
whatjamacallit and a doo-dah.
Then you are sorted.”
He did not actually use these
words because he was speaking
French, but he might as well
have done because I did not
understand any of them.
I was trying to rig up an
impromptu art gallery in our
barn and it was not as easy as
I had thought to identify the
fixtures and fittings I would
need to do the job well.
I made Denis write me a list
that I could take down to my
local quincaillerie – the place
where, in theory, they have
everything small-scale you will
ever need to fix things in place
or make them move.
Was there ever a word more
evocative of manual crafts in
France than quincaillerie?
In English, it is translated by
the much more prosaic terms
‘hardware’ or ‘ironmongery’.
It can be difficult to remember
how to pronounce it until you
learn its etymology.
I thought it must be Latin but
it is onomatopoeic. It comes
from the old French pronun-
ciation of ‘kink’, which evokes
the ringing sound metal things
make when they come together.
Think ‘clank’ without the ‘l’
and you get the idea!
You still find the odd special-
ist shop describing itself as a
quincaillerie. If you have one
near you, you should treasure
it for the personal, over-the-
counter service by experts in
the trade.
Some have transformed into
online stores carrying vast
stocks of highly specialised
items to suit every peculiar
need. They can be very useful
but, of course, you cannot see
exactly what you are buying
and you will likely have to pay
a delivery charge.
Mostly, the word increasingly
refers to a section of a self-
service DIY superstore where
all the small but vital compon-
ents of any job congregate.
This is the beating heart of all
practical tasks: the small but
Nick Inman’s own hardware selection
is starting to rival his local DIY shop’s
irreplaceable items, some of
which you did not even know
existed.
It is worth getting to know
your way around these shelves
and learning the names of the
most common items in French.
I am forever finding myself
mid-job lacking the right thing
to finish it and popping down
to the shop to do a world-class
mime of what I am looking for.
I must be good entertainment
value as a customer.
The rayon quincaillerie (hard-
ware section) of the average
DIY supplier concentrates
on small metal objects but it
includes a bit of everything and
anything that does not easily fit
anywhere else in the shop.
It often shades into the tool
section (outillage). Electrical
and plumbing bits and pieces
are displayed separately but
they won’t be far away.
The average quincaillerie is
carefully arranged and some
subsections have names of their
own. In the visserie you will
find screws (vis) in all shapes
and sizes, and in the clouterie
just about any kind of nail or
pin (clou) you can imagine.
Adjacent will be a collection
of nuts and bolts (together:
boulons) and washers (ron-
delles); and another of wall
plugs (chevilles). Too often,
these items come pre-pack-
aged so you have to buy more
than you need. However, some
shops sell screws and nails en
vrac: you fill a plastic bag and
pay by the weight.
Other useful items in assorted
sizes are brackets (équerres),
hinges (charnières), hooks
(crochets), ropes (cordes) and
chains (chaînes).
I confess I have a particular
soft spot (sad, isn’t it?) for the
subsection of the quincaillerie
that has black cast-iron fittings
to facilitate the hanging, open-
ing and closing of shutters.
The only problem with
browsing in the quincaillerie
is that I am always tempted to
buy more than I need, just in
case. As a result, I now have my
own massive hardware section
at home. Despite that, I always
seem to be short of just the
right widget.
Sorry, I must go… just
popping out to get a little
something I urgently need.
n Next month: Gutters

