Located at the heart of France’s hexagonal territory, Auvergne is a sparsely populated land of volcanic plateaus and large valleys. Unlike the Alps to the east or the Pyrénées to the southwest, its highest peaks reach only 6,000 feet above sea level and are free of snow in summer. The local authorities? efforts to safeguard the environment have made Auvergne one of the last protected zones in Europe.
Before going to Auvergne, familiarize yourself with its history and its gastronomy.
Controversy sparked by an 8.5-million-euro severance payment for a former EADS chief executive deepened, with French Finance Minister Thierry Breton alleged to have intervened to arrange the payment.
0 Read MoreRight-wing candidate Philippe de Villiers headed to the south western city of Toulouse to appeal to undecided voters who, according to polls, still comprise 40% of France’s electorate.
0 Read MoreIn the last few days before the first round, centrist candidate François Bayrou is being seriously courted by the socialist camp, while Nicolas Sarkozy’s party is eyeing the far right. (Report: N. Charbit)
0 Read MoreNew photographs of what caused a tanker to sink and cause an environmental disaster have emerged at trial. (Report: France 2/G. Somerville)
0 Read MorePostman Olivier Besancenot is standing for the Revolutionary Communists. At the age of 33, he’s hoping his anti-capitalist message will get across to disillusioned young people.
0 Read More[img_assist|nid=1477|title=|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=69|height=107] If you plan to plug in anything you bring with you, it won't fit in the holes unless you bring an adaptor (and these are surprisingly hard to find over there), and it just might get burned out if you don't convert the electrical current.
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Make sure your arrive in France with some Euros in your moneybag. You never know when it'll be useful. But one rule is that you will find out at the most inappropriate times…
Nicolas Sarkozy has been ahead in the polls for four months. With many French voters still undecided, the other candidates are focusing their endgame attacks on him.
0 Read MoreFrench newspaper Le Monde reports French intelligence agencies issued a warning to the CIA eight months before the September 11 plot. International Affairs editor Robert Parsons analyses the latest development.
0 Read MoreSecurity is tight as far right presidential candidate Jean-Marie Le Pen addresses his supporters. And as election day draws closer France is on red alert. (Report: C. Casali)
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