Day 3311 (Thursday) 2nd July 2026

Both of these photos were taken in the 1950s – it hasn’t changed at all.

We had a bit of a storm yesterday afternoon, not much, just a few rolls of thunder and one or two flashes of lightning. Badger watched it all sitting on one of our outside chairs not unsettled in the slightest, the only thing that scares him is the hoover, which sends him back to bed.

The little storm did wonders for the blue sky, which was much clearer today and we went to Saint-Jean Cap-Ferrat for lunch.

We shared a quiche Lorraine which was enormous and delicious.

There’s not much going on in Saint-Jean but it’s a lovely little town and very quiet and calm. 

Here are some more weird French laws…

6. Go ahead and steal from your family

Here's some unexpected legal ground: you won’t be punished for your theft, because they cannot file a complaint against you.

Sounds ridiculous, right? I have no idea what’s behind this one, but it’s true. According to Article 311-12 of the French Penal Code, you can’t press charges against family members for theft.

But of course, there are exceptions, for example, if those documents are essential, like a passport or identity papers. Your brother steals those? Head straight for the police station.

7. You cannot disinherit your kids

If you’ve had a fight and haven’t spoken to your child for years, no matter, the law is clear: your son or daughter still inherits (the amounts are fixed by law).

A number of articles in the Civil Code deal with this and French inheritance law is complex. Bottom line – everyone gets an equal share.

There is a major exception: if your child commits murder or manslaughter, or criminally contributes to someone’s death, he or she can be categorised as “indigne”, or unworthy, and excluded from your will. The remaining assets are then redistributed equally.

Family ties are strong here.

8. Want to throw your clothes off when you get home? Don’t!

Careful. You could be fined up to 15,000€ and spend up to a year in jail − at least that’s the case if there’s a chance someone might see you. And double it if a minor might see you.

Article 222-32 of the Penal Code deals with exhibitionism and sexual harassment, and prohibits you from being naked inside your own home if there’s a chance someone might see you.

There are plenty of shades of gray surrounding this law and heaps of exceptions, nonetheless, you can be stepping naked out of your shower and if someone sees you, they could press charges. 

Talk about time to buy those blackout curtains.

9. You cannot name your pig Napoleon

This funny law is a classic, and is often the first quoted of the strange French laws still in existence. It would have been designed to respect the Emperor’s image, way back when.

Except for one thing.

No one can find any legal source for it. It may have existed. It may not have.

So if you really really want to name your cochon Napoléon, you might just get away with it.

10. The frogs in your pond must be quiet

This is an intriguing one, as I have a pond full of loud frogs for several weeks in summer.

According to what has got to be one of the weirdest French laws, if the frogs make too much noise, the neighbours can complain. If they win, they can have your pond sealed or destroyed.

But this creates a bit of a legal conundrum. What happens to the frogs?

You see, in France, frogs are a protected species

According to Article L415-3 of the Environmental Code, anyone who damages these protected species or their environment can be fined up to € 150,000 (USD 162,000) and punished with three years in jail.

11. You can’t have alcohol at work (except for wine, beer, cider and pear brandy)

If you’ve ever been to a French work cafeteria, you might remember your surprise at seeing small bottles of wine and beer right next to Coke and bottled water. While this is a disappearing habit, it’s perfectly legal. 

But to be on the safe side, Article R4228-20 of the Labour Code does have a provision banning even these drinks when employee health is threatened or if the company’s internal rules forbid alcohol. The law doesn’t say you have to sell these drinks at work – it just says you can.

French laws that may make (some) sense, sometimes

Not every weird French law is impossibly hopeless, and you can see the thinking behind some of them even today. Whether you agree or not, though, that’s a different story.

Here, then, are some laws whose rationale you might glimpse (if you look hard enough.)

12. Your parents can say No to your marriage

Yes, even with adult children. You can thank Napoleon, yet again.

According to Article 173 of the Civil Code, parents can oppose marriage of their children. Grandparents can do the same, so make sure you get that prior permission.

Of course this can’t be simply because they don’t like your future husband… there has to be a good reason, and these include the discovery of bigamy, the absence of consent, or forced marriage. 

13. You cannot name your baby Mini-Cooper, Sponge Bob or Ikea

According to Article 57 of the Civil Code, if the name you’ve chosen might go against the child’s rights or wellbeing, the Registry Official can let the Justice Ministry know, who can then refer the case to Family Court.

If the name is judged against the child’s interest, the judge can ask the parents to come up with something more sensible, or change it himself.

So don’t try to be too original… or your excess of originality may be punished with the most banal of names.

14. You cannot spit on the sidewalk

This is a bit of an oldie and was adopted by the Vichy government in 1942, at a time of widespread tuberculosis. The law appears to still be on the books, although it is virtually unenforceable.

If anything, has been strengthened. In 2016, the prohibition was extended from the sidewalk and “public space” to public transportation. And with the arrival of the Covid pandemic, fines were tripled for public health reasons.

No spitting on the bus, please!

15. Nor can you urinate on the street…

Although someone forgot to tell French men.

I’ll post the rest of these strange laws tomorrow.

This cat looks like he’s smelling the flowers, Badger just eats ours.