Talking France

Could we soon see the end of flight cancellations, delays and general travel misery caused by striking French air traffic controllers? Where is this region region in France where the soil is saturated with gems and why don't the French like to talk about money?If you want to know the answers to these questions and find out why the French won't let MEPs leave Strasbourg and learn about the regional stereotypes in France then stay tuned to this latest episode of Talking France, brought to you by The Local.Host Ben McPartland is joined by the editorial team in Paris, Emma Pearson and Gen Mansfield and our politics expert John Lichfield will join us on the line from Normandy.Please take a minute to fill out our feedback survey and pose a question about France to the team that we will try and answer in a bonus episode. Further reading:French farmer sued after digging for sapphires in Auvergne soilAre money and sex really taboo subjects in France?What is France's new law to limit air traffic control strikes and will it work?Is there any truth to France's regional stereotypes? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

23 Nov 202336min

This week our team will bring you up to date on that latest on some important changes to immigration rules in France, including one for British second home owners and look at whether they will actually come into law. Plus we'll look at myths around Napoleon ahead of the new blockbuster film, explain the importance of French patisseries and find out where in France you will live the longest. Plus we need you to fill in this questionnaire about Talking France!----Welcome to a new episode of Talking France.In this week's show we will take a look at how French senators have hijacked France's controversial immigration bill including a move to help out British second home owners and toughen up the rules about bringing family members to France.But will there be anything left of their meddling once this bill becomes law? We will also find out in which part of France you can expect to live the longest. You will likely be surprised by the answer, but we'll explain the reasons why.And you might have noticed we love talking about French food on this podcast, this week we'll hear why French patisserie makers are held in such high regard here - and even have their own patron saint. We'll also find out how life in France will be getting more expensive next year and with a new blockbuster film coming out about French Emperor Napoleon, we'll bust a few myths about the little man, such as, was he actually little?Host Ben McPartland is joined once again to talk about France is the team from The Local, Emma Pearson, Gen Mansfield and politics expert John Lichfield.We also just have a special request for listeners. We want to produce a special episode based wholly on your questions about France, French culture and life in the country. You can send us your questions and any other suggestions via this survey here. We'd be really grateful if you could take a minute to fill it in.Further reading:What's in the French Senate's immigration bill - and does it matter?How much more expensive will life in France be in 2024?MAP - Where in France do people have the longest life expectancy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

16 Nov 202336min

In this week's new episode we examine why the French can't bear spicy food and take a look at just how elitist the country is especially when it comes to its schools and universities. And for second home owners and regular visitors we take a look at what might happen if you don't respect that pesky 90-day rule and stay too long in France. Could you banned from the EU? Plus much much more for anyone interested in France.See below for related articles.-------Hello and welcome to a new series of Talking France.Hi to all our regular listeners thanks for joining us again and a big welcome to anyone listening for the first time. Talking France is a podcast produced by the team at The Local France and made possible by our members so thanks to all those listeners who have joined.If you want to understand the big issues in France right now and learn more about the French way of life and the challenges foreign residents like us face then you are listening to the right podcast.This week we'll look at why French spelling and grammar has become a divisive issue, why France is surprisingly elitist - especially when it comes to its schools and universities and which part of France is hoping to host the winter olympics in 2030 - if we still have winters in 2030.We will also try to understand whether there's any truth to claim that the French hate spicy food and try to explain why that might be.And finally a crucial subject for second home owners and tourists. We'll explain how France enforces the 90 day rule and what the consequences are if you stay too long in the country.Ben McPartland, your host and joining me once again at our office in Paris is The Local France's dynamic duo Editor Emma Person and journalist Gen Mansfield, plus we'll hear more insight from our politics expert John Lichfield who'll join us from Normandy.Further reading:Making French fully inclusive is a grammatical and political nightmareFive things to know about France's 2030 Winter Olympics bidDo the French really hate all spicy food?How seriously does France enforce the 90-day rule? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

9 Nov 202333min

Given the number of bomb alerts at French airports and tourist sites is it wise to travel to the country right now? And whilst many dream of retiring to France how easy it to actually do it, both practically and emotionally? We examine these questions and more in the new episode of Talking France. Article links below.----------Welcome to a new episode of Talking France, a podcast by The Local.In this week’s episode we will do, as our name promises, and talk about France. In roughly 30 minutes we’ll bring up to date with the main news stories and try to answer some of the big issues and questions our listeners have about the country.To start with, is it wise to come to France right now, given there have been numerous bomb alerts at airports and evacuations at tourist sites.We’ll tell you about a new museum of the French language that’s opened in a place in northern France I’ve never heard of.We’ll also examine whether one French senator’s plan to make the lives of second home owners in the country easier could really work and explain just how easy - or difficult it is - for people to retire in France these days.And finally can you really be deported for joining a protest in France?To answer all these questions host Ben McPartland will call on the help of two very special individuals, The Local’s Emma Pearson and Gen Mansfield.Further reading:Terror alerts: Should I be worried about travel to FranceDozens of French airports evacuated after bomb threatsMuseum of French language to open in northern FranceCould France bring in a special visa for second home owners?Is France a good country to retire to?How do the French celebrate Halloween? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

