The many things that can 'only happen in France' (according to Twitter)
Some things can only happen in France, and Twitter users have taken note.
We've scoured the social media site for some of the best examples - often including pictures too - of things that can happen #OnlyInFrance.
And some of them only in rural France, it seems.
It's not every day your mayor walks past your house & introduces his donkey #onlyinFrance
— Sara Foster (@SaraSjfoster) April 14, 2016
Of course, many of the hashtags were on the topic of food, and featured everything from macarons for your pets...
Seen at the pet store: macarons for cats and dogs.#onlyinFrance pic.twitter.com/WlbhZMTB2E
— Mayken Brünings (@MaykenAlanna) December 3, 2016
... to French people's affinity for cheese, and bread, and pastry...
When a police car stops at street corner, blocking traffic in two narrow streets, and a police officer goes to buy croissants.#onlyinFrance
— Mayken Brünings (@MaykenAlanna) October 7, 2016
... especially cheese.
Two 4 yr olds beside me on the school bus discussing the camembert they had for lunch. #onlyinfrance
— Jess O'Gara (@jessieog) September 15, 2016
... and especially camembert it seems...
My bank account manager: "A life insurance is like a camembert."#onlyinFrance
— Mayken Brünings (@MaykenAlanna) March 16, 2016
... and the fact that you can buy mustard by the glassful...
Glass of mustard anyone? #OnlyInFrance #SoFrench #FrenchSupermarket #France #holiday #StillSummerHere #food #mustard pic.twitter.com/kl6KCqE4BW
— LoveLeighEvents (@LoveLeighEvents) September 19, 2015
And who could forget the famed baguette...
Just saw a girl cycling down the road using no hands while eating a baguette and still managing to look incredibly chic #onlyinFrance #how
— Louise Irvine (@louiseirvine95) August 31, 2016
Which people get creative when it comes to transporting...
#onlyinfrance a baguette in the back pocket @letour @pelotonmagazine pic.twitter.com/kMkP5NeGIE
— Alex (@abduncan4) July 18, 2014
And if it's not in a back pocket, it's in a vending machine, apparently.
24/7 baguette vending machine #OnlyInFrance #Baguette #DuPain pic.twitter.com/tQ4UeycOX8
— Charlotte Simpson (@SimpsCharlotte) August 12, 2015
Several took pleasure in the fact cider is often served in mugs (or "tea cups")...
Cider in a tea cup #onlyinfrance pic.twitter.com/NOPfOFwRQf
— Anna Hollis (@Anna_Hollis3) March 26, 2015
And that you can get wine in little cartons, perfect for packed lunches.
Loving the lunchbox wine options from Carrefour pic.twitter.com/DXULYhFaDT
— Bryan Roberts (@BryanRoberts72) September 7, 2016
And special bags to make your Croque Monsieur (cheese and ham toastie).
Special bags in which to cook your croque monsieur #onlyinfrance pic.twitter.com/HpBKnIi3Tk
— Rebecca Russell (@coteabode) November 4, 2016
One person noted France's often strange pricing for its trains.
The 2nd class train ticket costs double the price of a 1st class. #OnlyInFrance pic.twitter.com/Y3FObIARSJ
— فاطمة الشيخ. (@Fatima_June) September 13, 2016
And it seems politicians' peculiar love lives are something particular to France as well.
Learned one of the possible French presidential candidates for next yr married his French high school teacher. #onlyinFrance
— AmelieSaysHola (@AmelieSaysHola) November 14, 2016
And so are street protests by all kinds of trade unions.
Our drive south to the #Languedoc was halted for an hour by a demo by the Union of (I'm not making this up!) Circus Artists! #onlyinFrance!!
— Patrick Moon (@PatrickMoonBks) May 26, 2016
All kinds indeed...
#onlyinfrance pic.twitter.com/QbekFf6FMr
— Jamie McPhie (@jwmcphie) April 13, 2016
Many Twitter users were apparently aware of France's worrying smoking addiction and how it took form in daily life.
Just saw something for the first time at a race. Guy finished run, leaves the runners area and immediately smokes a cigarette. #onlyinfrance
— Gary Jenkins (@KiwiRacer) September 25, 2016
Very worrying, it seems...
On the train today: man dashes off, cigarette in mouth, lights it, takes a few drags, and leaps back on as the doors close #onlyinFrance
— Louise Irvine (@louiseirvine95) October 30, 2016
A real addiction...
We've just seen a women smoking two cigarettes at the same time..... #onlyinfrance
— Vanessa Fontaine (@scarletness) October 29, 2015
And yes, France hasn't quite embraced vegetarianism yet (but it's getting there).
asked if there were veggie options at this restaurant and got a 10 minute rant about how vegetarianism is wrong #onlyinfrance
— Juliana Horn (@thecrownjules) November 2, 2016
Maybe one day...
