At the Balzac Museum in the Château de Saché, exclusive period furniture was brought in to illustrate Honoré de Balzac's famous collection of novels, La Comédie Humaine (The Human Comedy). Balzac was famous for his lengthy, detailed descriptions of interiors in his novels.

Part two of this video on "La Marseillaise" explains how it evolved from a song of war and freedom to its current status as the French national anthem. The fact remains that it still stirs up controversy for its violent content, which some find offensive.

Patricia discusses the history of the the French national anthem, "La Marseillaise," explaining how the song traveled from the Rhine region to Marseille, where it earned its final name.
She even sings a few lines of the song for us!

In this video, you will learn the history of the French flag. Once it was completely white, the color of the French royalty, and now it's blue, white, and red. The French flag has recently been tainted with controversy by nationalist groups who have appropriated it as a symbol of their own causes.

This artist discovered her true calling: she collects driftwood and other found materials for her art. Her predilection is birds, all kinds of birds, that she paints to make signs or other creations for her clients. Her studio bears the tongue-in-cheek name of "La Dilettante," or "The Dilettante," which she is not by any means...

Patricia brings to life Baudelaire's famous poem "L'horloge" (The Clock). The poet laments the passage of time and life's inevitable conclusion: death. Aside from the gloomy message, this poem is also an invitation to seize the day and enjoy all that life has to offer, including this poem!

For the opening of the show "Dans l’Œil des Enfoirés" (In the Eye of the Bastards) in 2011, Jean-Jacques Goldman sang the song "On demande pas la lune" (We Aren't Asking for the Moon). French singers and artists Patricia Kaas, Maxime Le Forestier, Lorie, Maurane, Mimie Mathy, and many more joined in the singing in honor of the late comedic actor Coluche, who founded the soup kitchen "Les Restos du Cœur" (Restaurants of the Heart).

In the final installment of his tour of Compiègne, Daniel takes us to the "Haras National" (National Stud Farm), where some of the most prestigious horses in France have been raised since the 1700s. He also shows us the Imperial Theater, built by Napoleon III, and the Museum of Internment and Deportation, which commemorates the prisoners of the Royallieu concentration camp.

Patricia introduces one of France's most renowned poets, Charles Baudelaire. His major work, Les Fleurs du Mal (The Flowers of Evil), is still the most studied poetry collection in French schools and was as much a source of controversy as admiration in his day. Baudelaire's love affair with his muse, actress Jeanne Duval, was a main source of inspiration for Les Fleurs du Mal.

In the third installment of Daniel's tour of Compiègne, he shows us the magnificent Saint Jacques Church, which happens to be a stop along the Way of St. James. He also takes us to some former salt warehouses and to a beautiful garden surrounded by medieval walls.

Where does the expression on n'est pas sorti de l'auberge (we aren't out of the inn) come from? Find out its meaning in this video.

As Daniel explains, Joan of Arc is a bit of an "obsession" among French people, and tributes to her can be found in many towns across France. Compiègne has particularly close ties to the country's patron saint—after assisting the town in its fight against the Burgundians, she was captured by them in 1430.

Daniel introduces the charming town of Compiègne and its magnificent City Hall. In the City Hall building, you'll find the Bancloque, a fourteenth-century bell that still rings today with the help of three automated figures called jacquemarts that "poke" the bell on the hour. And make sure to stop by the burger kiosk on your way out of the city for a delicious, locally sourced treat!

The Carnival of Nice is famous around the world for its colorful parade of floats covered in flowers. You can even participate in a "battle" of flowers that are grown in abundance in the region.

This episode of "Le saviez-vous?" (Did You Know?) is about French gastronomy. You will learn a lot of useful vocabulary relating to food, and you can look forward to sampling delicious dishes.