25 Okt 202328min

What does the heightened terror alert in France mean for those who live here and visitors and why does the government fear there may be more attacks?Plus why is France obsessed by farmers finding love, why are doctors in the country on strike and is McDonald's really healthier in France than in other countries? We discuss all these topics and more in this week's episode.-------Welcome to the latest episode of Talking France, a weekly podcast by The Local.There’s no shortage of major talking points and interesting matters in France that we need to get through this week, including what the heightened terror alert means for all of us in France and why the government fears yet more attacks.On a very different note we’ll examine why the stories of lonely French farmers finding love among the crops and cows are cherished in France.We’ll also hear about some major changes for the Paris region in the coming years that will transform how people get around the area.We’ll examine why doctors in France are on strike and why the system of GPs is not in good health.And if you have an appetite for more we’ll answer the big question of the week - is McDonald’s in France healthier than McDonald’s in America? Host Ben McPartland is joined this week by three wise individuals The Local France’s Emma Pearson and Gen Mansfield as well as politics expert John Lichfield. Further reading:OPINION: After 12 years of Islamist terrorism, France seems to have run out of ideasShould I be worried by the number of terror alerts in France?EXPLAINED: Why are French doctors on strike?Grand Paris Express: What is the French capital's big expansion plan?Is Diet Coke really banned in Europe? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

18 Okt 202334min

This week's episode looks at just how bad the bedbug crisis in France really is and why the insects have become political. It also examines why second homes in one part of France are being targeted by a bombing campaign and why American tourists were booed when arriving in France recently. And we also have essential wine tips for you.------Welcome to a new episode of Talking France.We are back with more insight into the big issues and talking points in France this week.Including bed bugs. Yep they just won’t go away. We thought we had dealt with them on this podcast but they are back with a vengeance and we’ll try and explain whether France and particularly Paris has been overrun by an invasion of bloodthirsty insects.We’ll also explain why second homes in one part of the country are being targeted in a bombing campaign, and delve into France’s regional identities and their quest for more autonomy.We’ll also explain why a group of tourists including Americans were jeered as they arrived in France recently and why France’s attempt to colonise Florida is in the news this weekAnd we’ll wash all this down with some tips for how to make sure you are picking up a good bottle of wine in France and in particular whether those medals on bottles really mean anything?Host Ben McPartland is joined by The Local France’s editor Emma Pearson, journalist Gen Mansfield and politics turned bedbug expert John Lichfield.Further reading:French anti-terror police investigate explosions at second-homesOPINION: Why in France, even bedbugs are politicalAmericans booed when disembarking cruise ship in western FranceHow to handle a bedbug infestation in your French home Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

11 Okt 202335min

This new episode of Talking France tackles the big issues such as whether rural France has a crime problem and what the French government is going to do about it. We also look at why people from anglophone countries move to France, why French baguettes taste different and how you can best solve any disputes with your French neighbours.-------Over the next 30 minutes or so of your life we will do our utmost to shed light on the big issues in France right now and delve into some important matters around life in the country.For example, why has the president announced that thousands more gendarmes will be posted to the routes and country lanes of rural France? Is crime really a problem in the countryside or is this a political stunt?And on a different matter, why is the French government interfering with the recipe for baguettes? And thousands of people move to France each year from anglophone countries like the UK, the US, Canada and Australia. But who are they all and why are they coming?And what happens when you fall out with your French neighbour? We’ll look at the best ways to solve a dispute.And after news that Paris has hiked its tourist tax, we’ll find out what exactly is this tax and what’s the money for? Is it spent on cleaning up the dog poo or on customer service courses for waiters?Host Ben McPartland is joined by The Local France’s Editor Emma Pearson and journalist Gen Mansfield as well as our connoisseur of French politics and rural France John Lichfield.Further reading:Does your baguette taste different now?France to post scores of new gendarmerie units to rural areasHow France's new neighbour dispute rules workMAP: Where do all the Americans in France live?Cul: 13 of the best French expressions involving bottoms Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

5 Okt 202330min

This week's Talking France podcast looks at the explosion of bedbugs in France including on trains and in the cinemas. We delve into French tax laws inspired by an ongoing epic legal battle involving one of the world's biggest art dynasties and look at the dangers of going green for President Emmanuel Macron. We'll explain a controversial motorway in the south west and tips for choosing a decent restaurant in France. ---------On the Talking France menu this week we have a six course meal full of varied dishes that will leave you full to the brim with knowledge of France.For starters we’ve got bedbugs. Yep it seems like nowhere in France is free from the blood-thirsty insects whether it’s trains, cinemas or hospitals. We’ll find out just how bad the infestation is.For a second course we’ll serve up what is possibly one of France’s craziest crime stories and look at what it teaches us about France’s strict inheritance laws. Then we’ll move on to a Brittany seaside town that’s gone British this week.For the main course we’ll look at how President Emmanuel Macron wants to turn France green. From new trains to heat pumps we’ll find out whether his measures are up to scratch and the political dangers involved.And for dessert we’ll look at how, in a country with as many restaurants as France does, you can possibly make sure you are picking a good one? Featuring some handy tips from readers in rural France.And for a digestive we’ll look at some essential abbreviations you need to know if you are texting French people.Host Ben McPartland is joined at the table by The Local France’s journalists Gen Mansfield and Sam Bradpiece as well as politics expert John Lichfield.Further reading:How to avoid bedbugs in FranceDeath and taxes: What you need to know about estate planning in FranceWhy does the French seaside town Dinard host an annual British film festival?OPINION: Macron knows the political dangers of dragging France into a greener futureWhy the new A69 autoroute in south-west France is causing such a row8 tips for finding a good restaurant in FranceFifteen French 'text speak' abbreviations that will help you sound local Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

28 Sep 202333min