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A lingering reminder of WWI

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By Stuart Thornton

Thursday, May 1, 2014

The Battle of Verdun was the longest sustained conflict of World War I. The battle, which lasted 300 days and cost more than 300,000 French and German lives in 1916, was also one of the bloodiest of "The Great War."

The intense fighting and shelling near the tiny town of Verdun has permanently altered the region surrounding the Meuse River in northeastern France. The environmental destruction left by the battle led to the creation of the Zone Rouge -the Red Zone.

The Zone Rouge is a 42,000-acre territory that, nearly a century after the conflict, has no human residents and only allows limited access.

Before World War I, the landscape of Verdun was different.

"It was farmland," says British historian and author Christina Holstein. "There was a very big garrison in Verdun, a peacetime garrison with 66,000 men, so they had to be fed. Verdun was farmed. It was not heavily forested."

That changed with the onset of war in 1914. By 1916, French and German forces had amassed significant munitions in the area-millions of rounds of ammunition and heavy, cannon-size guns.

Holstein says the conflict at Verdun was the first of the great artillery battles of the war.

"During that time, the shelling never stopped," she says. "Millions and millions and millions of artillery shells were fired."

Even the trenches, where WWI soldiers famously took cover, were transform ed by the constant shelling from both sides.

"At the start of the battle, there were trenches, but as the months went by with shells falling all the time in many places, there weren't any trenches at all," Holstein says. "The ground was just completely churned up. Any trees were smashed, and men took shelter where they could, in shell holes and in holes in the ground."

Joseph Hupy, a geography professor at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire who specializes in military geography, agrees with Holstein. Before the war, he says, the area of the battlefield was an agricultural landscape dotted with small village s.

"Then the war came along," he says. "All of these villages were destroyed by these explosive munitions, and the area was abandoned."

When the war ended in 1918, the French government considered the time and cost of rehabilitating the land. Rather than attempting to remove all the shells and munitions in the area, the government ultimately decided on a minor forced relocation. The government moved people out of the area and created the Zone Rouge.

"Those villages were considered a casualty of the war," Hupy says.

Without a human presence, the Zone Rouge transformed fast.

"To their surprise, they found the vegetation-trees, grasses, bushes and briars-all came back very quickly," Holstein says.

Today, the Zone Rouge still bears the scars of battle. Unexploded shells litter the woods like oversized eggs, and the ground is cratered from the constant back-and forth-shelling of the Battle of Verdun.

Unexploded shells are still a danger to the few people who visit the Zone Rouge and those that live right outside the restricted area. Agriculture and "remembrance tourism" (focusing on Verdun and other battlefields) are major industries in the Meuse region.

"Every year, there are farmers that hit shells, and they get tied up in the tines and the tractors explode," Hupy says. "I heard several stories of where people were plowing and a shell went off. They weren't killed, but they had cowbells ringing in their heads from the shell going off."

The French government actually has a special munitions-clearing agency called the Department du Deminage. The department clears unexploded bombs and artillery shells from World War I and World War II that litter the Zone Rouge and other parts of the country that suffered during the conflicts.

"If you go into Verdun, there are signs on the side of the road, where it looks like a shell," Hupy says. "That is where if you are a farmer and you plow up one of these [shells] you take it away and you place it there. Then they come by and pick it up."

According to Hupy, certain unexploded shells are more dangerous than others.

"The people who die in the munitions removal, they don't really die from the explosive ones," he says. "They die from gas shells."

Holstein believes the Zone Rouge will never be fully cleared of its unexploded ordnance.

"They reckon that they have 300 years work ahead of them before they have cleared the whole battlefield," she says. "And they never will."
Different Trajectory of Development
Even though the area is closed to most human activities, it is a major destination for hunters who pursue wild boar and deer. In addition, since the land in the Zone Rouge has not been cleared, a thriving timber industry has sprung up in the region.

"Everyone needs their lumber products, and for the French, this is a great area to practice forestry," Hupy says.

Hupy thinks that although the battle transformed the region, the current landscape of the Zone Rouge is a result of human activity that developed after the conflict.

"I have done lots of work in the Zone Rouge," Hupy says. "I looked at how soils developed in that landscape afterwards. Basically what I wanted to see was 'Did this landscape recover?' The word 'recover' is not the right word. It got set off on a different trajectory of development."

