Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
France
Bicloune is a unique bicycle shop in Paris with a wide variety of models, from antique bikes from 1905 to contemporary foldable ones. Audrey Hepburn supposedly used to ride a bicycle like one found in this store.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France Parisian
Lionel is in the Place des Vosges in Paris on a chilly June day. The square is busier than previous years due to a recent flood along the Seine. Parisians like to go out in the fresh air, bring a picnic, a bottle of wine, or simply work on their laptop in the many parks scattered around the city.
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
France Brittany
Let's go to Brittany for a spot of sailing! A specially designed boat called the Miniji allows handicapped people to sail and compete in regattas.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Getting around Paris has never been easier thanks to Vélib, a citywide bike rental service. Amal will tell you everything you need to know about renting a bicycle for a day, a week, or even a year. You won't be stranded after the subway closes at midnight!
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
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.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
If you need a respite from the hustle and bustle of Paris, follow Lionel and Lea's recommendation and go to the Parc de Bercy in the twelfth arrondissement. There, you can enjoy a little wildlife (including insect hotels!), a "romantic garden," and much more.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Lea and Lionel take a trip to the thirteenth arrondissement of Paris to visit the new National Library of France, also called the François Mitterrand Library. The library is comprised of four book-shaped towers: the Tower of Time, the Tower of Laws, the Tower of Letters, and the Tower of Numbers.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Join Lionel and Léa, who are having a good time in the pleasant Bercy Park. It's a favorite for the locals, who congregate there as soon as the sun is out.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
The quaint little town of Montmorency holds a few peculiar surprises, such as a gas station sign with an outdated phone number and a statue of Jean-Jacques Rousseau that's been knocked over multiple times.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Daniel Benchimol shows us around Montmorency, a town famous for being the residence of the Enlightenment philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau, who lived in the "House of Gossips." Montmorency also boasts a medieval communal oven and is near a sulfurous spring that is open to the public!
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Daniel takes us north of Paris to Montmorency, a charming little town with a collegiate church called the Collégial Saint Martin. This historic town is only a stone's throw away from the ultramodern business district of La Défense.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Daniel takes us to Montmorency, a historic town in the Paris region that dates all the way back to the ninth century. Among many other attractions, the town features a public garden dedicated to Lucie Aubrac, one of the most famous figures of the French Resistance during World War II.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Discover Chambourcy with Daniel Benchimol. Chambourcy is a small town on the outskirts of Paris that is full of charming surprises. An interesting garden called Le Désert de Retz will take you back through time with eclectic constructions reminiscent of extinct civilizations.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Every summer, the city of Paris organizes activities to entertain Parisians who don't go on holiday. On the banks of the Seine, you'll be able to play chess or checkers and feel like you're on vacation. There are also plenty of activities for children.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Lionel visits a vineyard in Bruley near Toul. In this video, the wine grower Isabelle explains the advantages of high vines versus low ones. The high vines are easier to maintain.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Lionel visits a winery in the Lorraine region, which was full of vineyards in Roman times. Only a fraction of those vineyards remain today. This particular winery produces a wine called "Gris de Toul" (Toul Gray) due to the grayish color of the grapes during the fermentation process.
Difficulty: Beginner
France
In this video, you'll hear an informal conversation between two friends who share a strong resemblance....
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Global warming is threatening the ski industry in the French Alps. Many operators have to resort to snow guns to keep the slopes open as snowfall has halved in the last fifty years.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
The popular theme park Parc Astérix, situated north of Paris, opened a new area called "La Forêt d'Idéfix" (Dogmatix's Forest), which is specially designed for families with young children. This video goes behind the scenes to find out how the druids themselves built the attractions... with a little help from the designers.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Right in the heart of Paris, the Comédie-Française is a major institution. It's a theater where the famous playwright Molière performed his plays over three centuries ago. To this day, the Comédie-Française still captures the imagination of French people.
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
France
Lionel takes us inside an amazing store filled with multicolored candies called dragées, or sugared almonds. This confection is very much a part of French tradition as it is offered at weddings, baptisms, and communions. A good-quality dragée is made from a top variety of almond like the Avola. Larger almonds require a thinner layer of sugar, which is considered a sign of quality as the delicate almond flavor won't be overwhelmed by the sugar.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
We continue our tour of the Norman Vexin region with a stop in the hamlet of Boisgeloup, where Pablo Picasso once lived. If you get hungry while strolling around this charming little village, make sure to stop in the bakery Chez Valérie et Patrick Bunel, which won an award for best traditional baguette. You can eat one while admiring the beautiful Saint-Jean-Baptiste Church for a wonderful sensory experience.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
A theatrical spectacle called "Je t'aime, un peu, beaucoup, aveuglément" revisited the Oedipus myth, incorporating works on the same theme from twentieth-century French playwrights. The event took place in the Château du Grand-Pressigny, and the public was encouraged to wander around the castle as part of the show.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Lionel takes us inside a shop that sells "dragées" (sugared almonds), which are the specialty of Verdun. These treats come in all colors and flavors, from chocolate to marzipan to hazelnut. If you want to try the famous "dragées," be sure to visit this shop in Verdun on your next trip to France!
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