Latest news with #TheConnexion
Time Out
2 days ago
- Time Out
What's the deal with bringing luggage onto the Paris metro?
Paris 's metro is not only iconic, but it's hands-down the city's most relied-upon form of transport, with around 1.5 billion journeys made on it every year, according to RATP (the state-owned operator which oversees public transport in Greater Paris and Île-de-France). However, there's been a bit of confusion lately about the rules surrounding bringing luggage onto the network, after social media users became aware of a not-so-new but pretty noteworthy rule around size restrictions for suitcases. View this post on Instagram A post shared by 2 Croissants 1 Baguette (@2croissants1baguette) ICYMI: These are the new rules on smoking in France that you need to know about. Technically, suitcases, rucksacks and packages where the largest diameter exceeds 75 cm (or 29.5 inches) are not allowed to be brought onto the metro, and an announcement reiterating this restriction was made on May 5, according to The Connexion. However, because of the discrepancy between RATP's sizing restrictions and those of the various airlines that operate to and from the French capital's airports (which allow bigger bag dimensions), there's been a fair bit of backlash. A user on X (fka Twitter) posted: 'Is this a joke? You can travel the world with your suitcase, but if you arrive [at the airport] on the RATP metro, you risk a fine of €200'. Now, The Connexion reports that RATP has announced that it imposes 'no precise dimensions on suitcases'. Problem solved. But, was it ever such a big deal? Well, according to users on Reddit, no, not really. Last month Travellerette asked if this restriction was really something to worry about. Apparently, 'I went to ask the staff at the metro and she smiled and rolled her eyes and said I should forget about it. It seems to be a mess.' Another user commented: 'There is always a very small risk that a zealous controller who's in a bad mood gives you a fine but it would probably be reimbursed if you started posting about it on social media.' So, it looks like you'll probably be fine bringing your large suitcase onto the metro in Paris – just keep an eye out for any jobsworth train inspectors.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Yahoo
She Built a Peaceful Life in an Idyllic Village, Only to Be Stabbed to Death — as Police Suspect Someone with a 'Grudge'
Karen Carter was found with eight stab wounds outside her vacation rental home in France Investigators say the mother of four was having an affair with the retired businessman who found her body Her husband, in South Africa, learned about her killing through Facebook A British entrepreneur living in a French village where she owned two holiday rental homes was found brutally stabbed last week. Karen Carter, 65, was discovered slain in Dordogne, in southwestern France, on April 29, the BBC reported, citing the state prosecutor. A friend found her with eight stab wounds, including wounds to her groin and chest, next to her porch of her house in the village of Trémolat, according to a preliminary autopsy report and a statement from prosecutor Sylvie Martins-Guedes cited by The Connexion and The Times, respectively. Martins-Guedes said the investigation is focusing on "people likely to have had a grudge" against Karen or the man with whom she was having an affair, who ultimately found her body, per The Times. During the investigation, police detained a 69-year-old neighbor but the woman was released, The Times, The Connexion and The Telegraph reported. The man who found Karen's body was identified in The Times and The Connexion reports as a 74-year-old businessman. He was briefly detained but released without charges. Information about the victim's reported affair shocked her husband, who lives in South Africa, according to The Times. He said he learned about Karen's murder from a relative who saw the news on Facebook. "No one had got in touch with me at all to let me know what had happened," he said, per the BBC. Karen Carter/Facebook Karen Carter Karen Carter Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Since her arrival in the village of Trémolat more than a decade ago, Karen had become a beloved member of the community. "She was the embodiment of kindness," said a friend who played with Karen on a soccer team for women over the age of 50. "She's the one who would bring home the lost dog, or cat, or whatever. She's that sort of person," her husband said in the aftermath of her death, per the BBC. "Everyone liked her. That's why I married her." No suspects have been arrested. Read the original article on People