Both Holstein and Hupy do not see major changes in the Zone Rouge's future. Holstein thinks there is a chance for the French to take greater advantage of the region's military history.

"I suspect that what might happen is that certain areas are cleared a bit more and perhaps you get a 'discovery trail' or something like that so that people can walk around some of the main sites and get some information," she says.

Holstein also thinks that the Zone Rouge's light human footprint over the last 100 years might actually be one of its greatest asset s.

"Because it has been abandoned and covered with trees, it is a microcosm of something that happened a hundred years ago," Holstein says. "It is a bit like Sleeping Beauty. Things have just gotten frozen in time."

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By Stuart Thornton Thursday, May 1, 2014 The Battle of Verdun was the longest sustained conflict of World War I. The battle, which lasted 300 days and cost more than 300,000 French and German lives in 1916, was also one of the bloodiest of "The Great War."

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Is there a butter crisis in France

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Can it really be true that the French are running out of butter? That the country with the second biggest dairy sector in Europe (after Germany) is incapable of providing households with such basic culinary fare?

The answer is yes... and no.

Yes - there are indeed butter shortages in French shops. Shelves are emptying. Supermarket own-brands have become scarce, and often it is only possible to find more expensive varieties for sale.

A sign in my local supermarket reads: "The butter market is facing an unprecedented shortfall in raw materials which is causing supply problems to this store."

There is no butter crisis. If you need butter, you will find it. But it is obvious to all that the system is not functioning as it should do. Something is going wrong.

The experts have ascribed several causes.

Spreading with pride

The world market for butter has gone into overdrive. The Chinese in particular have discovered a taste for Western-style pastries, which require butter as an essential ingredient.

At the same time, European and American consumers are moving back to butter. After years in which we were told animal fat was bad, today the advice is changing. Now, the demon is sugar. Butter has been rehabilitated, and we can spread with pride.

Just as demand for butter is rising on the world market, supply is falling. According to the EU's Milk Market Observatory, New Zealand, the world's largest dairy producer, exported 11% less butter between January and August than it did the year before.

And in the EU, there are specific problems. The end of milk quotas in 2015 led to an immediate rush to produce dairy. But that triggered a collapse in milk prices, which drove some producers back out of the market.

There has also been a question of poor weather - 2016 was not a good year in France for growing animal feed and that means lower milk yields in 2017.

With demand for butter rising and supply falling, the result is self-evident. Prices head north. Indeed over the last year and a half, the price went from €2,500 (£2,200) a tonne in April 2016, to €6,500 in September 2017.

But these factors are not purely French. Every country in the world has to cope with these market changes. Why is it only in France we see the spaces in the racks?

There is a simple answer to that - rigidities in France's system of pricing and distribution.

In other countries like Germany, supermarkets have responded to the changing world butter market by putting up their prices. In France, the cost to the shopper of a pack of butter has barely changed.

This is because butter prices are set annually in France, in negotiations between supermarkets and producers. The next round of talks is not due until February, so until then the supermarkets are only offering to pay what was agreed nine months ago - when butter was much cheaper.

French producers are not foolish. They can see that the world market is much more attractive than the domestic market. So they are saying "non" to the supermarkets, and selling their stock abroad.

So this is why the answer to the question - is there a shortage of butter in France? - is both yes and no.

No, there is no lack of butter. France still makes plenty of it. However the butter is now going to places other than where the householder expects to buy it. So yes, there is a lack of butter.
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Reality Check: Is there a butter crisis in France?

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Can it really be true that the French are running out of butter? That the country with the second biggest dairy sector in Europe (after Germany) is incapable of providing households with such basic culinary fare? The answer is yes... and no. Yes - there are indeed butter shortages in French shops.

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Catacombes de Paris - Musée Carnavalet - Histoire de la ville de Paris

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Catacombs
1, avenue du Colonel Henri Rol-Tanguy - 75014 Paris

From Tuesday till Sunday from 10 am till 8:30 pm
Last admission: 7:30 pm
Catacombs will be open 14 July, 1stnovember and 11th november.
Closed every Mondays and certain holidays: in May 1st and 15 Augus
PURCHASE THE TICKETS ONLINE
Conditions and accessibility
Visitor numbers are restricted to 200 at any time. Admission may be delayed for a short time during busy periods.

