Arlette Grosskost, UMP (Union for a Popular Movement) representative and member of the Parliamentary task force on the burqa in France, advocates a law aiming to ban the wearing of the full-body veil in public. What’s your take on this controversial issue? Is it a question of women’s rights? Of religious freedom? Are arguments against the burqa perhaps another type of veil—to cover up underlying racism?

Dive back in to the 1968 winter Olympics, held in Grenoble, France. “Treize jours en France,” a recently restored documentary film made in ‘68 by director Claude Lelouch, captures the spirit of the times, and the “pre-revolutionary” zeitgeist leading up to the events of May.

Alex Terrier’s second project as a bandleader, Roundtrip, is a critically-acclaimed album in the vein of John Coltrane. Listen to it in full (and for free!) here.

You say flammekueche, I say tarte flambée! But no matter the moniker, we can certainly agree on one thing: this Alsatian specialty is a gustatory delight!

These brief interviews on the streets of Lille were conducted in order to test the waters of the tricky dispute over the banning of burqa-wearing in public.

Héla Fattoumi, originally from Tunis, has taken her feelings on the full-body veil to the stage, in her dance performance piece “Manta.”

Not only does Jean-Marc have a totally sweet ride, he also gets to ski on some of the coolest slopes in France. Lucky guy!

Tarte flambée is a specialty of the Alsace region of France that resembles a pizza. Typically made with crème fraîche, onions, and bacon, the traditional tarte flambée has also undergone many variations. Flam’s, a restaurant franchise based in Strasbourg, has dedicated itself to perfecting this Alsatian delicacy.

Daniel Benchimol guides us through the Quartier de la Mouzaïa, a quaint Parisian neighborhood filled with brightly-colored houses, patriotic street names, and old signs. You might forget you’re in a major city in the midst of this beautiful country landscape.

The French lumber market sees a long-awaited recovery, after “the storm of the century.” Time to heat up that new log cabin with a crackling fire in the fireplace.

Remember Lionel, who warned us about the dangers of the working world, and asked the important questions about French grammatical gender? He’s back with a very important lesson for us about how best to get water out of your ears.

Alex gives a detailed description of the saxophone and all its different parts. Did you know that, despite its association with jazz music, the saxophone was actually invented in the 1840s for use in military bands?

Come discover this feature-length film directed by Serge Papagalli in the Trièves. Humor and affection drive his story, which focuses on the difficulties of peasant life.

Guy Bouard, a house painter by trade, also happens to be the official double of President Nicolas Sarkozy. Among his duties: balancing the budget (in a coin jar) and meeting with agricultural experts (some sheep). He may be more popular than the President!

On two summer nights per year, the small town of Nieul-le-Dolant transforms into “Nieul, Village de Lumière” (“Nieul, Village of Light”) and captivates both its residents and its visitors with a dazzling display of illuminated buildings and monuments.