Michel guides us back to the time of Louis XIV, who took the town of Marsal in 1663. Find out why.

Sandra gives Marie some pointers on how to draw a leaf. And Marie shares some surprising information about the painter Henri Rousseau.

We continue our visit to Marsal and learn more about the importance of salt throughout the region. Many there have benefited from the exploitation of salt throughout the centuries, including the Church, which built many churches that we still see today.

Did you know that parts of France and Germany were underwater millions of years ago? Learn more about this and other surprising facts at the Marsal Salt Museum.

Sandra teaches Marie how to draw a plant and a vase using crosshatching and shading to add perspective. Just a few strokes go a long way!

Lionel, Michel, and Juliette take a stroll down the Rue des Capucins, named after the Capuchin monastery once located there. They also discuss some of Marsal's native plants, which have a high salt tolerance.

Nelly suggests some songs for more advanced French speakers: Charles Aznavour's "La bohème," Angèle's "Balance ton quoi," Stromae's "Formidable," Serge Gainsbourg's "La javanaise," and Orelsan's "Tout va bien."

Sandra has brought some leaves and flowers for Marie to draw. She stresses the importance of drawing what you see, not what you think you see.

Lionel and Michel talk about the heyday of Marsal, which used to be a thriving city during the Vauban period thanks to the saltworks. Nowadays, though, it's a small tourist village. Find out how many visitors come to Marsal each year.

Sandra is giving Marie her first drawing lesson, starting with an exercise called "blind drawing." Try it out yourself!

We continue our visit to Marsal inside the abbey church, where we learn more about the recumbent figures commemorating the owners of the local salt mines.

Marie is taking her first drawing lesson with Sandra, so she brought all her new material to show her tutor. In the process, you will learn a ton of vocabulary!

Still in the village of Marsal, we're going inside the collégiale, or abbey church, with Michel, Juliette, and Lionel. Juliette teaches us about the three gisants located inside the church.

Marie is interested in learning how to draw and paint. She decides to take classes with Sandra, a local art teacher, who gives her a list of all the supplies she'll need.

The little village of Marsal is gearing up for the eight hundredth anniversary of the abbey church of Saint-Léger, featuring a concert by a world-renowned German pianist.