Have ABF rules on solar panels changed? Homeowners urged to focus on food
waste as compost law creeps closer
Q: I would love solar panels but remarkable heritage.” In
am in an area close to a historic its interpretation of the
monument. My application a guidance, the Ministry of
few years ago got turned down Culture (under which ABF
by Architectes des bâtiments falls) says any solar panel
de France (ABF) for this reason. project near a listed building A LAW requiring houses to have a separate In Dordogne, for example, the first free mainly from parks and gardens in the
What is their current policy? or site must be approved food waste bin by December 31 is to be ones were distributed in the early 2000s. department. Long queues used to form
by ABF. Distances from the extended to all properties, including flats. If you have not already got one, ask outside the four Calitom depots on
A: THE government issued a monument are set out in Flat-owners will need a way of sorting the mairie if they are available in your compost days of gardeners keen to get
formal notice on photovoltaic local codes d’urbanisme. out compost waste from other recyclable commune (they are kown as bac à compost a trailer-load, sometimes free or for a
installations in 2022 follow- It promises ABF will and normal waste. or bac de compostage). In some areas, you charge of €12 a tonne.
ing complaints that too many offer suggestions to make It will be the responsibility of local might have to sign a document promising Christophe Coperac, who is in charge
projects were being refused. panels less visible, but no authorities, and not individual residents, to leave the bin behind if you move house. of the treatment of waste and customer
Prefects were told to “con- specific mention is made of to implement solutions, however. For people living in flats, communal services at Calitom, said: “We realised that
tribute to the development coloured solar panels, de- The objective is to re-use the bio-waste compost bins of various sorts have been the situation we had, with an outside
of photovoltaic energy by spite some manufacturers’ produced by households (vegetable peel, installed, or are in the process of being company making the compost near
giving people with projects claims to be ABF-approved. leftovers, unused food) and divert this installed, nearly everywhere. Cognac, and us then distributing it to
an easily understood way of “Exceptions can be made, towards a ‘circular economy’ where it can These vary from larger versions of home our depots, was costing a lot.
getting authorisation”. on a case by case basis,” be productively repurposed. composters to colonnes enterrées – a system “The alternative solution we found was
However, the notice contin- the guidance ends. Effect- Some estimates say as much as 33% of where compostable material, thrown in to work directly with two farming co-
ued: “Only refuse projects ively, then, there has been waste in a normal bin could be classified from the top, is collected in a buried steel operatives in the department, and we
if they affect remarkable no change to the rules, but as bio-waste, which can be converted into container, which is removed by special have set up a new system where the waste
buildings, listed or not, or one ABF’s vision is different compost, for heating and growing food, lorries when full. is taken to their platforms and we shred it
the countryside where it from another’s, so it might or into biogas, instead of being sent to In related news, the free, or cheap, distrib- on site for them.
is protected as a site of be worth applying again. landfills or incinerators. ution of compost that has taken place for “Farmers then spread it on fields, where
Failure to effectively categorise waste 15 years in Charente, south west France, it acts as a soil improver, being particularly
Tel: 05 61 57 90 86  brightavocats.com correctly – ie. placing the correct waste in has stopped. good in making sure the soil stays damp.”
the correct bins – could be punishable with Calitom, the local body that handles He added: “We know the compost distrib-
cabinet@brightavocats.com a class two fine of €35 to €150. rubbish collection and runs the déchèteries ution was popular with gardeners, but it
If you have a legal query send it to news@connexionfrance.com For people with gardens, composting bins (waste tips), ended its contract with the was costing us a lot of money.
We select questions for answer every edition have been available for free or a nominal company that made the compost last year. “We still offer compost bins so people can
cost from some local authorities for years. It was produced from municipal waste, make their own for their gardens.”
 The Connexion September 2023 connexionfrance.com Property 39

High-spec €23,000 bread oven-to-gîte

conversion helps family earn their crust
WHEN Karen Roeves, 52, and
her husband James, 56, both
restaurateurs, decided to move
to Tarn from Limousin, they
were looking for a property
with a small outbuilding.
They had lived in France for
several years by this point, with
James often commuting to the
UK for work.
“We loved French life but de-
cided to move further south to
escape the rather rainy weather
in Limousin,’ says Karen.
“We have four children, so
I also wanted somewhere
separate from the house for
my parents to stay and enjoy
some peace and quiet.”
In 2016, the couple found
a property to match their
requirements in Lacaze – a
new roof put on the bread oven
building, at a cost of €13,000.
“The building is tiny so we
had not realised re-roofing
would be so expensive,” admits
Karen. “Instead of renovating
the bread oven building on the
small budget we had initially
planned, we decided to go for a
higher spec. That way, we could
rent it as a gîte for guests and
recoup some of the cost.”
The building consisted of a
16m² room, with stone walls
and a dirt floor. While there
were a few roof beams, there
was not a second floor and the
building had been untouched
for many years.
The couple did most of the
conversion themselves, even
wiring the property – after
Photos: Karen Roeves

