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LIVING IN FRANCE

Cycling, Olympic codes, and croissant truths: 6 essential articles for life in France

Why you should get on your bike in May, the Olympic Games’ effect on getting around Paris, the EU’s proposed new youth mobility scheme, workplace romance, how to save money living and working in the French capital, and croissant myths - here are your essential articles for life in France.

Published: 21 April 2024 08:02 CEST
A tray of baked croissants
Croissants baked at the Institut National de la Boulangerie Patisserie (INBP) - the French national baking and pastry-making institute - in Rouen, northwestern France. (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP)

May is a joyous month for reluctant gardeners in France. They get to demonstrate their green cred by leaving the lawnmower collecting cobwebs in the shed for 31 glorious, bank holiday-filled, ‘no mow May’ days.

But, you can also remember the month for another reason: it’s ‘Mai à vélo’ in France, when thousands of cycling events and ‘challenges’ take place across the country to encourage carbon-free – and healthy – travel.

Why you should take up cycling in France in May

May is also the month in which the online platform for requesting a QR code to enter certain areas of Paris during the summer’s Olympic Games opens.

The Games – which are in less than 100 days and held in the heart of the city – will undoubtedly bring with them some disruption. Here’s a look at what is likely to be closed and what will stay open.

Factcheck: Which areas will be closed in Paris during the Olympics?

The EU has put forward a proposal that would go some way towards restoring freedom of movement to millions of Britons, aged between 18 and 30, which was lost when the United Kingdom voted to leave the bloc.

It would allow young people to move countries to work, study and live. Here’s what we know about the proposal.

How would a ‘youth mobility scheme’ between the UK and EU really work?

Speaking of work (tenuous link alert) … France might have a reputation as a place where anything goes when it comes to l’amour, but if you do strike up a relationship with a colleague here, there are a few rules to be observed.

Workplace romance: The rules around dating colleagues in France

So, it turns out that Americans are the biggest non-resident property hunters in and around Paris, according to a report from Notaires de France.

But the French capital, in common with capitals everywhere, can be an expensive place to live. Fortunately, our own Genevieve Mansfield has a few tips to make life more affordable for anyone living or visiting the City of Light.

How to save money in Paris

Saving all that money means you’ll have more to spend on the fabulous offerings of your local boulangerie. But friends and family may try to cut short your French pastry-filled joy by smugly pointing out that the iconic croissant is Austrian, and was brought to France by Marie Antoinette.

Short of refusing to let them eat one, you may not have a suitable chew-on-that riposte. Until now…

Did Austria really invent France’s iconic croissant?

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LIVING IN FRANCE

What are anti-mosquito apps and are they worth using in France?

Anti-mosquito smartphone apps are something of a summer hit in France – but how sound is the science behind them?

Published: 27 June 2024 15:28 CEST
What are anti-mosquito apps and are they worth using in France?

Summer in France is mosquito season. The insistent high-pitched biting pests can be a huge frustration on sultry evenings, and are a major source of revenue for pharmacists and supermarkets selling repellents, creams and insecticide sprays, to those unfortunates who provide a tasty snack for the itch-inducing insects.

Recently, efforts to prevent mosquito attacks have moved into the app sphere. A number of smartphone applications are available that claim to repel mosquitoes by emitting low-frequency sounds from the phone’s speaker. 

READ ALSO: How to prevent the spread of tiger mosquitoes in France

The idea isn’t new. And it is based on actual science. France’s Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale (Inserm) said that the apps are intended to, “imitate the sound waves produced by the wing beats of … dragonflies. Female mosquitoes, which bite humans, would be repelled by this sound”.

So far, so good. The theory seems sound enough. 

READ ALSO: ‘Put a drop of detergent in the water’ – How to deal with mosquitoes in France?

But there’s a problem. 

“The [sound]waves that could possibly be heard by female mosquitoes are too powerful to be reproduced by a smartphone,” Inserm went on to say.

Possibly to cover themselves, the Anti-moustique insecticide app, available on the App Store, states in its own description: “It has not been scientifically proven that low-frequency sounds can help repel mosquitoes. For this reason, this app should be considered a joke app”.

READ ALSO Life in France: 5 plants that (allegedly) repel mosquitoes

According to Inserm, experts advise against this type of app, “at best because they are useless, at worst because they can provide a false sense of protection”, leading users to neglect other – rather more effective – approaches to protecting themselves from bites.

Anti-mosquito advice

When it comes to repelling the horrible little bastards, the French government does have some official advice.

The main thing is to have as little stagnant water around as possible – since this is where mosquitoes breed.

This includes regularly emptying vases, flower pots, as well as watering cans and pots. If you want to collect rainwater, you could cover water butts with mosquito nets or fabric to keep the mosquitoes from getting inside.

To protect yourself, try to wear long, loose and light-coloured clothing, and use a good quality insect repellent. You might also consider wearing a mosquito net head gear.

A plethora of products exist on the market, from machines that also produce the mosquito repelling noise to scented candles or smoke coils, most of these have at at least some effect, but are unlikely to keep the mossies away entirely.

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