Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Zaz sings a very catchy tune, "Comme ci comme ça," from her album Recto Verso. "Comme ci comme ça" usually means "so-so," but in her song, Zaz chooses to give it a more literal meaning, "like this, like that." She wants others to accept her as she is. And to press her point, she never actually appears as herself in the video!
Difficulty: Beginner
France
There's a lot to explore in the Saint-Gervais-Saint-Protais Church in Gisors, including a towering wooden organ, a magnificent mural, and a spiral staircase. Daniel Benchimol gives us a detailed tour of this stunning work of architecture, which he counts as one of the most beautiful churches in Normandy.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Louane Emera (aka Anne Peichert), semi-finalist in the French talent competition "The Voice," released her second single "Avenir" (Future), which topped the official French Singles Chart in March 2015. She sings about overcoming a breakup and sends a hopeful message: although "it's all over," she still has a future.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Daniel Benchimol braves the freezing temperature to show us around the beautiful medieval town of Gisors in the Vexin region in the north of France. The highlight of the town is its eleventh-century castle, which is currently undergoing major restoration work. The castle was once surrounded by a moat, and some of its towers still remain, with imposing names like "Prisoner's Tower" and "Chilly Tower."
Difficulty: Beginner
France
We continue our visit to Metz with Lionel, who takes us inside the Saint-Étienne Cathedral, famous for its huge stained glass windows. After that, if you don't feel like walking, you can take the little tourist train and enjoy the sites at a leisurely pace.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Maître Gims' song "Bella" (from his solo album Subliminal) is an epic tale set in Spain where beautiful Bella wrecks havoc in all the villages she visits. Lovelorn men are falling for this "femme fatale" everywhere, and Maître Gims doesn't heed the locals' advice to stay away from her but instead falls for her too. You'll notice that Maître Gims uses a form of slang known as verlan, in which a word's syllables are reversed.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
In this tour of the town of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, you will discover a very old castle built by King Francis the First as well as a quintessentially French marketplace, whose numerous fountains make it the perfect place to cool off in the summer.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Few people can escape Oldelaf's imaginary death sentences: from children who wake up too early, to people who wear socks with sandals, to people who copy the music from the film Drive (such as Oldelaf himself), to people who actually support the death penalty. It's a good thing this video is just satirical!
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Audrey is a practitioner of yarn bombing, a street art movement originating from the United States. You'll find her art all over the city of Lyon. She crochets colorful pieces that she uses to cover anything that takes her fancy, from bicycle seats to lamp posts and a few statues.
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
France
Slam poet Grand Corps Malade sings "Comme une évidence" ("Like an Obvious Fact" or "Like it's Meant to Be"), in which he tries to write a love song for his beloved who wreaks sweet havoc on his life. He is anxious to find the right words for her. As in his previous song, "Les Voyages en Train" ("Train Rides"), which he alludes to, he includes multiple double entendres and clever turns of phrase that you will enjoy.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
A few kilometers from Paris, on Chatou Island (also known as Impressionists' Island), Daniel Benchimol has a nice surprise for you.... Watch this video to find out what it is!
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
The "Doubles" exhibition at the Dini Museum in Villefranche-sur-Saône explores the role of the double in art history in all its forms—from mirror effects, to diptychs, to self-portraits—through works spanning from the Renaissance to the present day.
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
France
On "Watt's In," Kendji tells us how he became the star of the TV show The Voice in France. You will discover how he molded his talent by mixing his family's Gypsy origins with his love for new music. You'll also notice Kendji's southern French accent!
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
France
This news clip features the multi-talented Louane Emera, who recently won her first César Award for her role as Paula in the movie "La Famille Bélier" (The Bélier Family). She is also a young singing talent who was a semi finalist in the talent show The Voice.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Daniel Benchimol is in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, where France's King Louis XIV was born. The Parisian suburb is also the site of the summer art exhibition Nouvelles folies à la française (New French Follies). This year's exhibition includes, among other things, a giant four-poster bed floating in the middle of a fountain!
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