Day 3329 (Monday) 20th July 2026
This is Saint-Jean Cap-Ferrat
and this is Haut de Cagnes.
It was very hot again today but we went into Nice anyway and the wind cooled us down on the scooter. Our park was open again and we ate our kebab on a shady park bench. A big group of tourists arrived and they all walked into misters and there was a dog who just didn’t want to leave.
As usual on a Monday here’s What’s happening in France this week. The Local France.
Tax notices will start being sent out to households in France, a decision is due on Normandy’s D-Day beaches Unesco bid, there’s another busy summer holiday weekend on the roads – and the Tour de France reaches its final stage
France is into peak 'holiday' mode now, so expect the country to be a little quieter than usual. Nonetheless, there are a few things happening this week;
Thursday
Music — There’s plenty for jazz fans to enjoy in Nice between July 23rd and 26th. The programme is set to feature Sting, Busta Rhymes and Noga Erez.
Friday
Tax notices – Taxpayers in France who have overpaid income tax should start to receive refunds between July 24th and 31st, while those who filed their declarations online should begin receiving income tax notices. In most cases the money is taken from/put in directly to your bank account - if you filed online you can login to your account at impots.gouv.fr to find out how much your bill/refund is going to be.
Paper declarations may be processed slightly later.
Travel difficulties – Another busy weekend on France’s roads is forecast, with nationwide ‘red’ warnings in place – indicating ‘very difficult’ conditions on main routes in parts of France on Friday, July 24th, and the entire country on Saturday, July 25th.
Saturday
D-Day – A decision is expected on whether to award Unesco-protected status for the D-Day landing beaches in Normandy.
Sunday
Champs-Elysées – The men’s Tour de France will reach its part-celebratory champagne climax on Paris’s famous Champs-Elysées. The final stage will also go through Montmartre again this year, to give spectators more of a chance to view the peloton whizz by.
As it’s so hot, here are some French words used to describe the weather and things connected to it.
French expressions about summer
Here is a list of typical summer words and expressions with their English translation and a brief explanation so that you can use them fluently in conversation,
List of summer expressions and vocabulary
C'est l'été!— It's summer!
Il fait beau— It's nice weather
Il fait chaud / Il fait très chaud— It's warm / It's very warm
Il fait une chaleur de plomb / à crever— It's hot as hell / it's a killer
La canicule— The heat wave
Un soleil de plomb— A scorching sun
Attraper un coup de soleil— To burn in the sun
Mettre de la crème solaire— Put on sunscreen
Prendre un bain de soleil— To sunbathe
Aller à la plage— To go to the beach
Aller se baigner— To go swimming
Se rafraîchir— To cool off
Chercher / Rester à l'ombre— To seek / To stay in the shade
Une boisson fraîche— A cold drink
Un apéro en plein air— An aperitif in the open air
Faire un pique-nique— Have a picnic
Les terrasses sont bondées— The terraces are full
Partir en vacances / Les vacances d'été— Going on vacation / Summer vacations
Juillettistes / Aoûtiens— July vacationers / August vacationers
La route des vacances— The vacation road
Les bouchons— Traffic jams
Faire du camping— Camping
Un maillot de bain— A bathing suit
Un parasol / Un transat— An umbrella / A sun lounger
Les marchés d'été— Summer markets
La Fête de la Musique— Music Festival
Les feux d'artifice du 14 juillet— The fireworks of July 14th
Se prélasser / Buller— To relax / To do nothing
Rester au frais— To stay cool
Prendre l'air / Se mettre au vert— To take the air / To go to the countryside
Une brise marine— A sea breeze
Mer d'huile— Sea is dead calm
Les soirées d'été— Summer evenings
Une nuit blanche— A sleepless night
Les soldes d'été— The summer sales
La crème après-soleil— After-sun / post-sun cream
La rentrée— The return (to school/work)
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