France

Pheasant Island: The island that changes countries every six months

Thursday, 23 August 2018 Sights & smells By Dom Stapleton

When you first look at it, Pheasant Island doesn’t seem like anything special at all – it’s a tiny island in the middle of the Bidasoa, a river that runs between France and Spain; it’s only 660 feet long and 130 feet wide; and it’s gradually eroding away.

Everything you wanted to know about aubergines

Thursday, 27 July 2017 Science & nature By Dom Stapleton

It’s a little ironic for me to be writing about aubergines considering I probably haven’t ever eaten one myself. I’m an incredibly fussy eater and I’m sure I would’ve dismissed the idea of eating a purple vegetable off-hand. But nevertheless, the aubergine is a fascinating thing for many different reasons. Let me tell you why.

Hand gestures from around the world

Monday, 13 March 2017 Cultures & traditions By Russell Wallace

It turns out that hand gestures aren’t quite as universal as you may initially think. Let’s take a look at just how these gestures can have different meanings around the globe.

Slang and sayings from around the world

Monday, 22 August 2016 Cultures & traditions By Russell Wallace

Isn’t slang a wonderful thing? You can ask someone if their “bags o’ mystery” are “bang up to the elephant”, and that’s a lot more fun that asking if their sausages are perfect.

Flower fields from around the world

Monday, 20 June 2016 Sights & smells By Lizzie Brooks

I really love flowers, and this blog post is just an excuse for me to look at pictures of them.

British words which originated elsewhere

British words that originated elsewhere

Saturday, 27 February 2016 Cultures & traditions By Russell Wallace

The history of the English language is understandably a tad murky. With waves of immigration dating back to prehistory, it’s not surprising our wonderful language has taken a lot of influence from around the world. Here are some words that you probably use every day, without even thinking about how far they’ve travelled.

Pont Neuf: The oldest ‘New Bridge’ across the River Seine

Wednesday, 20 January 2016 Sights & smells By Dom Stapleton

The Pont Neuf is the oldest bridge that crosses the River Seine, in France. Fair enough, you might think. But if you understand your Français, that sentence will probably be a little confusing at first, as Pont Neuf is actually French for “New Bridge”. What’s that all about?