The artist Henri Matisse lived in a beautiful building, the Palais Caïs de Pierlas, in the Old Nice neighborhood. He captured the neighborhood's colorful atmosphere in many of his paintings.

Victor Hugo is best known for his novels The Hunchback of Notre-Dame and Les Misérables, but he also wrote numerous poems. In this video, Patricia reads an excerpt from his poem "À l'Arc de Triomphe," in which he pays tribute to the city of Paris.

Amal and Caroline are in Pigalle in Paris to tell us about the Moulin Rouge, the famous cabaret where French can-can dancers put on a great show. Contrary to what its name might suggest, the Moulin Rouge (literally, "Red Windmill") was never used as a windmill.

Sophie explains in greater detail how she makes lamps out of old jam jars. She has some blue ones that make great night-lights, and some brighter ones that are perfect for reading.

Sophie explains her hobby to Patrice. She makes fun lamps out of vintage American canning jars to which she applies a cold plating solution to make them look aged.

Karine Rougier describes the many influences she draws on in her art practice—sixteen millimeter films, poetry, Flemish painting, tribal masks, the ocean, and more.

Karine Rougier invited several artists to participate in her exhibition revolving around the poem "Heart Piece" by Heiner Müller. All the paintings and sculptures are linked together by a common theme, as she explains in this video.

Karine explains her creative process and her techniques. She works with wood, rocks, old postcards, stamps, and much else. The result is a mix of surreal creations that will intrigue the eye and puzzle the mind.

The Espace à Vendre (Space for Sale) gallery in Nice recently presented Karine Rougier's exhibition "Les sables mouvants" (Quicksand). Rougier is an artist who works with various media, including ancient engravings, postcards, and even rocks.

Amal gives Caroline a trick for skipping the long line that inevitably forms in front of the Louvre Museum. Then they decide to have a peaceful breakfast in the Jardin des Tuileries.

Patrice Zana's Dada-inspired artwork relies heavily on wordplay. In this video he discusses his pieces Caisse à dire ("Talking Box," a pun on qu'est-ce à dire [what does it mean]), Boîte à choses sûres ("Box of Sure Things," a pun on boîte à chaussures [shoe box]), and more.

Samuel Gassmann is an artisan who makes unconventional cufflinks of all different types: he has one set representing the "totality of time," and another inspired by the Happy Families card game. Be sure to stop by his new store the next time you're in Paris!

Patrice Zana is a poet-artist inspired by the Dada movement and the concept of détournement (literally, "diversion," "hijacking"). He invented the term bris colisme to describe his practice, which employs fragmentation, collage, and wordplay in a variety of media.

Sarah presents the Victor Hugo House on the Rue des Vosges in Paris. This prolific writer, playwright, and poet spent time there before being exiled to the Channel Island of Guernsey.

Georges collects coins that he sells to other collectors. His customers are especially interested in buying old American dollar coins, some of which even have two holes in them! Coins were more than just a currency—they were once used as buttons, jewelry, and even lucky charms.

Following the recent passing of French singer France Gall, people share their reactions and thoughts about her songs and her life. She belonged to an older generation, but young people also enjoyed her songs.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.