Difficulty: Intermediate
France
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.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
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.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
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.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
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!
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
In this episode, Daniel Benchimol shows us Paris's seventeenth arrondissement. He points out the beautiful church of Notre-Dame de la Compassion as well as the former Bank of France building. According to legend, the bank's safes were protected by a ditch filled with crocodiles!
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Daniel Benchimol shows us around the André-Citroën Park in the fifteenth arrondissement of Paris. The park contains a series of beautiful gardens organized by color as well as the largest hot-air balloon in the world!
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
According to Lionel, we hear far too much about Charlie Hebdo and not enough about Le Canard Enchaîné, which is about to celebrate its centenary in 2016. This quality satirical newspaper is in a similar vein to Charlie Hebdo. Both papers even shared the same cartoonist, Cabu, who sadly did not survive the January attack on Charlie Hebdo. Le Canard Enchaîné was no stranger to extremist threats either.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Take a stroll with Daniel Benchimol through Georges Brassens Park, built on the site of the former Vaugirard slaughterhouses. The park includes one of Paris's many jardins pédagogiques (educational gardens) run by local schoolchildren. It's also a few steps away from the famous artists' colony known as La Ruche (The Beehive).
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
In the last part of his tour of the town of Gisors, Daniel shows us an interesting structure called a cabinet de verdure (greenery chamber) as well as a waterfall that served as the major driving force of the town's economy for centuries. Daniel also tells us the story of Philippe Auguste and the Golden Virgin, which you won't want to miss!
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Daniel Benchimol braves the freezing temperature to show us around the beautiful medieval town of Gisors in the Vexin region in the north of France. The highlight of the town is its eleventh-century castle, which is currently undergoing major restoration work. The castle was once surrounded by a moat, and some of its towers still remain, with imposing names like "Prisoner's Tower" and "Chilly Tower."
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
In this tour of the town of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, you will discover a very old castle built by King Francis the First as well as a quintessentially French marketplace, whose numerous fountains make it the perfect place to cool off in the summer.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
A few kilometers from Paris, on Chatou Island (also known as Impressionists' Island), Daniel Benchimol has a nice surprise for you.... Watch this video to find out what it is!
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Daniel Benchimol is in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, where France's King Louis XIV was born. The Parisian suburb is also the site of the summer art exhibition Nouvelles folies à la française (New French Follies). This year's exhibition includes, among other things, a giant four-poster bed floating in the middle of a fountain!
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
In this episode, Pierre Esparre, a fine mosaic artist, explains how he discovered his talent and how he gets his inspiration from everyday life, whether it's a street scene, a YouTube video, or an Internet page. Watch this video to see how Pierre translates his ideas into quirky, humorous, and eye-catching creations.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Daniel Benchimol takes us to the quiet village of Carrières-sur-Seine, a mere twenty kilometers from Paris. He points out a fun bench called Le banc des menteurs (The Liars' Bench), where one can sit and presumably tell lies until closing time at 7 p.m. Then the liars can take cover in one of the nearby cave dwellings carved straight out of the cliffs.
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