Distance covered: 1.5 km. Duration of the tour: 45 minutes.
There is no cloakroom facilities available. Animals are forbidden.
130 steps to go down and 83 steps back up to street level.
Temperature: 14°C.
The tour is unsuitable for people with heart or respiratory problems, those of a nervous disposition and young children.
The Catacombs are not accessible for persons with reduced mobility.
Children under the age of 14 must be accompanied by an adult.

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Homepage The Catacombs: Official website

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Catacombs 1, avenue du Colonel Henri Rol-Tanguy - 75014 Paris From Tuesday till Sunday from 10 am till 8:30 pmLast admission: 7:30 pmCatacombs will be open 14 July, 1stnovember and 11th november.Closed every Mondays and certain holidays: in May 1st and 15 Augus PURCHASE THE TICKETS ONLINE Conditions and accessibilityVisitor numbers are restricted to 200 at any time.

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Discussions about factual events happening in the airline and general aviation industries. If it's happening in commercial aviation, you'll get the information and opinions here first.

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Human Environment interaction: Encylopedia 

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Human Environment interaction: Encylopedia 

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Environment - France - problem, area, farming

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The Ministry for the Environment is the principal environmental agency. France's basic law for the protection of water resources dates from 1964. Water pollution is a serious problem in France due to the accumulation of industrial contaminants, agricultural nitrates, and waste from the nation's cities.

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The Hall of Mirrors, King's Grand Apartments, Museum of the History of France, explore the Château de Versailles, its gardens, the Grand Trianon and Marie-Antoinette's domain.

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Louvre Museum Official Website
Aller au contenu

Health pass

In accordance with government recommendations, all visitors to the Louvre aged 12 years and two months or older must show a Health Pass.

Close warning message

The museum is closed all day

Information regarding COVID-19

Time-slot bookings are compulsory, including for free-admission visitors. In accordance with government recommendations, all visitors to the Louvre aged 12 years and two months or older must show a Health Pass. All visitors aged 11 and over must wear face masks.

Find out more

Welcome to the Louvre

There are plenty of good reasons to visit the Louvre! So many works of art to discover in this fabulous museum that used to be a palace! So plan your visit in advance to make the most of it. Why not pick one of our visitor trails to follow a theme-based tour? And when you need a break, where better than the museum's restful gardens?

Delve into the Louvre

Things to see

On Instagram

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Louvre Museum Official Website Aller au contenu In accordance with government recommendations, all visitors to the Louvre aged 12 years and two months or older must show a Health Pass. Close warning message The museum is closed all day Information regarding COVID-19 Time-slot bookings are compulsory, including for free-admission visitors.

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A magical island topped by a gravity-defying medieval monastery, the Mont-Saint-Michel counts among France's most stunning sights. For centuries one of Europe's major pilgrimage destinations, this holy mount is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as is its breathtaking bay.

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The Mont-Saint-Michel - Abbey, mount, tides, hotels, bay - Near St Malo, Brittany - Normandy Tourism, France

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A magical island topped by a gravity-defying medieval monastery, the Mont-Saint-Michel counts among France's most stunning sights. For centuries one of Europe's major pilgrimage destinations, this holy mount is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as is its breathtaking bay.

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Location: Geography's influence on French Culture

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Location: Geography's influence on French Culture

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What made French the language of culture?

Why has this changed?

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It's been indisputable for some time that English is becoming the 'universal language'. As the number of living languages has steadily decreased, the use of English has expanded on every continent. And though English has not - despite predictions - crushed all other languages (German, Russian, and Spanish, to cite the prime examples, all remain strong), one language does seem to be undergoing the predicted cataclysmic collapse. English may not yet have won the globe, but French has definitely lost it.

The reasons for the decline of French are many, including geography. Francophone regions are spread out: think of France, Vietnam, Quebec, and Guadeloupe, to start. Many of these regions are without direct connections to other French-speaking countries. The result is that many of the people choose to abandon French for more useful languages within the region. In contrast, German, Russian and Spanish speakers are based in numerous adjacent countries, each supporting the others.

French has been most visibly hurt in the last few decades in Africa. In North Africa, French has had to compete with Arabic, a language which Arabs are now clinging to as proudly as the French have traditionally clung to French. South of the Sahara, countries which formerly had large French-speaking populations are making the switch to English due to its relevance in Southern Africa, as well as internationally.

