Macron’s €800m Louvre revamp explained and full speed ahead for rural France

This week we'll examine the French President's planned multi-million euro revamp of the world famous Louvre gallery in Paris and also… why is Emmanuel Macron even getting involved in museum refurbishments anyway?

We'll also discuss the end of the internet in France, well not quite, but there are major changes afoot that listeners should be aware of.

And we'll explore France's love-hate relationship with mega cruise ships. They love building them but do French cities still love welcoming them and their thousands of passengers? Resistance appears to be growing against the so-called floating cities.

We'll also find out a strange quirk of French law that could see you in hot water at French motorway toll booths and answer the key question of who decides whether French words are masculine or feminine.

Host Ben McPartland is joined by three people worthy of having their portraits hung in the Louvre: Emma Pearson, Gen Mansfield and John Lichfield.

Extra reading:

• France to raise price of Louvre tickets for non-EU visitors
• Explained: Will other French museums follow the Louvre in charging more to non-EU visitors?
• Is France moving towards a ban on cruise ships?
• Calendar: France begins work to disconnect ADSL internet cables
• Macron responds to French driver fined for using phone to pay at tollbooth
• French grammar tips: Guessing the gender of nouns

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