Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Marion, our guide, takes us to Place de la Bastille (Bastille Square), where the old Bastille fortress was stormed during the French Revolution. The guillotine was installed on the square for a very short time, but was nevertheless the site of a whopping 75 executions. Nowadays, the square hosts some much less sinister events, such as the Bastille Day (French national holiday) celebrations and the annual Gay Pride Parade.
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
France
Marion walks us through the Buttes Chaumont, a former limestone quarry transformed into a magnificent park, complete with an artificial lake, a grotto, dramatic cliffs, and even a Roman-style temple. On a more tragic note, the park is also home to a bridge that the poet Louis Aragon once called a "mecca for suicides." Luckily, the bridge is now protected by a wire fence.
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
France
Marion takes us along Paris's Canal Saint Martin, which is part of a waterway network that measures one hundred thirty kilometers long. In their heyday, the Parisian canals were the main means of transportation of goods and materials, and even drinking water! Nowadays, historic buildings, restaurants, and concert halls are the main attractions along the canals.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
In the Marais district, Marion takes us to the Place des Vosges, the oldest square in Paris. Its center was sometimes used for tournaments and duels, until Richelieu put a stop to that in 1626. The distinctive red brick buildings surrounding the square were once home to such renowned historic and literary figures as Richelieu and Victor Hugo.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Marion takes us to Parc de la Villette, one of the largest parks in Paris. If you want something more than just a nature walk, you won't be disappointed here! Quirky modern structures and unique perspectives will catch your attention, and the Geode and the Museum of Science and Technology will help satisfy your intellectual curiosity.
Difficulty: Beginner
France
Debout Sur Le Zinc is a seven-member group that plays a unique fusion of rock and traditional French, Irish, and Gypsy folk music. The band’s name (which means “standing on the zinc,” as in the zinc countertop of a bar) comes from the Jacques Prévert poem “Et la fête continue”—and indeed DSLZ is the perfect music for a fête!
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Cyril Dion, Mélanie Laurent, and their crew set out to discover how people are trying to make the world a better place. They travel to Reunion Island, Finland, Belgium, India, Great Britain, the United States, Switzerland, Sweden, and Iceland for their documentary Demain (Tomorrow).
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Miss Acacia is a character in the novel La Mécanique du Cœur (“The Mechanics of the Heart”) by Dionysos lead singer Mathias Malzieu; in it, the protagonist falls madly in love with her.
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