Students at the Institute of Taste must carefully imbibe the finest of champagnes, delicacies, and other gourmet specialties.

In France, one is registered to vote automatically upon reaching voting age.

Henri Cartier-Bresson is arguably France’s most notable contribution to the world of photography.

Marianne is the symbol of the French Republic and has roots in the revolution of 1789. But are French mayors ready to represent the France of today with a Marianne of color?

Four hundred euros per kilo for mushrooms? As you may have heard, truffles are no ordinary fungi, and those sold in the Aups market are said to be the tastiest.

Five of the nine districts of Lyon, the second largest French city, are being monitored for the H5N1 virus, better known as “Bird Flu”.

Birds aren't the only ones who might feel their lifestyle's been a bit restricted lately. France’s rural cats enjoy a good hunt. But the avian flu has put the lid on sporting felines living in affected areas.

Marion Cotillard was not a superstar when she landed the role of Edith Piaf in La Môme. But, already a formidable actress, she had an impressive set of roles under her belt, and the film’s director had no doubt she was “the one.” He was right: Marion took home the Oscar for best actress in 2008.

An interesting note: The USA release title for the film – in French, ironically enough – is La Vie en Rose, the name of a famous Piaf song, which basically means, “life through rose-colored glasses.” The French title comes from Piaf’s nickname: “La Môme Piaf,” which can be translated as “the little sparrow,” but also means “little kid Piaf.”

The “ch’ti” dialect and way of life of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region in northern France is the subject of the movie Bienvenue chez les ch’tis, number two on the all-time French box office list and the first French movie on the list. Actor-director Dany Boon knew just the right mix of ingredients to make it stick.

It’s common to see photos of celebrities aged forty and up happily pregnant or pushing a pram. But according to most doctors, a woman’s chances of conceiving drop dramatically after age thirty-eight or so. Of course there are exceptions. Modern medical fertility treatments allowed a sixty-six-year-old Romanian woman to give birth to twins in 2005. But unless we’re willing and able to procure such treatments, which can be financially, emotionally, and physically draining, those who want to wait until their forties to have kids will have to take their chances.

In this new series, Le Jour où tout a basculé (The Day When Everything Turned Upside Down), a mother and son's close relationship is about to change. Enzo, who lives with his mother Murielle, runs into a man with a distinctive tattoo. Determined to track down the man, whom he believes to be his father, he starts an inquiry of his own despite his mother's skepticism.

In this episode of "Le Jour où tout a basculé" (The Day Everything Turned Upside Down), Sybille, a bored and lonely housewife, has developed the peculiar habit of spying on her neighbors across the street, much to her husband's dismay.

Sybille's anxiety escalates as the spying continues. The stranger across the street is staring out the window all day long. To make matters worse, her husband comes home late, very late, and is less than sympathetic to her plight...

Sybille and Édouard are still at odds with each other as Sybille now accuses him point-blank of having an affair with Vanessa. The mysterious neighbor doesn't cooperate with Édouard's scheming but pursues her own agenda.

Sybille and Édouard meet for drinks at Vanessa's apartment. Vanessa finally admits that a tenant lives with her, but he remains elusive. Vanessa's dubious explanations do not satisfy Sybille and only add to her curiosity.