IF you are looking to take a flight to France on Bank Holiday Monday (August 25) then be aware that strike action is planned by baggage handlers and check-in staff. Members of the Unite union at Stansted and Gatwick have already voted to stage a 24-hour walk out, with workers at Manchester, Birmingham and Newcastle expected to join their colleagues. While a second day of protest is set to take place on August 29, after the Swissport employees described as 'paltry' a three per cent pay offer from bosses. The strike action at Stansted will have an impact on operators such as easyJet, Ryanair, First Choice, and Thompson, while the stoppage at Gatwick will hit airlines such as Monarch and Virgin Atlantic. Swissport has said it will work to try and minimise disruption, but if you are travelling on these dates I would keep an eye on your airline's website.

THE French hotel and tourism industry is taking a battering as rising prices, shoddy service and dodgy catering practices have been highlighted in a number of reports. The Guardian writes that the national statistics office, INSEE, has published figures on the price of hotel rooms, which have risen at more than twice the rate of inflation since 2001. Next up is a study by a tourism and hotel consultancy, Coach Omnium, who say that despite price rises for hotel rooms, service levels have not followed. Finally following inspections by the Ministry of Agriculture, more than 2,600 cafes, restaurants and seaside bars were found to be in breach of hygiene laws.

THERE is much talk at the moment of people taking the train to France due to the increased cost of flights but also to help reduce a traveller's carbon footprint. For many years the Motorail service was a popular method of getting to France, but as low-cost airlines took to the skies the service began to struggle. And it seems the rail service is still playing catch-up if a piece in the Daily Telegraph is anything to go by.Robert Chesshyre writes about his experience of travelling to the South of France with his wife, and how he remembered the Motorail service of yesteryear, but he wasn't expecting it to still be living in those times though. The double-glazing had totally “blown”, and not just in ours but in virtually every compartment the length of the train — and along the corridors. Fifteen hours on the train lay ahead and all those expectations of watching France slip past and that first impression of Provence and the sparkling sea vanished. I travelled on trains behind the then Iron Curtain in better conditions than we were being offered: at least one could see out of a Soviet carriage. He concludes that it is sad that a once popular service is in such a state of disrepair and whilst the Daily Telegraph asked French Railways, SNCF, for their thoughts on the piece, the statement doesn't fill you with much hope. Have you travelled on the French Motorail service this summer, what were your experiences? Please feel free to leave a comment below.

HAVE a break for five minutes and see how good your knowledge of French life really is. Quiz master Andrew Whittaker has compiled another selection of questions featuring recent news headlines, but also a challenge or two of you knowledge of French cinema and tradition. The list of questions are below, alongside a .pdf that you can print off and take away with you, and feel free to hand them out at a get-together or similar event. Plus there are many more questions to tackle in the French quiz archive.Speak the Culture: France Quiz Questions for September Q. Why did the small northern French town of Hautmont make the news in August? A. Q. Who was the most famous inhabitant of the Saint Paul de Mausole asylum in Saint-Rémy, Provence? A. Q. Jeannie Longo, aged 49, took part in her seventh Olympic games this month, finishing fourth in one event. What sport does she compete in? A. Q. Gerard Depardieu and Emmanuelle Beart starred in which 1986 remake of a Marcel Pagnol film? A. Q. Why is Coteaux du Tricastin, a vineyard in the south west of France, thinking about changing its name? A. Q. Why was veteran Charlie Hebdo columnist Maurice Sinet sacked recently? A. Q. What do villagers in Espelette, close to the Spanish border in the Pays Basque, hang out to dry on the front of their houses in autumn? A. Q. Which novelist and short story writer wrote Bel-Ami in 1885? A. Q. What French luxury good, dating to 1893 and now the oldest known example, was recently found in a sideboard in a Scottish castle? A. Q. When vandals attacked a cathedral in Metz recently, they shattered a stained glass window by which artist? A. Some of the questions are drawn from Andrew's book Speak the Culture: France. Download Speak the Culture: France Quiz Questions and Answers for August (.pdf) or read in-page below. This French Life Quiz Questions and Answers, September 2008

ONE of the most famous names in French cooking, Julia Child, also acted as an agent for the US government during World War II. Known for her book Mastering the Art of French Cooking, CIA records released by the National Archives show Julia Child looked to join a spy network managed by the Office of Strategic Services. In her application Julia Child said that one of her weaknesses was that she was 'impulsive', because she left a shop job, but went on to work during the war in Sri Lanka and China, before heading to France (via Chrissy). Article: Newly released files detail early US spy network

ONE journalist who is able to offer an interesting insight into the diplomatic efforts to broker a peace in Georgia is Charles Bremner. Being the Pairs correspondent for The Times newspaper he was on the jet that took President Sarkozy to Moscow, to cover the talks with both President Medvedev and, more importantly, Vladimir Putin, the Prime Minister. And this was a return of sorts for Charles Bremner, as he lived in Moscow during the days of the old USSR, and listening to the talk in Russia over the past couple of days has taken him back to those times.

