Il y a longtemps que notre pays est beau mais rude.
--Newspaper editor Olivier Séguret, 25 January 2012
The USA are entirely the creation of the accursed race, the French.
--Evelyn Waugh (1903-1966), writing to Nancy Mitford, 22 May 1957
The mayor of Calais is suing Marine Le Pen of the Front National for saying "repeatedly" that citizens in Calais need a pass issued by the mayor to get to their own homes (because of the number of migrants in the town). In fact, the passes are issued by the police prefecture.
"À nous de vous faire préférer le train!"
"Voyager autrement"
"Avec le SNCF, tout est possible"
--Former ad slogans of the SNCF (French national trains), each in turn quickly dropped
(literally: marmoset)
Etymology: onomatopoeia from the sound a marmoset makes. Actual meaning: this is what you say in France when you want people to smile for the camera.
Selon une étude réalisée par le fabricant d’appareils photo Nikon, le « ouistiti » utilisé en France au moment de se faire prendre en photo est le petit mot le plus efficace pour s’assurer un joli sourire.
Private sector
First strike in 43 years at an aeronautics company in Toulouse, Latécoère
Public sector
The SNCF (toujours eux), regional train employees in the Lyons area guaranteeing unpleasant travel from the 17th-21st December
Also yet another strike by Sud-Rail, a particularly truculent SNCF union in the south of France, this time five days in January: 6,7, 21, 22 and 23. "We have no choice." Right.
Marseilles trams on strike until February
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Nothing makes your heart sink as fast as passing a highway patrol car going a little over the speed limit, and watching in your rear view mirror as that car sloooowly makes a circle to follow you down the highway....
In France I have never once seen anyone stopped on the highway for going too fast. Radars flash you, but patrol cars don't pull you over. In the last two days, driving long distances across country, I've seen more police cars than in several years in France.
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In Paris, the purest virtue is the object of the filthiest slander.
–Honoré Balzac (1799-1850), in Scènes de la vie privée
À Paris, la vertu la plus pure est l'objet des plus sales calomnies.
Annual Geminids meteor shower (shooting stars!) coming this weekend, if it's not too cloudy out at night.
Keith Eckstein also has a new book review site, Books About France
I have always enjoyed driving efficiently and fast in French highways and don't see too many patrol cars. I always slow down in marked areas especially when entering villages. The French drivers are not as careful and I suspect the lack of speed enforcement is a major reason for the high accident rate in France
Posted by: Richard Ewen | 04 August 2012 at 19:48
They don't have to pull you over. They just mail you the ticket!
Posted by: Anne | 13 August 2012 at 13:47
Have you ever been caught by a photo machine/radar? I never have, I don't know why. I believe that in France, the ticket goes to the person and not the car. I know someone who always drives with the visor down and then challenges any ticket, saying it's someone else who borrowed it, & not the owner, driving the car too fast. So far this technique has worked....
Posted by: Sedulia | 14 August 2012 at 23:12