In Algeria, after the Algerian War, French was mostly expunged. Its decline has continued, including the recent closure of French schools, as Arabic and English become the standard.

More dramatically, in Zaire, in 1997, fueled by anti-French sentiment, the French language was replaced with native languages. And in nearby Rwanda the president has pushed for the abandonment of French in favor of English. It is questionable whether any Africans will be speaking French in a few decades.

English, meanwhile, is becoming the most important Western language in Africa, replacing both French and Portuguese. An English derivative is the majority language of Sierra Leone, and remains an important language in South Africa, of course, as well as Nigeria, and various other smaller countries.

Former French-speaking colonies beyond Africa have been hostile to the French language. French has been collapsing even faster in Asia than it is in Africa, due to the isolation of French-speaking populations. In Vietnam, students have protested having to learn French, stressing the need to learn English instead. And in the Middle East, the Lebanese have been shucking off French in favor of English.

French has also seen a drastic decline in North America. In the U.S., between 1990 and 1995, college applicants for French class declined by twenty-four percent. In Canada, the number of French students enrolling in English classes is rising rapidly, while the overall percentage of French speakers across Canada is falling.

Across Europe, French has gradually declined from being the lingua franca to falling behind German and English. English is spoken by 41% of Europeans, while only 19% speak French. English is now the language of business in Europe, a fact which even French ambassador for international investment Clara Gaymard was forced to admit. And French has fallen so far behind in Eastern Europe, in particular, that it is the third-most studied language, behind English and Spanish.

While once the language of culture, French has been pushed off the global stage. Perhaps the most symbolic example of this was in 2008 when Sebastian Tiller, the French representative at the Eurovision contest, planned to sing 'Divine' almost exclusively in English. That the French singer did not choose to represent the jealously guarded language of his country internationally came as a shock to many. This cultural decline was mirrored when New York's Metropolitan Opera decided to reject the libretto of the musical star Rufus Wainwright (who was raised in Canada), because he chose not to translate his opera into English.

The calamitous decline in French seems irreversible, even to the French. In 2008, the budget of La Francophonie, the governing body of the French language, was six million euros; in contrast, the British Council announced it would spend 150 million euros in efforts to advance English.

In any Darwinian model, a characteristic can become prominent, or it can be driven out of existence. Use of the French language has been globally dispersed, and French culture is without historical significance in many of its colonies. These are not the characteristics that increase a language's chances of survival.
Photo by funtik.cat (Dasha Bondareva).
Gary Girod graduated Cum Laude from Chapman University in Spring, 2011 with a dual major in European History and French. His work includes creating historical collections for Chapman's Leatherby Libraries. He is also analyzing unpublished primary materials which will be turned into a narrative-driven history of one business magnate's life during the Industrial Revolution, for Paragon Publishing.

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The Decline and Fall of the French Language?

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It's been indisputable for some time that English is becoming the 'universal language'. As the number of living languages has steadily decreased, the use of English has expanded on every continent. And though English has not - despite predictions - crushed all other languages (German, Russian, and Spanish, to cite the prime examples, all remain strong), one language does seem to be undergoing the predicted cataclysmic collapse.

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How has modern day French fashion influenced global fashion?

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Booking.com

French fashion sets the trend worldwide. Paris remains the capital of fashion. Innovative fashion brands perpetuate the famous parisian style that turns all women into models. The best fashion brands and stores in the city. Shopping in Paris.

Paris fashion style

Fashion is all about women. Paris women love fashion but are not a slave to short-lived fads. It is all about a timeless, well-cut, classic look. They are obsessed over cut. No dowdy jackets, too tight pants, or ill-fitting dresses allowed. They dress for their body type and ensure clothes hug in all the right areas. They have mastered slim-fitting clothing that creates and accentuates curves and tailor the slightest details for perfect measure.

They love to be feminine without being overly sexy or entertaining excessive extras. They focus on the finer details and as a result the whole appears seamless and effortlessly sophisticated. They own less but better quality clothing. Their attention is not based on price but on value. They don't dress down, own hoodies, or go to the bakery in yoga pants. They dress for themselves, aim to feel good and do a great job looking fresh and flawless. All in all, women spend a lot of time and money for looking good.

