Thom Gibbs is spending Euro 2016 driving around France, filming a daily video for the Telegraph Sport website. You can watch the not-at-all egotistically-titled Thom Voyage every morning on our site until the end of the tournament. Here are his impressions so far, as the European Championships enters its second week: The fans Last Friday's opening night in Paris brought a large and hearteningly diverse section of the French population to the festival-like fan zone in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower. Encouraging players in the French style is easy enough, "Allez!" the ubiquitous shout. A pair of well-oiled locals in Saint Étienne insisted I help them finish their tin of Heineken before going through the stadium bag search, because "we've already had four litres". Something so wonderful about measuring your binge drinking in the metric system. Polish support impressed in Nice for their match against Northern Ireland, with swathes of fans of all ages going heavy on face … [Read more...] about Thom Voyage: What I have learned travelling around France for the first week of Euro 2016
France
France 2 Wales 0: Olivier Giroud on target as visitors are well beaten
Wales came close only 18 months ago to making this exact fixture the final of Euro 2016 but, even allowing for Gareth Bale’s ongoing absence, this match only underlined how both teams have been travelling in opposite directions ever since. While France have strengthened and can now boast arguably the most extensive attacking options of any international team, Wales have steadily regressed in their failure to qualify for next summer’s World Cup and were actually flattered here by the 2-0 scoreline. Yes, they retain a certain defensive resilience and can take some encouragement from the emergence of several teenage talents, notably Chelsea’s Ethan Ampadu, but their overall strength has been diluted since the heroics in France last year. The final tally of 19 shots to six was actually a more accurate reflection of France’s superiority, with Antoine Griezmann and Arsenal’s Olivier Giroud scoring in either half to seal a routine win. Griezmann was … [Read more...] about France 2 Wales 0: Olivier Giroud on target as visitors are well beaten
‘If you kicked us out, this town would die overnight’: British expats in picturesque France shrug off Brexit fears
Cheers erupt as the Tour de France, that most Gallic of sporting events, kicks off a stage from Eymet, the most British of French towns. UK and French nationals applaud as the cyclists pedal off into the sunflower-strewn hills of "Dordogneshire", as the French département, or county, is often dubbed due to its population of up to 10,000 British expatriates. Among the thousands of visitors is a delegation from Yorkshire. Britain's Chris Froome dashes past in the leader's yellow jersey. It is, frankly, an idyllic tableau of rural French life and Franco-British entente. Eymet is a tiny medieval town in southwestern France they call "Little England", due to is burgeoning population of British expats.... To continue reading this article Start your free trial of Premium Access all Premium articles Subscriber-only events Cancel any time Free for 30 days then only £2 per week Try Premium Access one Premium article per week Register for free … [Read more...] about ‘If you kicked us out, this town would die overnight’: British expats in picturesque France shrug off Brexit fears
Bored with France, Spain and Italy? Look beyond the EU (but still on your doorstep) for a holiday home
When it comes to splashing out on an overseas holiday home, Britons tend to migrate to the Med. The top three destinations last year were France, Italy and Spain, according to Rightmove. But the uncertainty borne from Brexit negotiations could encourage the adventurous buyer to go off-piste and look beyond the European Union. Countries that are on the UK’s doorstep but are not members of the EU include Norway, Iceland, Switzerland, Gibraltar, Russia, Turkey, Macedonia and Ukraine. Some of these property markets are practically impenetrable due to non-residency rules, punitive tax regimes or politically instability. But some are accessible, and have plenty going for them. Switzerland It’s... To continue reading this article Start your free trial of Premium Access all Premium articles Subscriber-only events Cancel any time Free for 30 days then only £2 per week Try Premium Access one Premium article per … [Read more...] about Bored with France, Spain and Italy? Look beyond the EU (but still on your doorstep) for a holiday home
How France cut its per capita gun ownership in half
David A. Andelman, visiting scholar at the Center on National Security at Fordham Law School and director of its Red Lines Project, is a contributor to CNN and columnist for USA Today. Author of "A Shattered Peace: Versailles 1919 and the Price We Pay Today," he formerly served as a foreign correspondent for The New York Times and CBS News in Asia and Europe. Follow him on Twitter @DavidAndelman. The views expressed in this commentary are his. (CNN)On November 13, 2015, terrorists burst into the Bataclan concert hall and several restaurants across Paris, killing at least 130 and wounding hundreds more. Concertgoers and diners were raked by high-powered AK-47s, a cheaper, more primitive cousin of America's popular weapon of choice, the AR-15. Most of these weapons came from Germany and neighboring Belgium -- the bulk of them purchased via internet and mail orders originating in Eastern Europe and the Balkans. None of them was purchased in France, where authorities have implemented … [Read more...] about How France cut its per capita gun ownership in half