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INSIDE FRANCE

Inside France: Seine sewage, Impressionist art and croissant wars

From the state of the River Seine to Parisian cyclists, via famous artists and the French pastry craze taking TikTok by storm, our weekly newsletter Inside France looks at what we have been talking about in France this week.

Published: 13 April 2024 08:02 CEST
Inside France: Seine sewage, Impressionist art and croissant wars
A man and a child ride a bike on the flooded docks along the Seine river in Paris, on April 4, 2024. Photo by Emmanuel Dunand / AFP

Inside France is our weekly look at some of the news, talking points and gossip in France that you might not have heard about. It’s published each Saturday and members can receive it directly to their inbox, by going to their newsletter preferences or adding their email to the sign-up box in this article.

River deep, expectation high

The River Seine has been attracting a lot of international attention this week, as a charity released a report saying that the water quality won’t be good enough to hold open water swimming events during the Olympics this summer.

Organisers and Paris officials insist that it will be ready, with the help of a couple of engineering projects designed to prevent overflow of the sewage system into the river. They continue to insist there is ‘no Plan B’ (I don’t believe it for a moment) while Emmanuel Macron says he will swim in the Seine this summer.

I had a nice chat with RTE’s Claire Byrne about this topic and my prediction? The Olympic events will take place in the Seine. I’m prepared to bet up to €1 on that.

History and croissants 

This week’s Talking France podcast started off with two pieces of history that continue to have a lasting impact on France – the signing in 1904 of the Entente Cordiale, declaring France and the UK as friends and allies, and the foundation in 1972 of the Front National far-right party. Today renamed Rassemblement National and run by founder Jean-Marie Le Pen’s daughter it continues to exert a huge influence on French politics. 

We also talk about tax and rail tickets and Genevieve made us taste test this thing. 

Frankly I don’t think I’m paid enough for this kind of high-risk journalism. Listen to Talking France here or on the link below.

Shanks’ pony*

New data from the city of Paris reveals that just 4.3 percent of journeys in the city are done by car, with vehicles now slipping to fourth place in the most popular means of transport behind walking, public transport and cycling.

The full data tells quite a story – more than half (53.5 percent) of journeys are completed on foot, 30 percent on public transport, 11.2 percent by bike and 4.3 percent by vehicle.

Therefore it seems entirely appropriate that city planners prioritise pedestrians and cyclists when designing new infrastructure and the ‘motorists lobby’ needs to be seen for what it is; an extremely minority pursuit.

Revised impression

And if you’re in Paris between now and July I really recommend the Musée d’Orsay’s Inventing Impressionism exhibition – by putting them in their historical context, it really gives new meaning to artists that we all think that we know well. I also enjoyed this contemporary newspaper cartoon, of a pregnant woman being implored not to take the risk of seeing the ‘shocking’ Impressionist paintings by the likes of Claude Monet and Paul Cézanne.

The caption reads ‘Oh Madame! It would not be wise. Go home!’

Newspaper cartoon shown in the Musée d’Orsay’s Inventing Impressionism exhibition. Photo; The Local

Inside France is our weekly look at some of the news, talking points and gossip in France that you might not have heard about. It’s published each Saturday and members can receive it directly to their inbox, by going to their newsletter preferences or adding their email to the sign-up box in this article.

* For non British readers, ‘Shanks’ pony’ means to walk or travel somewhere on foot. Apparently there is a French equivalent too – aller sur la haquenée des cordeliers or sometimes aller sur la mule des cordeliers, it means ‘go by the Cordeliers’ mule’, the Cordeliers being an order of monks famous for making all their journeys on foot.

Spanish has a similar phrase – el caballo de San Francisco or St Francis’ horse, St Francis being another poor monk known for taking journeys on foot.

Yes, I fell down a language geek rabbit hole again . . .

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INSIDE FRANCE

Inside France: Violence, QR codes and stuffed animals

From violent unrest in a French territory to the QR codes required at the Paris Olympics, via D-Day and weird taxidermy, our weekly newsletter Inside France looks at what we have been talking about in France this week.

Published: 18 May 2024 07:38 CEST
Inside France: Violence, QR codes and stuffed animals

Inside France is our weekly look at some of the news, talking points and gossip in France that you might not have heard about. It’s published each Saturday and members can receive it directly to their inbox, by going to their newsletter preferences or adding their email to the sign-up box in this article.

High tension

After a relaxed week with a double holiday and most of the country taking a break, it seems that the news has come roaring back this week – first a highly dramatic jailbreak that left two prison officers dead and a fugitive at large, then the worst rioting in 30 years on the French island of Nouvelle Calédonie which left five people dead, and finally a man shot dead by police while apparently trying to set fire to a synagogue in northern France. It seems that there’s barely been time to breathe. 

These three things are, of course, not connected and in the case of Nouvelle Calédonie have followed years of political and ethnic tensions on the Pacific islands.

But it’s not surprising that people feel a bit punch-drunk at this series of events. Already right-wing parties are attempting to make capital out of this ahead of the European elections – a favourite tactic of the far-right in recent years has been trying to portray France as in the grip of an uncontrolled wave of crime and violence.

While no-one would deny that France has crime and that there are problems with violence, the statistics do not bear out this image of a ‘lawless’ country’. 

QR codes

Talking of security, the big topic in Paris this week has been whether we need QR codes to get around the city during the Olympics, after the security plan for the Games was unveiled in detail.

For many people this will bring back bad memories of Covid restrictions, attestations and health passes – although once you dig into the detail of the Games QR codes you realise that they won’t actually affect all that many people.

The areas that they cover are limited and the most onerous restrictions are only in place for the week leading up to the Opening Ceremony. You can find a complete guide to whether you need a code, and how to get one if you do, HERE.

Talking France

We look at the QR code situation on this week’s Talking France podcast, as well as France’s economic reality, the quirks of the French health system and the new ‘drive like a woman’ campaign.

Plus John Lichfield talks about his involvement in projects to commemorate D-Day in his Normandy home, and why the 1944 landings still hold such a special place in French hearts. Listen here or on the link below. 

Get stuffed

But my biggest question about France remains unanswered – why is weird taxidermy furniture so popular? If you’ve spent time at a French brocante you will likely have come across stuffed animal parts made into a variety of items from coathooks and ashtrays to – as below – chairs or stools.

Answers on a postcard, please.  

Inside France is our weekly look at some of the news, talking points and gossip in France that you might not have heard about. It’s published each Saturday and members can receive it directly to their inbox, by going to their newsletter preferences or adding their email to the sign-up box in this article.

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