Scottish Sun
04-05-2025
- Scottish Sun
French seaside town once the ‘Pearl of the Atlantic' that now looks more like Brazil
Plus, other pretty French towns to visit BON VOYAGE French seaside town once the 'Pearl of the Atlantic' that now looks more like Brazil Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) ONCE known as the 'Pearl of the Atlantic', a town in France has been compared to Brazil since being rebuilt. Unfortunately, during World War Two, Royan was almost completely destroyed. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 7 During World War Two, much of Royan was destroyed including villas from the 1930s - like the above Credit: Alamy 7 After the war ended, architects redeveloped the town with a Brazilian-style Credit: Alamy 7 The villas that were then built in the 1950s appeared less Gothic and predominantly feature white concrete Credit: Alamy However, this gave architects the chance to completely redesigned the town as only a few villas survived. Today, the town is full of white concrete low-rise buildings. Only a select few of the original villas remained, some of which are on the seafront. Charlotte de Charette, a history expert from the area, told The Connexion: "It was a deliberate choice to be low rise, to fit into the surrounding countryside. "The main architects and urban developers were influenced by Brazilian architecture, which is why white concrete curves predominate, instead of the grey used in places like Le Havre." The more modern look meant that the former style of the town has disappeared but in its place, Brazilian-inspired concrete roofs appeared. Many of the villas built by architects after the war are now worth a fortune. One villa, located about five minutes from the beach but without sea views, recently went on the market for €1.1million (£942,199). It features four bedrooms, a large garden with a pool and a bright, sunny living room. In comparison, one of the remaining villas from the 1930, located only 600 metres from the beach, with two bedrooms, is worth €440,000 (£376,879). I'm a travel editor and this caravan park is the only family holiday I pay for every summer - it's better than 5-star resorts But the emergence of the new villas in the 1950s were not greeted with open arms by local residents. Charlotte explained that for a long time the villas did not have the same value in the eyes of the locals as the 1930s villas. However, that has now changed and some of the 1950s are sold within days of being put on the market. Rules in the area have been introduced to protect the villas, meaning that it is forbidden to put external insulation on walls and solar panels are only allowed if they cannot be seen from the road. The rules also protect original doors and fittings, may of which are unique having been made by artisans using wood, glass and metal. 7 This postcard from the 1950s shows the Brazilian-style villas with terracotta roofs, that emerged following the war Credit: Getty 7 The town now has a mix of 1930s and 1950s villas Credit: Alamy "It is an effort but almost everyone agrees that it is worth trying to keep the vision alive of the people who rebuilt the town," Charlotte added. Royan's history dates back to the 19th century, when it developed as a holiday resort. Rich families from Bordeaux would take boast down the estuary, and visitors from Cognac and Libourne would flock to the region. A railway then arrived in 1875, allowing more visitors to travel to the town and build holiday villas. This result in holiday villas with grand towers - all in Gothic style. 7 Many of the 1950s villas are now protected and fetch a lot of money when on the open market Credit: Alamy One holiday village - Le Parc - stretched from the beach to the hill behind it and was full of ornate buildings. Names like the Prince of Wales and Picasso stayed in the town and helped it to gain the nickname 'The Pearl of the Atlantic'. When the German navy put huge guns and bunkers along the estuary mouth and buried mines across the town during World War Two, Royan completely changed. As a result, Royan eventually ended up flattened by bombing raids and was one of the last towns to be liberated. It wasn't until the 1950s when the town redeveloped.
