Letter from Paris: March 19, 2025 News Digest

Did you hear about the World War II bomb that paralyzed train traffic through Gare du Nord recently? The discovery of the 500kg unexploded bomb near the train tracks in Saint Denis completely shut down the Eurostar and domestic trains. Gare du Nord is one of the busiest stations in Europe — so you can imagine the chaos. An expert police force worked for 12 hours to defuse the “very dangerous” bomb. The bomb had been dug up by workers constructing a bridge replacement project.

The magnolia and cherry blossoms are blooming all over Paris, and it’s a sight to behold. Some of our favorite spots for admiring the flowers are the Jardin des Plantes, the Palais Royal, Bagatelle, the Jardins du Trocadéro, and the square René-Viviani across from Notre Dame (also the location of Paris’ oldest tree). For more inspiration, check out the article “Top Paris Gardens to See Right Now” by garden expert Amy Kupec Larue.

After five years of restoration work, the Eglise Saint-Gervais-Saint-Protais (4th arrondissement) recently unveiled its bell tower and buffed-up façade. The church’s origins date back to the 4th century. A place of worship had been built next to a Gallo-Romain cemetery – there’s written evidence of a church’s existence in a 6th-century document (the will of a fellow named Ermintrude). The current church dates to 1494- its original construction lasted 150 years.

French rugby fans were thrilled about France’s Saturday win over Scotland, securing the Six Nations title. In the words of The Guardian: “Les Bleus can play rugby any which way. They ran through the full gamut in the third quarter, blasting and slashing Scotland with equal facility to take the game away from the visitors and the championship from everyone else. They are worth it and then some.”

Oh, and during the half-time show, French singer Louane unveiled the song she will perform at the Eurovision Song Contest, titled “maman.” Check out the video below.

In other sports news, star football player Kylian Mbappé has returned to the France squad for the first time in six months.

In political news, President Macron is on the world stage as he gathers European leaders and supports Ukraine in a 30-day ceasefire proposal. As reported by The New York Times’ Catherine Porter, “the French president’s prescriptions for “strategic autonomy” and a European force for Ukraine are suddenly timely in a world with a less dependable America.” Speaking of which, a French politician went viral for a speech saying U.S. politicians can’t stand up to Trump. Another joked that the U.S. should return the Statue of Liberty.

Meanwhile the French Finance Minister Eric Lombard criticized a potential trade war between the US and the EU as “idiotic,” after Trump threatened 200 percent tariffs on European wine and alcoholic drinks. Lombard promised to travel to the US to address the situation. The Champagne industry is reeling about the threat. France 24 points out that “the average price for a bottle of the most affordable champagne would jump to €150…enough to make even well-off customers think twice.”