Those bivalves were now swimming in a heavenly sea of cream, bacon and calvados.

NPR: Mussels Made Easy

When I got to my hotel, I must have looked distraught because the duty clerk offered me a snifter of Calvados and a fluffy towel.

BBC: Travelling solo in the world��s most romantic country

But back among his suckler cows in Calvados, Mr Langin must be wondering how long even the French, let alone the European, taxpayer will go on giving in.

ECONOMIST: Many French farmers still struggle to survive