Difficulty: Intermediate
France
The first electric car? 1899! La Jamais contente. This car and other rare self-propelled antique vehicles can now be seen in car museums.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Mozart fans, take note: Go in through the back door of the Vichy Opera House to see Jérôme Deschamps and his talented crew’s reimaginings of the famous composer’s works. Don’t worry—all the tunes are still pure Wolfgang.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
This newspaper, called “The Sapper’s Candle” (a “sapper” is traditionally a military man who disarms mines), only comes out on the leap year. But how can a periodical published only on February twenty-ninth be financially sound? Maybe it’s true: less is more.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Hipsters all over the world are surely mourning the loss of their favorite instant-nostalgia art medium: the Polaroid. With the recent closing of the last two remaining Polaroid factories in the U.S., it looks like that familiar and much-loved “ch-click-whrrr” sound will soon become a thing of the past. Polaroid has plans to soon launch products suited to the digital era. But can anything ever compare to the one and only original? Only time will tell.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Her stirring, tragic story has moved millions of people. As an eight-year-old Jewish girl during World War II, she was taken in by wild wolves and walked for thousands of kilometers in search of her family. Sound too implausible to be true? Turns out it is. Her story is fiction, and, in fact, she’s not even Jewish. Though she may be the James Frey of French World War II tales, her lawyer claims she’s done nothing wrong.
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
France
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.”
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
You’ve heard of Elvis impersonators? Well France has Claude François impersonators! Meet Tom Evers, who performs in the style of Podium at the very same club where the real Claude used to come to relax, comme d’habitude.
Difficulty: Beginner
France
The young singer-songwriter Benjamin Perrot has some loud neighbors, and his walls made of cardboard aren't exactly soundproof. You'll see in the video why he wonders if his neighbors are actually "rabbits"....
Difficulty: Beginner
France
Overwhelmed by the amount of text messages and other technological annoyances in his life, singer-songwriter Benjamin Perrot uses this acoustic session on Le Mans TV as an opportunity to "disconnect." Don't let your phone distract you while watching this video!
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
In the first episode of "Mon Village" (My Village), Olivier takes us to Malicorne, a small town of two thousand inhabitants where exciting and innovative events happen all the time. You'll meet the enthusiastic mayor extraordinaire of Malicorne who can tread on water! Be sure to catch the very last caption to find out how it's done.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Olivier takes us inside Malicorne's "Espace Faïence" (Earthenware Space), where permanent exhibits can be found as well as temporary ones like the current animal display. Set up like a treasure hunt, this exhibit is very popular with children.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
The little town of Malicorne has so much to offer for all ages and all preferences. You can take a dip in the pool, visit the Earthenware Space for a little shopping, take a boat ride on the Sarthe river, or go to the night market. After all this, you may want to chill at the local open-air café for a while...
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
We continue our visit to Malicorne with Olivier, who speaks with Dominique Bourneuf, the owner of the Petite Auberge (Little Inn) restaurant and president of the artistic trades association. Besides the many art and crafts events organized in Malicorne, there's also a world record event planned for April.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Olivier takes us to the Malicorne castle for the last episode of "Mon Village" (My Village). The castle has been owned by the same family since the 1800s and boasts a magnificent marble stairway as well as beautiful floor marquetry. It's often used to host events during festivals.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Meet the various artists in residence at number 39 Saint-Pavin Street in Le Mans. The city-sponsored studio space is a great opportunity for artists to grow in their art and exchange with others.
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