17th-century stone house of which they had their work

approximately 170m².
Crucially, it came with a tiny
outbuilding, formerly used to
house a bread oven and still in
its original state.
The house, acquired for
€106,000, needed a lot of work.
“It had not been lived in for
10 years and did not have any
heating, so there was plenty
that needed doing before we
moved in,” says Karen.
They opted to stay in Limous-
in for another year, during
which James commuted to
Tarn each week to start renov-
ations and bring the building
up to spec for family living.
The main house now has five
bedrooms, four of which are
ensuite, and a family bathroom.
During renovations, the
couple also decided to have a
signed off by a registered
electrician.
“We started by laying a new
concrete floor,” says Karen. Above: The former bread oven building was structurally
“We added beams above, and sound but needed a new roof, at a cost of €13,000
boarded the area to create a
mezzanine-floor sleeping area Right: The interior was converted by the couple to include a
for guests, which is accessed fitted kitchen, mezzanine bedroom, wet room and a living/
via a spiral staircase.” dining area that retains the original oven, inset
The mezzanine floor was
finished with wooden tiles, and kitchen with an electric oven area. “It’s nice to have some booked up for most of the year. means that while Karen’s mum
the walls insulated and plaster- and dishwasher, a living area sense of the building’s history,” It won a Travel and Hospitality can still stay in the bread oven
boarded for a clean finish. with wood-burning stove, and says Karen. “Some guests love Award in 2021. building if she wishes, there
While the property already a small dining zone. Guests can this feature – it’s great to Although originally bought is plenty of quiet space in the
had windows, these were old enjoy self-catered meals here, or imagine how the property was as a space for Karen’s parents main house now too.
and draughty. The couple eat food prepared by their hosts. used in the past and how it has to stay, the bread oven building “It hasn’t been the little
replaced these, and the doors, Finally, the couple created a evolved over the years.” has proved a good source of annexe we originally intended,
with double-glazed ones and luxury wet room with shower Doing the majority of the additional income. but it has turned out to be a
added a Velux window in the and toilet facilities. renovation work themselves Now that three of the couple’s great investment,” says Karen.
roof to bring light to the bed- In a nod to the building’s meant the couple spent just children spend most of their “And it’s lovely to think we
room area. former use, Karen and James €10,000 – on top of the €13,000 time away at lycée and univers- have taken something left
The downstairs floor was left the bread oven intact and they paid for the roof. ity, there is only one child dormant for centuries and giv-
tiled and fitted with a small made it a feature of the living It is now used as a gîte and is permanently at home. This en it a whole new lease of life.”

10-year warranty for DIY builders is mission impossible

HOMEOWNERS looking to renovate are very accomplished, it is probably sanctions, such as the legal wrangle
property themselves have been a good idea to get a professional in the Reeveses find themselves in.
advised to let professionals do at least for the foundations and other parts MMA, also part of Covéa, has a
part of the job to ensure the work covered by the 10-year guarantee, division specialising in 10-year
is insured. and then you take over the less guarantees for professionals, but it
The suggestion, from French structural work.” does not cover DIY builders.
insurance broker Lesfurets, comes a The spokesman added: “There is AXA, another company suggested by
month after The Connexion reported damage insurance, but it is not the 10- Meilleurtaux.com, similarly does not
Photo: anatoliy_gleb _ Shutterstock

the plight of a British couple who were
taken to court over a missing 10-year
builder’s guarantee on their self-built
property.
Having sold the house, James and
Diane Reeves were surprised when the
new owners demanded €140,000 to
repair a small leak over the terrace.
In France, all builders are obliged
to give a warranty (garantie décennale)
that any work done will be fully
functioning for 10 years after it has
been completed.
When the Reeveses started building,
they asked about taking out insurance
for this guarantee but were told that
their household insurer did not do it,
and they let the matter drop.
Subsequent investigation has
revealed that it is extremely difficult
to find any insurance company willing
to provide such cover.
Nevertheless, rules detailed on the
government website service-public.fr
The garantie décennale ensures work is fully functional for 10 years
are clear: if the work affects the found-
ations or framework of your house, the
10-year insurance must be in place.
If you sell your house before the
10 years have passed, the insurance
is passed on to the buyers for the
remainder of the period.
Work that affects the ouvrages de
viabilité – a term that covers drains,
electricity connections and telephone
or internet links – also falls under the
government rules.
Similarly, any work affecting the
access road or requiring its own found-
ations, such as a built-in swimming
year guarantee the law talks about.”
Broker Meilleurtaux.com, which
has contacts with most of the main
insurance companies in France, said it
could not help either, insisting it was
not something customers asked for.
The closest similar insurance we
could find was a policy for assurance
dommages ouvrage from MAAF,
pool, some conservatories, terraces which is now part of the bigger Covéa
and decks. A final category covers insurance group.
élements d’équipement indissociables It promises to help homeowners fix
du bâtiment. The government website damage under the 10-year guarantee
lists ceilings, piping, floors, central by tracking down the builder respons-
heating, door frames and buried ible and claiming the money for
electricity conduits as examples. repairs from them.
Broker Lesfurets claims that none However, if you did the work your-
of its extensive network of insurance self, they might end up chasing you.
companies offers such policies to DIY MAAF noted that criminal sanctions
builders. that apply to professionals without
“We were surprised, but actually the insurance do not apply to DIY-ers, as
only advice we can give is to go with long as the work was done for yourself
professionals for at least part of the or family members.
work,” a spokesman said. “Even if you However, it did not mention civil
advertise such policies on its website.
Neither was the French insurance
trade body France Assureurs able to
throw any light on the matter.
This means the 10-year guarantee for
DIY builders is probably in one of the
many grey areas of French law.
Individual judges, if you are unlucky
enough to find yourself before the
courts, will have to decide on their own
how rules should be applied when the
insurance is required but not readily
available.
Just to be safe, homeowners who
intend to knock holes in their walls
for new doors or windows might first
want to look for a garantie décennale
des constructeurs pour les bricoleurs.
At each step, make a detailed note
of the date and process.
In the event of later legal proceed-
ings, you can show to the judge you
at least tried to find an impossible
insurance.
 The Back Page connexionfrance.com The Connexion September 2023

