Talk about service: a hospital in Nantes has devoted an entire department to making sure deaf patients receive the same medical attention as everyone else. Of course, all of its medical workers are fully proficient in French Sign Language. Did you know that most languages of the world also have their own sign language?

Come meet the owner of the bistro Parigot (French slang for “Parisian”). This charming restaurant is a French oasis at the intersection of Manhattan’s Chinatown/Little Italy and Soho districts.

Opening night in Casablanca for the movie Indigènes (English title "Days of Glory") provided a special opportunity for some of the subjects of the film to reflect upon their past, and for Moroccans and the French to talk about their future.

At nightfall in Gstaad, the preeminent ski resort in the Alps, a privileged few among the stars and high society can listen to the most popular classical musicians in the world…

Come take a trip to St-Jean-de-Luz, a beautiful resort town along the Atlantic in the Basque country of southwest France. Don’t forget to bring a towel!

Alex explains the differences between the soprano, alto, and tenor saxophones. This is one of those situations where size definitely matters.

Guy Bouard, a house painter by trade, also happens to be the official double of President Nicolas Sarkozy. Among his duties: balancing the budget (in a coin jar) and meeting with agricultural experts (some sheep). He may be more popular than the President!

Alex gives a detailed description of the saxophone and all its different parts. Did you know that, despite its association with jazz music, the saxophone was actually invented in the 1840s for use in military bands?

The French lumber market sees a long-awaited recovery, after “the storm of the century.” Time to heat up that new log cabin with a crackling fire in the fireplace.

A blade fell off a wind turbine, causing a bit of alarm amongst nearby residents. Perhaps it’s time for an upgrade?

Héla Fattoumi, originally from Tunis, has taken her feelings on the full-body veil to the stage, in her dance performance piece “Manta.”

Ever driven a car you like so much that after six hours on the road, all you wanted to do was keep on going? Jean-Marc was lucky enough to find that in his Audi A3.

Alex Terrier’s second project as a bandleader, Roundtrip, is a critically-acclaimed album in the vein of John Coltrane. Listen to it in full (and for free!) here.

Carmen Maria Vega—a four-member band led by the eponymous singer, born in Guatemala and raised in Lyons—show off their musical and “creative” talents in this video for their popular song “La Menteuse.” What do you think? Any chance Carmen is stretching the truth about all that lying?

It’s the perfect day for a stroll along the Atlantic. Jean-Marc shows off more of his hospitable surroundings. Check out the sun, sand, and cold, cold water.