The Sun
04-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
French seaside town once the ‘Pearl of the Atlantic' that now looks more like Brazil
ONCE known as the 'Pearl of the Atlantic', a town in France has been compared to Brazil since being rebuilt. Unfortunately, during World War Two, Royan was almost completely destroyed. 7 7 7 However, this gave architects the chance to completely redesigned the town as only a few villas survived. Today, the town is full of white concrete low-rise buildings. Only a select few of the original villas remained, some of which are on the seafront. Charlotte de Charette, a history expert from the area, told The Connexion: "It was a deliberate choice to be low rise, to fit into the surrounding countryside. "The main architects and urban developers were influenced by Brazilian architecture, which is why white concrete curves predominate, instead of the grey used in places like Le Havre." The more modern look meant that the former style of the town has disappeared but in its place, Brazilian-inspired concrete roofs appeared. Many of the villas built by architects after the war are now worth a fortune. One villa, located about five minutes from the beach but without sea views, recently went on the market for €1.1million (£942,199). It features four bedrooms, a large garden with a pool and a bright, sunny living room. In comparison, one of the remaining villas from the 1930, located only 600 metres from the beach, with two bedrooms, is worth €440,000 (£376,879). I'm a travel editor and this caravan park is the only family holiday I pay for every summer - it's better than 5-star resorts But the emergence of the new villas in the 1950s were not greeted with open arms by local residents. Charlotte explained that for a long time the villas did not have the same value in the eyes of the locals as the 1930s villas. However, that has now changed and some of the 1950s are sold within days of being put on the market. Rules in the area have been introduced to protect the villas, meaning that it is forbidden to put external insulation on walls and solar panels are only allowed if they cannot be seen from the road. The rules also protect original doors and fittings, may of which are unique having been made by artisans using wood, glass and metal. 7 "It is an effort but almost everyone agrees that it is worth trying to keep the vision alive of the people who rebuilt the town," Charlotte added. Royan's history dates back to the 19th century, when it developed as a holiday resort. Rich families from Bordeaux would take boast down the estuary, and visitors from Cognac and Libourne would flock to the region. A railway then arrived in 1875, allowing more visitors to travel to the town and build holiday villas. This result in holiday villas with grand towers - all in Gothic style. 7 One holiday village - Le Parc - stretched from the beach to the hill behind it and was full of ornate buildings. Names like the Prince of Wales and Picasso stayed in the town and helped it to gain the nickname 'The Pearl of the Atlantic'. When the German navy put huge guns and bunkers along the estuary mouth and buried mines across the town during World War Two, Royan completely changed. As a result, Royan eventually ended up flattened by bombing raids and was one of the last towns to be liberated. It wasn't until the 1950s when the town redeveloped.
Yahoo
09-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Officials stunned as trail cameras catch sight of rare species for first time in nearly a century: '[They] just about fell off their chairs'
Conservationists are cheering remarkable news out of France, as an otter was spotted in Normandy for the first time in nearly 100 years. The animal was spotted on a wildlife camera near the Andelle and Lieure rivers, according to a report in The Connexion. Cameras had been put in the location by conservation groups to examine the wetland area, and when researchers reviewing the footage spotted the otter, they "just about fell off their chairs," they told the publication. The previous confirmed otter sighting in the region occurred in 1932. Should the government be paying people to hunt invasive species? Definitely Depends on the animal No way Just let people do it for free Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Otters were once prevalent in France but had disappeared from much of the country by the 1980s, according to Wildlife in France. That population decrease was largely due to hunting, trapping, and habitat loss from the building of roads and the drying up of waterways. At their lowest, The Connexion wrote, there were fewer than 1,000 wild otters in France. But a concerted effort to preserve and protect them has paid off. "The reappearance of the otter is a direct result of our conservation policies," local official Myriam Dutell told the publication. "The area has, since 2009, benefited from a policy of particularly intensive ecological management." Officials aren't sure if this newly spotted otter came from another area or may be part of a previously unspotted population in Normandy. But no matter how it got there, it's an encouraging sign for the region. Reintroducing a species into a native area promotes a healthier, more diverse ecosystem. In Alabama, for example, Eastern indigo snakes were reintroduced into a forest where they once thrived but hadn't been seen in roughly 70 years. A reintroduced herd of bison is expected to help air pollution in Romania, and in the Galapagos Islands, reintroduced tortoises should improve biodiversity. This also isn't the first unexpected otter sighting in recent memory. Last year, two sea otters were spotted off the Oregon coast — the first such sighting since the early 1900s. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