FOR too long, Bergerac has bumped along in the wake of its more illustrious neighbour, Bordeaux, writes Phil Hargreaves. Now, massive investment and a new generation of often innovative winemakers have put Bergerac back on the map. The wines cover a whole range of tastes, from dry whites, reds from Montravel and Pécharmant and sweet whites from Saussignac and Monbazillac. However, don’t underestimate the simple Bergerac appellation which affords some excellent value, from straightforward fruity wines to more expensive oak-aged cuvées. The grapes used are much the same as in Bordeaux: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and particularly Merlot for the reds and Sauvignon Blanc, a little Sauvignon Gris and Muscadelle and most importantly Sémillon for the whites. If dry whites are your thing, Bergerac Sec is often fresh and fruity with a balance between the zingy acidity of the Sauvignon and the roundness of the Sémillon. Montravel whites and more expensive Bergerac cuvées are often rather more complex with a pleasant minerality. Personal taste and accompanying food will often be the key factor in making a choice here. For a long time, Pécharmant has always been quoted as being the best of the reds produced in Bergerac. Although some excellent reds are indeed produced in this tiny appellation on the north and eastern approaches to the town of Bergerac, there is stern competition from the most recent AOC Montravel Rouge which lies to the far west of the region, close to Castillon, and indeed from the top producers of Côtes de Bergerac. There are still gutsy Bergeracs to be had at about €5 a bottle but a serious bottle that has seen some oak ageing and a lot of tlc will cost you a bit more. Sweet Monbazillac used to be the shining star of the Dordogne and after a period of decline in the sixties and seventies, top quality dessert wines are again being produced to rival some of the best Sauternes. Again, they do vary in richness depending on the aims of the winemaker, the amount of botrytised fruit and of the course the quality of the harvest. A relative new kid on the block, Saussignac has some of the most stringent AOC regulations and since 2005 the wines have to be fully liquoreux. This area is a real hotbed of organic growing with more and more producers incorporating biodynamic procedures too. Indeed, the Bergerac region as a whole boasts an increasing number of organic growers. In my guide, 18 per cent of the producers are organic compared to a national average of about one per cent and this rises to an astounding 40 per cent in Saussignac. I must just mention Rosette. This is nothing to do with rosé and is a tiny appellation north-west of Bergerac with just a handful of producers. It is usually referred to as the driest of the sweet wines, you will not find it in the UK but the best can be quite interesting and just a bit different. Worth seeking out. A knowledge of recent vintages is also useful when buying wine and without doubt 2005 was quite outstanding across the board. Although 2003 was very hot, there were some excellent wines made though some are now showing signs of age. Another very good year was 2000 though there won’t be many about now and 2001 was exceptional for sweet whites. The last two years have been quite difficult though the best producers still manage to produce good wines, albeit for earlier drinking. My guide features some 92 producers over half of which do not export to the UK, so there are some real gems out there just waiting to be discovered and many of them under €5 a bottle. The Dordogne is a beautiful place in which to live or holiday, the people are charming and the winemakers passionate about producing the best wine from their terroir. Bergerac is again a force to be reckoned with. The Wines of Bergerac by Phil Hargreaves published by Highgate Publications, is priced £12.95/€19.50 euros (inc. p&p). Copies can be purchased by contacting Phil on 01964 532746 or email at hengate@aol.com. The official launch of Phil's book in France takes place at the Maison des Vins in Bergerac on Wednesday, September 3, which is open to the public from 10am until noon.

IF you are a regular user of Facebook then drop in on the page created by Samantha Decker, the web wizard behind The French Corner. Sam has also created an application that displays a random French phrase each day, which you can also add to your Facebook account. And you can do similar with the Facebook application I put together for This French Life and don't forget to add where you live online to link up with others.

THE reputation of boozy Brits in France has slipped another few notches downwards with figures from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) showing an increase in the number getting into trouble. There were 153 Britons arrested in France from April 2006 to March 2007, up 40 per cent on the 12 months before, the report showed. Those requiring hospitalisation numbered 246, while representatives of the FCO dealt with 385 deaths and there were six reported rapes. However, to put the figures into context it is estimated that 14.8 million people visited France in this period, only second to Spain, which saw more than 2,000 arrests, up 32 per cent.The FCO said that many of the arrests were due to excessive drinking and advised people to know their limits, and also to be aware that travel insurance is likely to be annulled if they have an accident whilst under the influence of alcohol. Foreign Office Minister Meg Munn said: "Helping British nationals in distress overseas is one of our most important tasks but many of the problems faced by holidaymakers are preventable. "By carrying out some simple research on the laws, customs and health requirements of a country in advance, many people could prevent their holidays being ruined." In a separate survey by the FCO, two thirds of British holiday makers have admitted that they will be spending less on their foreign holiday preparations this year due to the credit crunch. This has prompted concerns that people will opt out of getting comprehensive travel insurance, adding potential financial ruin to the trauma of experiencing a serious problem abroad.

A HANDY website has been started by Wendy Johnson for people with children, or those expecting family visits with the kids, who live around Montpellier. Her site Kids and Montpellier offers useful tips and advice as well as a wide range of links to websites that will help those with children, but also those without. And Wendy is also getting out and about the city writing about the facilities, such as the Olympic sized swimming pool and book shops for children worth visiting.