It took two hundred years to standardize French spelling before it could be taught in schools using a method called la dictée (dictation), in which a student writes out the words he or she hears. As a matter of fact, this is the exact same principle behind Yabla's Scribe game!

Patricia delves into the festival of la Chandeleur, or Candlemas, which takes place on the second of February. In France, la Chandeleur is traditionally celebrated by eating crêpes.

Gérard tells us about the history of Antibes, which goes back to the Phocaeans. Those ancient people always consulted an oracle before undertaking a voyage into the unknown to conquer new territories.

Gérard will introduce you to Antibes, a beautiful city founded by the Phocaeans in the 400s BC. The Phocaeans were replaced by the Romans, who were replaced by the Christians. Nowadays Antibes has grown to become the third-largest city in the Alpes-Maritimes department.

Patricia explains in detail the tradition of the galette des rois (kings' cake), which predates Christianity. The tradition is linked to a Roman pagan celebration called Saturnalia, during which a lucky slave was crowned "king" for the day.

Patricia discusses the galette des rois (kings' cake), a classic holiday delicacy associated with the festival of Epiphany. A small figurine is placed inside the cake, and whoever finds it in his or her slice is crowned "king" or "queen" for the day.

In the final part of his tour of Chantilly, Daniel takes us back to the "Potager des Princes" (Princes' Vegetable Garden) and introduces us to some adorable barnyard critters, including a rooster, a pigeon, and some rabbits. The rabbits even have their own French-style village to roam around in, complete with a café, a town hall, and some villas too!

Continuing his tour of the town of Chantilly, Daniel takes us to a bucolic vegetable garden called the "Potager des Princes" (Princes' Vegetable Garden), which was frequented by many of France's most famous writers and dramatists, including Racine, Molière, and the Madame de Sévigné. Today it also includes a goat petting zoo!

In this video, Daniel shows us around the town of Chantilly, famous for its horse races and for its beloved Chantilly cream (also known as whipped cream). You'll get an inside look at the town's beautiful racetrack, which is home to over three hundred events each year.

In the last episode on the town of Dourdan, Daniel shows us the Abbaye de L'Ouÿe (literally, "Hearing Abbey"). Legend has it that King Louis VII commissioned it in honor of his friends and loved ones who heard his cries when he was lost in the forest one day.

Dourdan is a historic town with a magnificent church called the Église de Saint-Germain l'Auxerrois. Renamed the "Temple of Victorious Reason" during the Revolution, the church now contains a statue that bears a striking resemblance to Darth Vader (known as Dark Vador in France).

Daniel takes us inside the castle of Dourdan, with its belfry, arrow loops, and many fortifications. This castle has a somewhat unusual history: find out why its roof was knocked off and why it was pretty much impregnable.

Join Daniel on his discovery of Dourdan, a small town in the Essonne department. This charming place is filled with history and boasts a thirteenth-century covered market that has been rebuilt over the years and is still in use today.

Don't miss this rendezvous with Daniel Benchimol in the town of Poissy near Paris. Enjoy a visit to a twelfth-century Romanesque church called the Collégiale de Poissy. You can also visit its priory, which now houses a toy museum to the delight of the little ones.

Daniel Benchimol takes us to the town of Poissy, about twenty kilometers from Paris. The town name is derived from the word poisson (fish) due to its once important fishing industry.