French fashion brands

French fashion is setting the trend with icon brands such as Chanel, Dior, Hermes, Louis Vuitton and Saint Laurent. All these French fashion brands are based in Paris. Many lesser known French fashion brands such as Cyrillus, Armor Lux, Tara Jarmon, Comptoir des Cotonniers, Sézane, turn Paris into one of the most creative fashion cities in the world. All these fashion brands have their main store in Paris. During your Paris trip, find the best French fashion.

Discover the very best French fashion brands.

French handbag fashion in Paris

One of the French attributes of elegance is the handbag women carry in all circumstances. As many women buy at least a handbag each year, a number of typically French handbag brands are competing fiercely to provide the best quality and stay at the top of what is fashionable in Paris.

Louis Vuitton and Longchamp are the most famous French handbag brands in Paris. Gerard Darel, Nat Et Ninn, Vanessa Bruno, La Petite Mendigote, Jerome Dreyfuss are among the best brands.

The top French handbags brands.

French hat fashion in Paris

Until the Second World War, no self-respecting man or woman in Paris left the house without a hat. Hats were an essential attribute of elegance imposing one person's style and a key fashion item. Famous milliners could turn into full-blown fashion designers such as Chanel and Lanvin. In the 1960s, hats completely fell out of fashion as part of the radical clothing revolution across the western world.

Fortunately, hats are coming back to the City of Light.

Chloe Thieblin, who founded Mademoiselle Chapeaux in 2011, is part of this revival. She began her own production in downtown a few years ago and is now doing brisk business. She first rented hats for great occasion such a weddings and parties. Now, she is selling hats that are deliciously French. The hats of Mademoiselle Chapeaux are cute and affordable French fashion to bring back home.

Paris metro: Bastille, Saint Paul, line 1. Paris map.

French bow tie fashion in Paris

Most interesting fashion items are designed for women. There is one man fashion item that is really back in Paris: the Noeud Papillon as it is deliciously named in French. A French bow tie is something cute and affordable you can buy for yourself or offer a friend. Colonel Moutarde is fully dedicated to bow ties and sells online. Really worth the visit..

Paris metro: Chatelet, line 1 and 4. Paris map.

French fashion in Department Stores

Founded in late 19th century, the Department Stores have always sold the best of what Paris is famous for: high end French fashion brands, lingerie, jewellery, French perfume brands and tableware. Their key advantages are central location, large choice of top brands for quick shopping, tax refund, personal shopper, delivery to hotels and abroad.In a few hours, choose from many fashion brands in a confortable environment. We prefer Le Bon Marche on the left bank and Galeries Lafayette on the right bank.

Paris Shopping Malls include many mid-range French fashion stores. See our Paris Shopping Mall selection.

Paris fashion week and museums

Paris fashion week is the main fashion event in Paris. It is restricted to professionals. Check Paris fashion week facebook, information web site and Mode a Paris web site.

Les Arts Decoratifs boasts the world's largest fashion and textile exhibition space and presents an average of two exhibitions a year. The greatest names in fashion are represented, including Paul Poiret, Popy Moreni, Madeleine Vionnet, Christian Lacroix, Christian Dior and Yves Saint Laurent. Detailed information on Arts Decoratifs.

The Palais Galliera, near Palais de Chaillot, is Paris Fashion Museum. It stages exhibitions of French fashion.

The Fondation Saint-Laurent presents an ever-changing display of Yves Saint Laurent's work. Approximately fifty models are exhibited. Web site.

Louis Vuitton has a 700 m² museum near Paris. On the premises dating back to 1860, you can discover exceptional collectibles related with the brand. Web site.

9 French fashion industry facts

1. France is the third biggest player in the European textile industry, behind Italy and Germany. 2. With domestic textiles and clothing consumption worth 26 billion euros, France ranks fourth in Europe. 3. Five nations have established international reputations in fashion design. These countries are France, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Italy, and Japan. 4. Denim jeans originated in the city of Nimes, in France. Denim jeans were then imported to California by Levi Strauss to supply gold miners with hard-wearing pants. 5. The two-piece swimsuit, called the bikini, was invented by French designers Jacques Heim and Louis Reard in 1946. 6. The first fashion magazine, called Le Mercure Galant, was published in 1678, in France. 7. Louis Vuitton allegedly burns its old bags to keep the brand's complete exclusivity. 8. French designer Coco Chanel is credited with popularizing the little black dress. 9. The list of top fashion designers from France includes Chanel, Pierre Cardin, Celine, Chloe, Dior, Givenchy, Jean Paul Gaultier, Hermes, Lanvin, Rochas, Louis Vuitton, Saint Laurent.

