The Comet line, so named because of the speed needed to whisk stranded airmen down through occupied France to safety, helped hundreds of allied soldiers and airmen to escape from occupied France.
Young Australian Bruce Dowling arrived in France in 1938 to improve his French. He ended up helping hundreds of allied servicemen to escape from occupied France and paid the ultimate price, beheaded by the Nazis 29th birthday in 1943.
Where a Bank holiday falls on a Tuesday or a Thursday, many small businesses will ‘faire le pont’ (make a bridge) and take Friday or Monday off too to make a long weekend.
One of their great writers, Jean de La Fontaine, produced French versions of fables, in verse and with illustrations. There are twelve volumes, with stories such as The Ant and the Grasshopper, told with elegance, wit and verve, in simple French which is usually easy to understand today. Each teaches a lesson about our relationships with society.
Test your French with a lovely springtime poem: Premier sourire du printemps by French Romantic poet, Théophile Gauthier
The french language often uses the verb ‘avoir’ (to have) in expressions where the english language uses ‘être’ (to be).
Phil of Spectrum explains that with markets reeling in response to the newly announced “Liberation Day” tariffs, it’s completely natural to feel unsettled.
Birth of a Baby ‘Panthère de l’Amour
Find out a bit more about these amazing creatures which are so important for the planet and what to do if you see a swarm approaching.
Here in the Mediterranean south of Europe, celebrations start sooner, as the may trees or hawthorns are already bursting into bloom in April.