Vegetarian option on bistro menu: salmon en croute.#Onlyinfrance pic.twitter.com/DvAOGS7iW8
— Piu Eatwell (@PiuEatwell) September 14, 2013
But restaurants do know the value of conversation and food over surfing the web.
Eat more, talk more, surf less. #OnlyinFrance pic.twitter.com/svfjxdaof1
— Cate Devine (@CateDvineWriter) October 13, 2016
Meanwhile, fashion made an appearance...
Guy on treadmill definitely wearing a scarf. #onlyinfrance
— Julie Bloom (@Julesm_b) December 3, 2013
Or two..
You know you're in France when your dentist recognises your perfume & compliments you on your high heels! #OnlyInFrance
— Rebecca Russell (@coteabode) September 18, 2012
Elsewhere we found some foul play when it comes to using the tu form for "you" or the more polite vous.
Deschamps told Gignac to stop addressing him using 'tu'. Gignac said he'd do so when Deschamps stopped using 'tu' with him. #onlyinFrance
— Tom Williams (@tomwfootball) November 25, 2011
The fact that dogs are welcome in bars and restaurants was an #OnlyInFrance moment too.
Cute dog at the cafe. #france #paris #letsgowrite pic.twitter.com/PbUI6U5AkU
— Charlotte R Dixon (@Wordstrumpet) September 25, 2016
... But hey, it's been happening for years...
Richard Avedon, Café des deux magots, #Paris, 1955. #photography #fashion #art #dog #dogs pic.twitter.com/KyLyC5UiT1
— Artnimals (@artnimals) September 21, 2016
The classic French game of pétanque and its sometimes quite serious players didn't escape attention of the Twittersphere...
Sitting in the park and just saw a guy whip out a telescopic rod with a magnet on the end to pick up his pétanque balls. #onlyinfrance
— Paul (@imnegan) November 1, 2016
Public displays of affection were another topic that people associated with the French.
#OnlyInFrance episode 2. Couple seated beside me making out the whole flight. Hay pic.twitter.com/lihg97kwk3
— Jairus Paul (@BlackDraco95) September 5, 2015
And so were penis baguettes, of course.
The things that can 'only happen in France' (according to Twitter) https://t.co/MuGfM1DMyr pic.twitter.com/7oZxbaRFsx
— The Local France (@TheLocalFrance) December 5, 2016
And lastly, what kind of #OnlyInFrance list would be complete without some cunning wordplay...?
Liberte. Egalite. Beyonce. #onlyinFrance pic.twitter.com/YiuizFqUKJ
— Rica Go-Bouso (@crazychimita) August 20, 2014
Click here to see 30 more photographs that could ONLY have happened in France.
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We've scoured the social media site for some of the best examples - often including pictures too - of things that can happen #OnlyInFrance.
And some of them only in rural France, it seems.
It's not every day your mayor walks past your house & introduces his donkey #onlyinFrance
— Sara Foster (@SaraSjfoster) April 14, 2016
Of course, many of the hashtags were on the topic of food, and featured everything from macarons for your pets...
Seen at the pet store: macarons for cats and dogs.#onlyinFrance pic.twitter.com/WlbhZMTB2E
— Mayken Brünings (@MaykenAlanna) December 3, 2016
... to French people's affinity for cheese, and bread, and pastry...
When a police car stops at street corner, blocking traffic in two narrow streets, and a police officer goes to buy croissants.#onlyinFrance
— Mayken Brünings (@MaykenAlanna) October 7, 2016
... especially cheese.
Two 4 yr olds beside me on the school bus discussing the camembert they had for lunch. #onlyinfrance
— Jess O'Gara (@jessieog) September 15, 2016
... and especially camembert it seems...
My bank account manager: "A life insurance is like a camembert."#onlyinFrance
— Mayken Brünings (@MaykenAlanna) March 16, 2016
Glass of mustard anyone? #OnlyInFrance #SoFrench #FrenchSupermarket #France #holiday #StillSummerHere #food #mustard pic.twitter.com/kl6KCqE4BW
— LoveLeighEvents (@LoveLeighEvents) September 19, 2015
Just saw a girl cycling down the road using no hands while eating a baguette and still managing to look incredibly chic #onlyinFrance #how
— Louise Irvine (@louiseirvine95) August 31, 2016
Which people get creative when it comes to transporting...
#onlyinfrance a baguette in the back pocket @letour @pelotonmagazine pic.twitter.com/kMkP5NeGIE
— Alex (@abduncan4) July 18, 2014
And if it's not in a back pocket, it's in a vending machine, apparently.
