Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Lionel is still in Liverdun, a small village in the Lorraine, to find out some more about the madeleine. It's a specialty of the region that comes in various delicious flavors, such as mirabelle plum and bergamot orange.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Lea shows us one of the largest film libraries in the world, the Cinémathèque Française, which contains over forty thousand films. After the Cinémathèque's original home in the Palais de Chaillot burned down, it relocated to a brand-new facility in Paris's twelfth arrondissement.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Daniel takes us to Soissons, an ancient city that was the first capital of France. He shows us the memorial commemorating the victims of World War I and depicting the legend of the famous Soissons vase.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Meet Jean-Claude and Rachelle, who own a specialty store full of delicious goodies. They talk to Lionel about the madeleine, a specialty of the Lorraine region that was supposedly invented by a cook named (you guessed it!) Madeleine.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Patricia recites Louis Aragon's heartbreaking poem "Il n'y a pas d'amour heureux" (There Is No Happy Love), which has been set to music by a number of famous singers. You can listen to Françoise Hardy's version here.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
In this video, you will learn about the famous poet, novelist, and journalist Louis Aragon, who lived in the twentieth century. Many of his poems were set to music by famous French singers such as Georges Brassens, Léo Férré, and Jean Ferrat.
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
France
Chef Christian Le Squer, takes us into the kitchen of his three-Michelin-starred restaurant, Le Cinq. You will see the cooks at work making exquisite dishes. Le Squer wants the food cooked to perfection, even "sexy," as he puts it. His job is to taste only, but it's not as easy as it looks.
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 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
Patricia sheds a new light on the renowned fable by Jean de La Fontaine, "The Cicada and the Ant." Maybe the cicada isn't such a bad character after all....
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
France
Patricia recites one of Jean de La Fontaine's most famous fables, "La Cigale et la Fourmi" (The Cicada and the Ant). After spending the entire summer singing instead of storing food, the cicada is starving come winter. She hopes her neighbor the ant can help her....
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Lionel takes us to the European Parliament gardens, where statues of colorful saxophones representing different countries are scattered around the grounds for the enjoyment of visitors.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Lionel discusses the French Academy's latest spelling reform, which includes such modifications as removing the i in oignon (onion) and the circumflex in coût (cost). There's been a fair amount of backlash against the reform, though the changes are only recommended, not mandatory.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Lionel takes us in front of the European Parliament building in Strasbourg, where important decisions are made. You can't miss it, with its forty-seven flags representing each member country of the European Council.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Meet the various artists in residence at number 39 Saint-Pavin Street in Le Mans. The city-sponsored studio space is a great opportunity for artists to grow in their art and exchange with others.
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