Heatwave lingo, music and the sales: 6 essential articles for life in France

From handy expressions to complain about the heat to summer sales, nationwide music festivals, and why we're upsetting tourists, here are six must-read articles if you live in France
The mercury is starting to dip again after last week’s record-breaking heatwave - which reached its peak on Friday and Saturday. But it’s only June, and it’s almost certain we’ll have another hot spell before the end of the summer. So here, we give you
Seven French expressions to help you complain about the heat
The 2024 Olympics hit the headlines again, recently - it seems most people enjoy the actual sporting jamboree at the time, but not the years of organisation that it and everything around it entails.
Lately, the ambitious plans for the opening ceremony along the banks of the Seine river have been up for debate amid growing security warnings.
Top French official dismisses fears for Paris Olympics ceremony
Speaking of which… You may have noticed that tourists are coming back to France in force, now that most Covid-19 travel restrictions have been eased. But, not all of them are happy - and it’s all because of preparations for 2024. We explain more.
VIDEO: Why selfie-loving tourists are disappointed by Paris
Normally, we try to keep politics out of our weekly “6 essentials” rundown, even during election campaigns. But it is occasionally impossible. Here, for example, we unpick left-wing newspaper Liberation’s take on the political leanings of the humble jambon beurre - yeah, it came to that in this campaign.
French sandwich politics: What your snack choice says about you
Of course, sometimes a sandwich is … just a sandwich.
Now, to more important matters. After the elections, it’s sales time in France. You may think you know everything there is to know about sales. But this is France. They do things differently, here. So, here’s our little explainer.
Everything you need to know about France’s 2022 summer sales
Something else to look forward to now that the temperature has dropped. The summer solstice is also the one day of the year where your neighbours cannot get cross at you for blasting the music, and where everyone across France gets their groove on. Here’s almost everything you need to know about the country’s big music party…
Comments
See Also
The mercury is starting to dip again after last week’s record-breaking heatwave - which reached its peak on Friday and Saturday. But it’s only June, and it’s almost certain we’ll have another hot spell before the end of the summer. So here, we give you
Seven French expressions to help you complain about the heat
The 2024 Olympics hit the headlines again, recently - it seems most people enjoy the actual sporting jamboree at the time, but not the years of organisation that it and everything around it entails.
Lately, the ambitious plans for the opening ceremony along the banks of the Seine river have been up for debate amid growing security warnings.
Top French official dismisses fears for Paris Olympics ceremony
Speaking of which… You may have noticed that tourists are coming back to France in force, now that most Covid-19 travel restrictions have been eased. But, not all of them are happy - and it’s all because of preparations for 2024. We explain more.
VIDEO: Why selfie-loving tourists are disappointed by Paris
Normally, we try to keep politics out of our weekly “6 essentials” rundown, even during election campaigns. But it is occasionally impossible. Here, for example, we unpick left-wing newspaper Liberation’s take on the political leanings of the humble jambon beurre - yeah, it came to that in this campaign.
French sandwich politics: What your snack choice says about you
Of course, sometimes a sandwich is … just a sandwich.
Now, to more important matters. After the elections, it’s sales time in France. You may think you know everything there is to know about sales. But this is France. They do things differently, here. So, here’s our little explainer.
Everything you need to know about France’s 2022 summer sales
Something else to look forward to now that the temperature has dropped. The summer solstice is also the one day of the year where your neighbours cannot get cross at you for blasting the music, and where everyone across France gets their groove on. Here’s almost everything you need to know about the country’s big music party…
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.