Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Meet Daniel (still in sweltering Soissons) in front of the "Jardin du Haricot" (Bean Garden), which is not a garden but a confectionery store that sells a local specialty, a delicious jelly-bean-like candy. He also takes us to the old bishop's palace where Napoleon once stayed, then onto an eleventh-century abbey called the Abbaye de Saint-Jean-des-Vignes.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Daniel introduces us to the town of Auvers-sur-Oise, famous as a source of inspiration for a number of impressionist painters, notably Vincent Van Gogh. He also gives us a sneak peek into the Daubigny Museum, dedicated to the work of the pre-impressionist Charles-François Daubigny.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Daniel finishes up his tour of Auvers-sur-Oise with an appreciation of Vincent Van Gogh, who completed an astounding eighty paintings during his two-month sojourn in the village. In this video, you'll see the inn where the artist stayed during his visit, along with some of the gorgeous stops on the "painters' discovery" tour of Auvers-sur-Oise. It's easy to see why the village was such an inspiration to the impressionists!
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Daniel takes us to another town within easy reach of Paris. Monfort-l'Amaury boasts a huge church called the Église Saint Pierre et Saint Paul with some magnificent stained glass windows. If you are a music lover, you might want to check out Maurice Ravel's house, where he composed many of his great works, including Le Boléro.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Daniel Benchimol continues his tour of the small medieval town of Montfort-l'Amaury, an hour west of Paris. He takes us to an unusual cemetery building that has a human skull in every corner. On a less spooky note, Daniel tells us about famous figures who have lived in Montfort, such as the composer Maurice Ravel and the singer Charles Aznavour.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Daniel begins his tour of Nemours with a visit to the twelfth-century castle, which has the rare distinction of standing right in the center of town. Nemours was the hometown of the famous Du Pont family, who immigrated to the United States in the 1800s and created a business empire.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
The town of Nemours is linked to the history of the United States in two important ways. Daniel will tell you more about that in this segment of his tour, and he'll also show you a group of charming bridges called the "Ponts des Petits Fossés" (Little Ditch Bridges).
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
In the next part of his tour of Nemours, Daniel shows us the Church of Saint John the Baptist, a medieval church that was destroyed in the 1600s and then rebuilt over the course of the next two centuries. It houses a bell called the Cloche Philippe (Philippe Bell), which has a lengthy history of its own.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Nemours is nicknamed the "Venice of the Gâtinais" (a former French province), and you'll see why in the final part of Daniel's tour of the town. Traversed by many streams and rivers, Nemours is also a great place to go hiking and immerse yourself in a medieval atmosphere.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Daniel Benchimol takes us to Mont-Valérien, the highest vantage point just outside of Paris, where you will be able to take in a sweeping view of the capital. Mont-Valérien also represents a sad part of history, a site where thousands were executed during World War II. General de Gaulle inaugurated a memorial in 1962 to honor its victims.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Daniel Benchimol takes us to the town of Poissy, about twenty kilometers from Paris. The town name is derived from the word poisson (fish) due to its once important fishing industry.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Don't miss this rendezvous with Daniel Benchimol in the town of Poissy near Paris. Enjoy a visit to a twelfth-century Romanesque church called the Collégiale de Poissy. You can also visit its priory, which now houses a toy museum to the delight of the little ones.
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
France
Daniel Benchimol stops by the thirteenth arrondissement of Paris and takes us inside Mireille Bailly-Coulange's sculpture studio. You'll see her exquisite art made out of Plexiglas and learn about her fascinating technique. And... don't be alarmed if you hear her dog's loud bark toward the end of the video. He's just sharing his enthusiasm.
Difficulty: Beginner
France
Daniel Benchimol takes us to the tenth arrondissement to discover the Trinity Church, the "Peinture Céramique" building, and other little havens of peace in Paris. Daniel also introduces us to the Brabant Hotel and the 1950s-themed restaurant Playtime, inspired by Jacques Tati.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Daniel Benchimol concludes his tour of Paris's tenth arrondissement by taking us through the "Nouvelle Athènes" (New Athens) neighborhood, home of some of the great figures of nineteenth-century romanticism. The tenth is also home to the smallest house in Paris, at less than five meters (sixteen feet) high!
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