24/7 baguette vending machine #OnlyInFrance #Baguette #DuPain pic.twitter.com/tQ4UeycOX8
— Charlotte Simpson (@SimpsCharlotte) August 12, 2015
Cider in a tea cup #onlyinfrance pic.twitter.com/NOPfOFwRQf
— Anna Hollis (@Anna_Hollis3) March 26, 2015
Loving the lunchbox wine options from Carrefour pic.twitter.com/DXULYhFaDT
— Bryan Roberts (@BryanRoberts72) September 7, 2016
Special bags in which to cook your croque monsieur #onlyinfrance pic.twitter.com/HpBKnIi3Tk
— Rebecca Russell (@coteabode) November 4, 2016
The 2nd class train ticket costs double the price of a 1st class. #OnlyInFrance pic.twitter.com/Y3FObIARSJ
— فاطمة الشيخ. (@Fatima_June) September 13, 2016
Learned one of the possible French presidential candidates for next yr married his French high school teacher. #onlyinFrance
— AmelieSaysHola (@AmelieSaysHola) November 14, 2016
Our drive south to the #Languedoc was halted for an hour by a demo by the Union of (I'm not making this up!) Circus Artists! #onlyinFrance!!
— Patrick Moon (@PatrickMoonBks) May 26, 2016
#onlyinfrance pic.twitter.com/QbekFf6FMr
— Jamie McPhie (@jwmcphie) April 13, 2016
Just saw something for the first time at a race. Guy finished run, leaves the runners area and immediately smokes a cigarette. #onlyinfrance
— Gary Jenkins (@KiwiRacer) September 25, 2016
Very worrying, it seems...
On the train today: man dashes off, cigarette in mouth, lights it, takes a few drags, and leaps back on as the doors close #onlyinFrance
— Louise Irvine (@louiseirvine95) October 30, 2016
A real addiction...
We've just seen a women smoking two cigarettes at the same time..... #onlyinfrance
— Vanessa Fontaine (@scarletness) October 29, 2015
And yes, France hasn't quite embraced vegetarianism yet (but it's getting there).
asked if there were veggie options at this restaurant and got a 10 minute rant about how vegetarianism is wrong #onlyinfrance
— Juliana Horn (@thecrownjules) November 2, 2016
Maybe one day...
Vegetarian option on bistro menu: salmon en croute.#Onlyinfrance pic.twitter.com/DvAOGS7iW8
— Piu Eatwell (@PiuEatwell) September 14, 2013
But restaurants do know the value of conversation and food over surfing the web.
Eat more, talk more, surf less. #OnlyinFrance pic.twitter.com/svfjxdaof1
— Cate Devine (@CateDvineWriter) October 13, 2016
Meanwhile, fashion made an appearance...
Guy on treadmill definitely wearing a scarf. #onlyinfrance
— Julie Bloom (@Julesm_b) December 3, 2013
Or two..
You know you're in France when your dentist recognises your perfume & compliments you on your high heels! #OnlyInFrance
— Rebecca Russell (@coteabode) September 18, 2012
Elsewhere we found some foul play when it comes to using the tu form for "you" or the more polite vous.
Deschamps told Gignac to stop addressing him using 'tu'. Gignac said he'd do so when Deschamps stopped using 'tu' with him. #onlyinFrance
— Tom Williams (@tomwfootball) November 25, 2011
Cute dog at the cafe. #france #paris #letsgowrite pic.twitter.com/PbUI6U5AkU
— Charlotte R Dixon (@Wordstrumpet) September 25, 2016
... But hey, it's been happening for years...
Richard Avedon, Café des deux magots, #Paris, 1955. #photography #fashion #art #dog #dogs pic.twitter.com/KyLyC5UiT1
— Artnimals (@artnimals) September 21, 2016
The classic French game of pétanque and its sometimes quite serious players didn't escape attention of the Twittersphere...
Sitting in the park and just saw a guy whip out a telescopic rod with a magnet on the end to pick up his pétanque balls. #onlyinfrance
— Paul (@imnegan) November 1, 2016
Public displays of affection were another topic that people associated with the French.
#OnlyInFrance episode 2. Couple seated beside me making out the whole flight. Hay pic.twitter.com/lihg97kwk3
— Jairus Paul (@BlackDraco95) September 5, 2015
The things that can 'only happen in France' (according to Twitter) https://t.co/MuGfM1DMyr pic.twitter.com/7oZxbaRFsx
— The Local France (@TheLocalFrance) December 5, 2016
Liberte. Egalite. Beyonce. #onlyinFrance pic.twitter.com/YiuizFqUKJ
— Rica Go-Bouso (@crazychimita) August 20, 2014
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