Sophie and Patrice question the tradition of the Christmas tree and think it's not very environmentally responsible. They'd like to find of way of conserving the tree they bought and reuse it for next Christmas.

Sophie and Patrice are trying to recover from the Christmas festivities and can't stand the sight of foie gras, turkey, or Yule logs... They consider doing away with the Christmas tradition of big feasts altogether and escaping to the tropics instead.

Sophie and Patrice discuss the meaning of expressions involving colors, such as vert de rage and une peur bleue. They have their own theories about their origins.

Sophie and Patrice discuss the pollution problem in Paris. Although efforts have been made to keep cars out of the city center, there's still much to improve. Cars still clog the freeways outside Paris.

Patrice and Sophie are in the Belleville-Jourdain neighborhood around the nineteenth arrondissement. This quiet neighborhood is benefitting from the city officials' committment to bring back pedestrians areas to the city.

Paris is experiencing a population decline, partly due to short-term rentals and extreme commuting. Executives are able to live far out in the provinces while still working in Paris.

Sophie and Patrice discuss the evolution of the word "handicap," from its origins as a horce racing term to its current usage in French. Rather than les handicapés (the handicapped), the French now say les personnes en situation de handicap (persons with disabilities).

Sophie explains her hobby to Patrice. She makes fun lamps out of vintage American canning jars to which she applies a cold plating solution to make them look aged.

Sophie explains in greater detail how she makes lamps out of old jam jars. She has some blue ones that make great night-lights, and some brighter ones that are perfect for reading.

Sophie shares her grandmother's crêpe recipe with us. If you're game, you can make the crêpes by feel, without measuring anything, just like her ancestors used to do. Good luck and bon appétit!

Sophie and Patrice have different breakfast habits. Patrice only has a cup of coffee for breakfast, whereas Sophie doesn't drink coffee at all.

We live in tumultuous times, but Patrice and Sophie are optimistic, excited even, about the changes that are happening around the world. They're referring specifically to the yellow vests movement (les gilets jaunes), a populist movement that began in France in 2018.

Patrice and Sophie have a conversation about the French language. They agree that French people speak too fast for the average learner, and abbreviations and contractions make it even more difficult to understand. Patrice has a few theories as to why Parisians in particular speak so fast.

In the Porte des Lilas neighborhood, Sophie and Patrice discuss a relatively new form of transportation in Paris: the tram. It's clean and green, though according to Sophie, it could use a bit more charm. Still, it's a great way to get around Paris.

Patrice and Sophie are at Porte des Lilas in Paris, where some new athletic spaces have recently been added. Among other things, you can now bring your racket and ball to play ping pong for free.