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  Day 3131 (Saturday) 3 rd January 2026 This is La Reserve in Nice, there’s usually a restaurant on it so it’s strange to see it empty.  and this is Eze Village.   It was yet another sunny day and Huw had to work so when he came home we had a day at home, we’ll go out for lunch tomorrow.  I found these unspoken customs done in France, it’s a bit long so I’ll post it over two days. 20 French traditions and unspoken customs that French people want you to know before you go One of the best parts of exploring a new destination is getting in step with the local culture. Plus, while we may not do everything the way the locals do (like forgoing an afternoon cappuccino in Italy), having some cultural tips on hand will make immersing yourself in daily life a breeze. That’s especially true if you’re headed to France, where knowing some French customs can be the difference between committing an accidental faux pas, or casually blending in with the French people who live there. ...
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  Day 3130 (Friday) 2 nd January 2026 What a beautiful blue sky It was another lovely sunny day and we took the day off and had a lovely lazy day. What changes in France in January 2026 Sud Rail union members on strike. (Photo by Geoffroy Van der Hasselt / AFP) Not just a new month, but a whole new year - here's what's in store for everyone living in France from January. Public holiday January 1 st is a public holiday in France. As it falls on a Thursday, it offers the first opportunity of 2026 to ' faire le pont ', and take Friday off work to create a nice four-day weekend. Civics exams France’s new written civics test, which will be required of people applying for certain types of residency cards and citizenship, will come into effect from January 1 st .  Budget discussions Although the social security budget has been passed in parliament (bringing with it important changes to pensions, benefits, sick leave and parental leave, the second part of the budget is still b...