The Carnival of Nice is famous around the world for its colorful parade of floats covered in flowers. You can even participate in a "battle" of flowers that are grown in abundance in the region.

Where does the expression on n'est pas sorti de l'auberge (we aren't out of the inn) come from? Find out its meaning in this video.

Patricia discusses the history of the the French national anthem, "La Marseillaise," explaining how the song traveled from the Rhine region to Marseille, where it earned its final name.
She even sings a few lines of the song for us!

Part two of this video on "La Marseillaise" explains how it evolved from a song of war and freedom to its current status as the French national anthem. The fact remains that it still stirs up controversy for its violent content, which some find offensive.

Patricia introduces one of France's most renowned poets, Charles Baudelaire. His major work, Les Fleurs du Mal (The Flowers of Evil), is still the most studied poetry collection in French schools and was as much a source of controversy as admiration in his day. Baudelaire's love affair with his muse, actress Jeanne Duval, was a main source of inspiration for Les Fleurs du Mal.

Patricia brings to life Baudelaire's famous poem "L'horloge" (The Clock). The poet laments the passage of time and life's inevitable conclusion: death. Aside from the gloomy message, this poem is also an invitation to seize the day and enjoy all that life has to offer, including this poem!

In the wake of the recent tragedy on the Promenade des Anglais, Nice remains a beautiful and diverse city. In this video, Patricia talks about what makes the city such a great place to live and visit.

Jean de La Fontaine's fables are all-time classics that have been in the French school curriculum for many years, at all levels. It's safe to say that every French person knows at least one of his fables.

In this video you will hear a fable by Jean de La Fontaine, the most famous fable writer in French literature. "Le Chêne et le Roseau" (The Oak and the Reed) is a lesson in humility. The humble reed belies an inner strength that the oak does not possess. The oak's unbending nature proves to be its downfall.

In this video, you will learn about the famous poet, novelist, and journalist Louis Aragon, who lived in the twentieth century. Many of his poems were set to music by famous French singers such as Georges Brassens, Léo Férré, and Jean Ferrat.

Patricia recites Louis Aragon's heartbreaking poem "Il n'y a pas d'amour heureux" (There Is No Happy Love), which has been set to music by a number of famous singers. You can listen to Françoise Hardy's version here.

Patricia recites one of Jean de La Fontaine's most famous fables, "La Cigale et la Fourmi" (The Cicada and the Ant). After spending the entire summer singing instead of storing food, the cicada is starving come winter. She hopes her neighbor the ant can help her....

Patricia sheds a new light on the renowned fable by Jean de La Fontaine, "The Cicada and the Ant." Maybe the cicada isn't such a bad character after all....

René-Marc Cohen, a very fine artisan, will show us how to upholster a squat armchair, "un fauteuil crapaud" (literally a "toad armchair").

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.