France, Europe's most fertile country

The Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques (Insee) have confirmed that 785,000 babies were born in 2016 – a fall of 14,000 on the previous year, with the birth rate dropping to an average of 1.93 per woman, compared to 1.96 in 2015 and 2.00 in 2014.

Despite the falling birth rate, France and Ireland remain Europe’s most fertile nations.

The decrease in the birth rate has been linked to a fall in the number of women of child-bearing age in the country since the 1990s.

Despite the fall in the number of births, the population of France grew by 0.4% in the last year. Life expectancy has risen and women can expect to live 85.4 years, and men 79.3.

The population is France is aging, with those aged 65 and over now accounting for 19.2% of the population compared to 16% a decade ago.

The BEST mussels come from Brittany

It takes a year to cultivate a mussel. They are born in the Spring and caught on fine horizontal ropes.

In June, these fine ropes are transferred to frames until the end of August when they are finally wound in spirals around wooden posts on the shore. Storm netting is put around the spirals to protect the mussels from predators.

The quality of the mussels is dependant on the seawater and mussel producers in the bay of Mont-Saint Michel believe this area produces the very best mussels because the water isn’t polluted, the high tides keep the area clean and the water cool.

So there you have it, for the best ‘Moules et frites’ come to Brittany!..

Talk to a real French person!

Now, you can talk to a real French person in your own lounge!

The French Number (www.thefrenchnumber.fr) aims to promote France by connecting people from all over the world to real French people.

How better to improve your french or to learn more about France than to talking to a real French person.

About 2,500 French people, who are passionate about France  have signed up to take calls, with 80%  aged between 25 and 40.


Calls are put through a telephone platform to random people until someone answers.
The service was launched in July 2016 and so far there have been 5,000 calls from 80 countries.
France’s tourism development agency soon expects the service to be taking 50,000 calls per month.

Bombs under the veg patch!

What a shocker this must have been!..

Digging a hole in your garden and finding 120 bombshells.!

Bomb disposal experts were called to a property in Beuvry, Pas de Calais, after shells dating back to World War One were found during construction work.

The century-old shells have been recovered and will be disposed of safely on military grounds.

So you just never know what is under your patio!. I wonder, after all this time is there a risk that these bombs could have exploded?