logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2023
24m 46s

CLASSIC: Baguettes and Vacation: France ...

iHeartPodcasts
About this episode

You've probably heard that France takes its bread seriously -- but did you know France had specific laws governing the lives of bakers? For centuries the country regulated how and when bakers could close or take vacation. Although this may sound amusing now, in the past it was a deadly serious issue. So what happened? In today's classic episode, let's revisit the events that lead to the French government being so frightfully concerned about bakers taking time off.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Up next
Yesterday
Did Lead Lead to the Fall of the Roman Empire?
Don't do lead, kids! Nowadays everyone knows the dangers this substance poses to humans -- especially children in their formative years -- but back in the day, lead was everywhere. Ancient Rome was riddled with the stuff, using lead in everything from pipes, to smelting, to cutle ... Show More
49m 52s
Mar 28
CLASSIC: California Schoolchildren and the Great Squirrel War
In this week's Classic episode: In 1918, as the planet was consumed by World War I, the government of California found itself combating an unexpected and catastrophic enemy: Ground squirrels. The rodents were wreaking havoc across the countryside, consuming crops left and right. ... Show More
28m 18s
Mar 26
Don’t Be a Schmo Yo, Try a Yoyo!
Most people think of yo-yos as a fun, old-school toy for kids: a pretty simple, clever device leveraging physics with a string and a weight. Yet as Ben, Noel and Max discover in today's episode, the story of the humble dates back into antiquity -- and the story of its evolution i ... Show More
42m 22s
Recommended Episodes
Aug 2015
The Franco-Mexican Pastry War
<p>When a French pastry chef complained to King Louis-Phillippe that his shop in Mexico was destroyed in a riot, it catalyzed a conflict between the two nations. But the military action of the Pastry War was really about a trade agreements and unpaid debts.</p><p> </p> Learn more ... Show More
25m 18s
Jul 2019
SYMHC Classics: Charles IX of France
Today we revisit a 2015 episode about French royalty. Much like many of the other mad royals that have been discussed on the podcast through the years, Charles IX of France was prone to fits of rage so intense that people at court feared for their lives. Learn more about your ad- ... Show More
29m 40s
Jan 2024
France On Fire: The Revolution
The French Revolution was a watershed event in world history that began in 1789 and ended in the late 1790s with the ascent of Napoleon Bonaparte. During this period, French citizens radically altered their political landscape, uprooting centuries-old institutions such as the mon ... Show More
1h 38m
Apr 2020
World-Renowned French Bread Maker on the Art of Baking
People across the world are discovering or rediscovering baking, especially bread, while staying home during the coronavirus pandemic. CBS News' Jamie Wax speaks with Apollonia Poilâne, whose family has owned France's Poilâne bakery since 1932, about the craft of baking bread inc ... Show More
21m 20s
Jul 2017
E12 Le 14 juillet en France
<p>The French National Day is commonly known as “Bastille Day”.</p> <p>If you did not pay attention during your History classes, you might think that “Bastille” is another of those delicious French pastries, or maybe some sort of fancy fashion accessory.</p> <p>If you were more h ... Show More
30m 4s
Dec 2021
Le Petit Problème Noir
<p>In the 1920s, Josephine Baker escaped the violent racism of in the United States to seek refuge in Paris, like so many other Black American creatives have done over time. Baker found that France welcomed her, and the freedom she found there helped her become an international s ... Show More
35m 16s
Jan 2024
France Could Be Heading for Economic Collapse
France's problems arguably go back 200 years to their slow and steady approach to adopting industrialisation. While many other countries can learn from France's strong protection for workers' rights, at the moment this has made France a very uncompetitive country with some of the ... Show More
19m 20s