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  Day 3254 (Wednesday) 6 th May 2026 These are the pointus of Nice Old Port. (A pointu is a pointy ended boat.) and this is the lift and the stairs up to Castle Hill in Nice.  We were very happy to see that the sun is back out and the chilly wind has dropped so we took the scooter into Nice to enjoy our weekly kebab in the park. It was great to take off our jackets and soak up the sunshine. While we were there we heard the monthly siren, we are used to it but some tourists were quite shocked by the awful noise.   When we got home I found this article about the siren… Warning siren on the 1 st Wednesday of the month: do you know what this signal is for? © Grégory Cassiau sur Flickr Every first Wednesday of the month, at midday, an alarm sounds in France's major cities. Where does this particular warning siren come from, and what does it mean? (in Nice the siren sounds at 12.15 because of the midday cannon.) Residents of major cities are used to it: every first Wedne...
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  Day 3253 (Tuesday) 5 th May 2026 This is Gourdon Village: A Hidden Gem in the French Riviera and this is Beaulieu.   Rosé, spritz and pressé: 5 things to drink in France this summer Summer is coming and with it a spritz. Photo by Rodin Eckenroth / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP Summer in France means lots of things - trips to the beach, empty cities, works on the Paris Metro - but it also ushers in rosé and spritz season. Here's some of the best options to drink in France this summer. Rosé Wine is a pretty popular product all year round, but as soon as the sunny days arrive, the shelves of your local  cave  or supermarket will be filled with rosé. Rosé wines sometimes get a bad reputation abroad, but there are plenty of excellent  vins rosé  in France, especially the ones from the rosé heartland of Provence, the majority of which are dry, not sweet. It's often served as a pre-dinner drink (an  apéro ) but it also pairs well with f...
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  Day 3252 (Monday) 4 th May 2026 This is Saint Tropez and this is Monaco. As always on a Monday, here is What’s happening in France this week. The Local France. Flags fly under the Arc de Triomphe at sunset following the ceremony for the 80 th anniversary of VE Day, on May 8, 2025. (Photo by LEO VIGNAL / AFP) Staff at medical laboratories are set to strike, France marks VE Day - and Paris Saint-Germain are in action in the Champions League semi-final Monday  Back to school —  The final phase of French schools’ staggered Spring holidays ends as children attending establishments in Zone C, including Paris and Toulouse, head back to classes after their fortnight’s break. Likewise the adults will be back at work after (for most) a three-day weekend. People trafficking case —  19 alleged members of a network facilitating migrants’ Channel crossings will be formally charged in Lille. Strike —  An open-ended strike by non-medical staff in medical laboratories has b...
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