A Glance around France: Tremors in Brittany and anger in Dordogne

Evie Burrows-Taylor
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@eviebt
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A Glance around France: Tremors in Brittany and anger in Dordogne
Photo: Depositphotos
Evie Burrows-Taylor
[email protected]
@eviebt

Here's a round up of some of the main news stories from around France on Friday.

Drome

People in the south east of France were in for a shock if they spotted the rather unusual signs that have been put up in a park known for being popular with prostitutes and their clients. 

Signs have been erected in order to catch the attention of the clients of the prostitutes who work in Le Parc de l'Epervière to the south of the city of Valence in the south eastern Drome department and remind them that what they are doing is considered a crime. 

The four signs, which have been put up at the entrances to the park, remind potential clients that “buying a sexual act is prohibited by law and liable to a fine of €1,500”.

“We will not eradicate the problem overnight, I am aware,” said Mayor of Valence, Nicolas Daragon. “I hope that the deterrent we are putting in place will be particularly effective.”
 
 

Dordogne 

Preservation advocates around France were shocked and dismayed to hear about the destruction of the remains of a Roman pool in the Dordogne region this week. 
 
The damage was caused by roadworks in the town of Castelnaud-la-Chapelle in the south west of France after a months-long campaign to stop the development taking place. 
 
TV presenter Stéphane Bern called it an “unacceptable massacre” and, backed by local associations, as well as residents, has called on the government to “stop the roadworks immediately”. 
 
The aim of the diversion is to improve traffic conditions around the village of Beynac, a Perigord jewel close to the now damaged archaeological remains.
 
 
 
Vaucluse

The south of France is set to be the setting for a big environmental first for the country. 

Construction has begun on France's first floating solar panel station in the south eastern department of Vaucluse. 

With a capacity of 17 megawatts, the station's 47,000 panels will cover an area of 17 hectares on the surface of the lake which are expected to generate enough power for more than 4,700 homes, Akuo Energy, the company behind the station, said in a statement.
 
 
 
Brittany
 
Residents of a Breton department got a bit of a shock on Thursday night when an earthquake measuring 3.3 on the Richter scale shook parts of the Morbihan department. 
 
 

Northern France
 
A northern French butchers association is going to some rather unusual lengths to protect itself against… vegans. 
 
The president of the association announced on Friday that he would engage a “private security company” to protect northern butchers from the potential threat from vegan activists on Saturday.
 
“This situation is abnormal but necessary,” said Laurent Rigaud. “Four vegan associations have announced action against our businesses” on Saturday, and “it is not possible for us not to react”. 
 
 

 
Nouvelle-Aquitaine
 
It seems more and more foreign tourists have got the bug for south west France. 
 
France's largest administrative region is seeing an increasing number of international holidaymakers and fewer French, a new reports shows. 
 
“We realize that Nouvelle-Aquitaine is starting to become a destination,” said Régine Marchand, president of the region's tourism committee.
 
 

 

Normandy

History enthusiasts have got another exciting date to add to their diaries. 

A replica of the historic frigate Hermione, which became famous when she ferried General Lafayette to the United States in 1780 for support to the Americans in the American Revolutionary War, will set sail for the fourth time in April 2019, stopping at several Normandy ports on her way. 

CLICK HERE for more on this story

 

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