In mid-18th century France, eating potatoes was considered cruel and unusual punishment: potatoes were thought of as feed for livestock, and they were believed to cause leprosy in humans. The fear was so widespread that the French passed a law banning them in 1748.
France
In 1907, Parisian waiters went on…
In 1907, Parisian waiters went on strike for the right to grow a moustache.
If you lose your driving license…
If you lose your driving license in France because of alcohol, you can then drive a “No License Required Car”, small and underpowered.
In 1648 an angry mob of Parisians…
In 1648 an angry mob of Parisians once broke into the royal palace, demanding to see the king. They were led into the bedchamber of Louis XIV, who was pretending to be asleep. Satisfied, the mob quietly departed.
St. Pierre and Miquelon is a territorial collectivity…
St. Pierre and Miquelon is a territorial collectivity of France only 16 miles from Canada where the locals speak French, use the Euro and have French citizenship.
In 2015, French radio revolted …
In 2015, French radio revolted against the law which compelled them to air 40% French language music. Due to lack of popular new French music, Just 10 songs accounted for 74% of all French music aired on NRJ radio.
Le Palais Ideal, a castle of stones…
Le Palais Ideal, a castle of stones, was built single handedly over 33 years by postman Ferdinand Cheval. He had no architectural training, but after tripping over an interestingly shaped rock on his mail route he was reminded of a dream he once had of such a palace and made it his life’s work.
In order to legally busk…
In order to legally busk in the Paris Metro, musicians have to successfully audition before a jury and qualify for one of the 250 to 300 licenses handed out.
As a sign of appreciation, 49 box…
As a sign of appreciation, 49 box cars were sent from France to the US in 1949. Each car of the “Merci Train” contained personal items. This was a “thank you” gesture from French people to Americans, for donating supplies and food after WW2. Each state got one car. Some states even kept them in a local museum.
In France, you can sign…
In France, you can sign up for a service where the postman pop in and check on your elderly parents to make sure they’re all right.