Map of French Fashion Stores in Paris

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French fashion facts. Paris fashion. Paris fashion stores.

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Booking.com French fashion sets the trend worldwide. Paris remains the capital of fashion. Innovative fashion brands perpetuate the famous parisian style that turns all women into models. The best fashion brands and stores in the city. Shopping in Paris. Fashion is all about women. Paris women love fashion but are not a slave to short-lived fads.

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How does French cuisine influence global cuisine

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European white truffles can sell for as much as $3,600 a pound, making them and their fellow fungi the most expensive food in the world. One two-pound truffle recently sold for more than $300,000. All of which has brought organized crime into the truffle trade, creating a black market and leading to theft of both truffles as well as the highly valued truffle-sniffing dogs. Add to that the influx of the inferior Chinese truffles -- masquerading as their European cousins -- and you've got trouble with truffles. Lesley Stahl reports.
The following is a script of "The Most Expensive Food in the World" which aired on Jan. 8, 2012. Lesley Stahl is the correspondent. Ira Rosen, producer.
Just a couple of shavings of black truffles from France - known as black diamonds - can cost hundreds of dollars in a restaurant in Paris. White truffles from Italy can cost more than three times as much.

Truffles are a fancy, delicious delicacy - some say an aphrodisiac - and, ounce for ounce, the most expensive food in the world. If you go to France and Italy, as we did, you learn quickly that truffles are under siege because they're becoming scarce. They're being trafficked like drugs, stolen by thugs and threatened by inferior imports from China.

Lesley Stahl: He found one already? Where, where, where? He found one? Oh my god. Oh, smell that.

In the beautiful Italian province of Perugia, truffle hunters roam the frosty hills with their trained dogs, who sniff out these lumpy mushrooms when they're ripe, one at a time, as they have for centuries.

Stahl: Wow!

Truffles grow wild, underground, usually at the base of an oak tree. They used to use pigs, but they ate the truffles.

Olga Urbani: Very rich American people they only see truffles on the table of a very elegant restaurant. They don't see this. Now you know why they are expensive, right?

Olga Urbani may be the only person in the world who goes truffle hunting in a full-length fur coat and a Caribbean tan, but in the truffle business, she can pretty much do what she wants. Her company, Urbani, controls 70 percent of the world's truffle trade.

Urbani: When you find the truffles, it's like to have a miracle.

Stahl: Another one!

Other countries, including the U.S. have tried cultivating truffles, with only limited success. It's the combination of European red soil and rainy summers that produce an especially rich, earthy flavor. The price these truffles command makes hunters act like they're mining for gold.

Stahl: So this is $1,000? Just right there is $1,000...

And it's why the hunters value their dogs more than just about anything!

Urbani (with farmers): He said, "I really love my wife, but the dog..."

These truffles will go right to the Urbani factory, where they're washed, sorted and either frozen or canned - or flown fresh to fancy restaurants like New York's DB Bistro Moderne, home of the $150 hamburger smothered with truffles. A few shavings on pasta can run you even more. In 2010 at an auction in Macau, this two-pound white truffle sold for $330,000, a record amount.

Stahl: It's not like agriculture. People don't put a seed in the ground. And they're a fungus.

Urbani: Yes, they're underground fungus, yes.

Stahl: So the farmer really can't make it happen.

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Truffles: The Most Expensive Food in the World

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European white truffles can sell for as much as $3,600 a pound, making them and their fellow fungi the most expensive food in the world. One two-pound truffle recently sold for more than $300,000. All of which has brought organized crime into the truffle trade, creating a black market and leading to theft of both truffles as well as the highly valued truffle-sniffing dogs.

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Whether in France, Europe or in general, consists of beliefs and values learned through the socialization process as well as material artifacts. Culture guides the social interactions between members of society and influences the personal beliefs and values that shape a person's perception of their environment: "Culture is the learned set of beliefs, values, norms and material goods shared by group members.