Difficulty: Intermediate
France
François selected three books to show us that are suitable for teens, adults, and French-language learners alike: Monsieur Ibrahim et les fleurs du Coran by Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt, La petite-fille de Monsieur Linh by Philippe Claudel, and Les Demeurées by Jeanne Benameur.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Lea takes us on a mini tour of Cour Saint-Émilion in the twelfth arrondissement in Paris. Named for the wine that used to be sold there, the Cour Saint-Émilion has suffered fires and floods but was rebuilt a few times and is now a lovely open-air shopping complex.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Daniel Benchimol takes us to Mont-Valérien, the highest vantage point just outside of Paris, where you will be able to take in a sweeping view of the capital. Mont-Valérien also represents a sad part of history, a site where thousands were executed during World War II. General de Gaulle inaugurated a memorial in 1962 to honor its victims.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France Parisian
Lionel is in the Place des Vosges in Paris on a chilly June day. The square is busier than previous years due to a recent flood along the Seine. Parisians like to go out in the fresh air, bring a picnic, a bottle of wine, or simply work on their laptop in the many parks scattered around the city.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Nemours is nicknamed the "Venice of the Gâtinais" (a former French province), and you'll see why in the final part of Daniel's tour of the town. Traversed by many streams and rivers, Nemours is also a great place to go hiking and immerse yourself in a medieval atmosphere.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Madame Monsieur sings "Mercy," a song based on the true story of a baby girl who was born on board a Nigerian refugee ship. Her mother went into labor on her way to a refugee camp in Sicily.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Louane Emera sings On était beau (We Were Beautiful), a song about the breakup of a relationship. Everything reminds her of her lover, and she can't get him out of her mind.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
In the next part of his tour of Nemours, Daniel shows us the Church of Saint John the Baptist, a medieval church that was destroyed in the 1600s and then rebuilt over the course of the next two centuries. It houses a bell called the Cloche Philippe (Philippe Bell), which has a lengthy history of its own.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France Parisian
Lionel goes to the Louvre Pyramid, which was commissioned by former President François Mitterrand and designed by the architect I.M. Pei. Located in the Cour Napoléon (Napoleon Courtyard), the pyramid is one of the most famous selfie sites in the world.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
The town of Nemours is linked to the history of the United States in two important ways. Daniel will tell you more about that in this segment of his tour, and he'll also show you a group of charming bridges called the "Ponts des Petits Fossés" (Little Ditch Bridges).
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
"Pour la peine" (For the Pain) is a song from the musical 1789: The Lovers of the Bastille that tells the story of two lovers during the turmoil of the French Revolution.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Daniel begins his tour of Nemours with a visit to the twelfth-century castle, which has the rare distinction of standing right in the center of town. Nemours was the hometown of the famous Du Pont family, who immigrated to the United States in the 1800s and created a business empire.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Our presenter Peter is in front of the Olympia, which is the oldest music hall in Paris. Many French singers and big stars from around the world have performed there, from Edith Piaf to Liza Minnelli. The Olympia was entirely rebuilt in 2001.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
The François Mitterrand Library, part of the Bibliothèque nationale de France (National Library of France), is comprised of four large towers in the shape of open books. Lea notes that most of the library's visitors are specialists in art, science, and architecture rather than students.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Don't miss this rendezvous with Daniel Benchimol in the town of Poissy near Paris. Enjoy a visit to a twelfth-century Romanesque church called the Collégiale de Poissy. You can also visit its priory, which now houses a toy museum to the delight of the little ones.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Lea and Lionel take a trip to the thirteenth arrondissement of Paris to visit the new National Library of France, also called the François Mitterrand Library. The library is comprised of four book-shaped towers: the Tower of Time, the Tower of Laws, the Tower of Letters, and the Tower of Numbers.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Daniel Benchimol takes us to the town of Poissy, about twenty kilometers from Paris. The town name is derived from the word poisson (fish) due to its once important fishing industry.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Daniel Benchimol continues his tour of the small medieval town of Montfort-l'Amaury, an hour west of Paris. He takes us to an unusual cemetery building that has a human skull in every corner. On a less spooky note, Daniel tells us about famous figures who have lived in Montfort, such as the composer Maurice Ravel and the singer Charles Aznavour.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Johnny Hallyday's song "Seul" (Alone) is from his 2014 album "Rester Vivant" (Staying Alive). His performance is especially moving now that this famous rock star is no longer with us (Johnny died on December 5, 2017). The poignant lyrics seem like a farewell to his family and his fans.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Daniel takes us to another town within easy reach of Paris. Monfort-l'Amaury boasts a huge church called the Église Saint Pierre et Saint Paul with some magnificent stained glass windows. If you are a music lover, you might want to check out Maurice Ravel's house, where he composed many of his great works, including Le Boléro.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
In this video, Lea takes us to the Parc de Bercy with its large stadium and interesting surroundings. This new renovated neighborhood now offers numerous concerts and cultural events. You might even be able to see Katy Perry there in 2018!
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
France
Award-winning chef Christian Le Squer shares two delicious fig recipes that will make your mouth water. Do try them at home!
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Meet Daniel (still in sweltering Soissons) in front of the "Jardin du Haricot" (Bean Garden), which is not a garden but a confectionery store that sells a local specialty, a delicious jelly-bean-like candy. He also takes us to the old bishop's palace where Napoleon once stayed, then onto an eleventh-century abbey called the Abbaye de Saint-Jean-des-Vignes.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
A group of talented French children decide to pay tribute to the famous singer Michel Sardou by singing one of his hits, "Les lacs du Connemara" (The Lakes of Connemara). This iconic song, a tribute to Ireland, still captures the imagination of many French people.
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