So many people think that Napoléon Bonaparte was short but in reality, at 5’7″, he was 2″ taller than the average height for adult males at the time. He did however, ensure that his bodyguards were both taller and broader than him, thus giving rise to […]
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In terms of land area, covering 247,367 square miles, France is the largest country in the European Union. L’Hexagone has over 2000 miles of coastline, with access to the Atlantic ocean, the Mediterranean sea, and the English Channel. In 2013, almost 85 million tourists visited France, […]
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Before the rest of the world had the Internet, France had Minitel. The service was launched in 1978, and allowed users to pay their bills, shop, buy train tickets, and check stock prices online. Users also had online mailboxes, and could chat to each other. Sound […]
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While much has been made of the fact that the palace of Versailles had few toilets when it was built, the reality was that they simply were not needed. Guests would bring their own commodes, and chamber pots would be used too. That’s not to say […]
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Did you know that nearly 20% of the territory of France lies outside Europe? These regions are known as “DOM-TOM” (overseas departments and territories), and over 2.5 million French citizens live there… unsurprising when you consider that France used to control in excess of 8% of […]
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Before the advent of railway, rivers were the main transportation routes in France. France is home to 24 rivers which exceed 300 km in length, whereas Italy and Britain only have four and two, respectively. So important were these waterways, that out of the 95 metropolitan […]
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Manners maketh the man… richer. At la Petite Syrah on Nice’s Rue Cassini, customers are rewarded with inexpensive coffee for their politeness, while those who don’t even bother to say hello, please, or thank you, pay for their rudeness!
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Originally called the ‘Médaille d’honneur de la famille française‘ (medal of honor of the French family), the award has since undergone several name changes, and from 1983, has been known as the ‘Médaille de la Famille Française‘ (medal of the French family). The medal was originally […]
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Built between 1666 and 1681, at 241 km (150 miles) long, and with 65 locks (originally 86), 126 bridges, 55 aqueducts, 7 canal-bridges, 6 barrages, and 1 tunnel, the Canal du Midi is Europe’s oldest functional canal. Until 1789, when its name was changed by revolutionaries, […]
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As well as being the official language in France, La Langue Française (French) is also the second major language in Europe. With Latin roots, French is the second most-studied language after English, and is spoken by more than 300 million people around the world as first […]
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