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This year marks the 80th anniversary of the Liberation of Paris.

I did not learn until recently that the liberation actually began with a general strike, starting off with RATP workers staging a walk-out, which feels fitting even eight decades later.

In honour of the anniversary, the city is putting on several events, including a military parade and inaugurating a special new exhibit at the Musée de la Liberation.

What to expect for the 80th Anniversary of the Liberation of Paris

I also learned that Paris residents and resistance members set up barricades in the streets, much like their ancestors during the ‘February revolution’ of 1848 and the Paris Commune of 1871. 

Apparently there were at least 600 barricades, which were made of everything from paving stones, rails, bathtubs, mattresses, and trees – all meant to block the Germans’ movement.

7 wild stories from the Liberation of Paris

On another note, the new school year is upon us (la rentrée), and families may be heading home from their summer holidays, attempting to get their children back to a normal sleep schedule, or translating the ‘back-to-school’ shopping list.

Emilie King, the mother of two Franco-British children, wrote a column about her efforts to raise bilingual children in France. She described some of the challenges she has with encouraging her kids to speak English at home, especially with her youngest who refuses “point blank to speak any English at all”.

OPINION: Make no mistake, raising bilingual kids in France is an intensive daily workout

As for James Harrington, the parent of three children in France, the French school system has also led to their youngest son becoming trilingual.

James’ son attends a small school in southern France, where he quickly picked up a third language: Occitan.

France’s regional languages: How Occitan made our French household trilingual

French pupils will get a new curriculum this year, and it will include empathy classes, as well as lessons on how to respect animals and pets.

Selfishly, I hope one of those courses involves ‘how to pick up after your dog’, or perhaps ‘how to keep your dog on a leash’. Once, I was on a run at a Paris park and found myself being chased by a pack of small dogs (mostly unleashed Pomeranians, I can imagine how silly this appeared to any onlookers). 

I really should not complain too much though – I have found the French to be mostly loving and kind to their animals. Dogs and cats seem to live good lives here in France.

Explained: How dog-friendly is France

I have not noticed too many guide dogs in France, however. This seems to be more common in the US and the UK, so if you do have a guide dog I would recommend carrying around their documentation (just in case). 

And as the Paralympics draws near, concerns around the city’s accessibility for those with both visible and invisible disabilities have been at the forefront.

ANALYSIS: How accessible is Paris for people with disabilities?