Photographer immortalises France’s local bistros

Traditional French bistros
offer an essential service,
photographer Guillaume Blot
tells Martin Greenacre
THEY are called rades, a slang term
referring to the raised bar where the
regulars sit and chat with the owner.
Or PMU, even though they do not
all allow you to place bets. Troquet
is another term you might hear, and,
of course, bistrot.
Whatever you call them, you will
have seen these traditional French

Photo: Guillaume Blot

bars in small towns and big cities,

Photo: Guillaume Blot

Photo: Guillaume Blot

on town squares, and next to railway
stations.
Photographer Guillaume Blot spent
four years travelling up and down the
country, visiting around 230 of these
watering holes. He has now published
a selection of the photos in his book,
Rades (Hoëbeke – Gallimard).
What distinguishes a rade (pro-
nounced rad) from any other bar?
“It’s authentic, in its original state,
kept alive by the landlord or lady and
the regulars,” Mr Blot said.
“It’s an assembly of details: the front-
age, which is slightly tired-looking; the
tiles, which are also worn; you’ll find
small bowls of peanuts, local news-
papers on the table, the TV on in the
background, and sometimes the radio.”
It is usually based around a comptoir
– a bar with stools where people
gather over a beer, coffee or mint
cordial, often chatting with the owner.
Guillaume Blot spent four years photographing bistros up and down France
These establishments are essential to
the social fabric of French commun-
ities. “A person who is alone will sit
at the counter, where they can easily
discuss with those nearby. The coun-
ter, often made of wood, is where the
liveliest discussions take place.
“People come to see the regulars
and to socialise, to bet on the horses
or play scratchcards. Others come to
read, work, or pass the time.”
The photographer, dedicated to doc-
umenting “working-class spaces”, saw
the project as a continuation of his
previous series, Buvettes, based around
the food and beer stands outside foot-
ball stadiums where supporters gather
before and after matches. He began by
photographing only bars called ‘Café in general, in France. In the 1960s, the garage and repairs the cars. It’s a
des Sports’ – the most common name there were 200,000 businesses with a real intersection, and incredibly useful
in France – before expanding to all full liquor licence (including spirits). in a village like that.
rades, even if the term has no Today, there are around 40,000. “It shows the importance of rades in
objective definition. This trend also gave meaning to the creating social links and providing a
“I was interested in rades, as I really project: “Perhaps they are destined to service to the population. Unfort-
like these places, which are full of life. disappear, and so this is an archive of unately, there are fewer and fewer
If I’m travelling near a train station, the visual memory of rades today.” places where people can meet up.”
it’s somewhere I like to sit down, have Above all, Rades focuses on the There is hope, however, in the form
something to drink, use the bathroom, human stories behind the photos. Like of the 1000 Cafés initiative. This was
and work,” he said. Cécile and Jean-Claude, who run the launched by the association Groupe
He noticed on his travels that, con- Bar de la Station Service in Saint- SOS with the support of the govern-
trary to what we might expect, even Léonard-de-Noblat (Haute-Vienne) – ment to help create new ‘multi-service’
young people are drawn to these bars. a bistro attached to a petrol station. cafés in communes of fewer than 3,500
“They’re not expensive, and the famil- “Cécile will fill a car up with diesel, inhabitants. Since 2020, 200 have been
iarity is reassuring,” he explained. then five minutes later be serving a created, providing internet access,
Despite this attraction, there are glass of white wine to a regular. They newspapers and parcel collection to
fewer and fewer bistros, and bars live next door, and her husband runs breathe new life into the old rade.

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