In 2018, the Paris-based British historian Andrew Hussey was caught up in a riot while cycling in Paris, said Kim Willsher in The Observer. As he dodged chunks of paving stone and other missiles, and felt tear gas scorching his eyes, Hussey – “in his early 60s with a heart condition” – became fearful for his life.

In bare numbers alone, not to mention glamour and prestige, this art-world coup suggests that France’s cultural sector is in rude health. Certainly, to the casual art-goer visiting the French capital there is little that distinguishes the private Bourse de Commerce and Fondation Cartier from the neighbouring national museums.

I wish that when I moved from the UK to France many years ago, I'd known more about local drinking culture, social etiquette, and how Mondays work.

Thieves in balaclavas broke into Paris' Louvre museum on Sunday, using a crane to smash an upstairs window, then stealing priceless objects from an area that houses the French crown jewels before escaping on motorbikes, officials said.

Beyond their market value, these items have inestimable heritage and historical value,“ the Louvre said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE

The museum was closed Sunday after the robbery, which was carried out by thieves using a ladder mounted on the back of a truck, officials said.

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After living in New York and Berlin, I moved to France. Living here has changed the way I grocery shop, eat meals, run errands, and view my career.