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.

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.

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.

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.

Lionel takes us to a repurposing festival. It's the second edition of this festival in the Marais neighborhood, offering a great opportunity to recycle, repurpose, and reuse everyday objects that would otherwise be discarded. It's also a great way of taking care of our planet.

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.

When the weather is nice, Parisians meet up on the riverbanks every weekend to dance, talk, and spend time with friends. For those who love dancing, there are free salsa, hip-hop, and Afro-Cuban dance lessons. It's a party!

Louis and Fabio meet in a park to discuss the nice weather, their summer vacation plans, and the benefits of taking a break from their phones. You'll learn a lot of new slang words in this video!

Bruno Légeron tells us about his family business of making artificial flowers and feathers for fashion houses and the movie industry. The Maison Légeron dates all the way back to 1727.

Come learn some animal idioms with Manon and Clémentine! They'll show you how cats, dogs, and wolves can help you to improve your everyday French.

Today Manon and Clémentine present a number of "set expressions," or idiomatic phrases. Hopefully you're not feeling "soft in the knee"—there are a lot of useful expressions to learn in this lesson!

Whether you're a scholar, a budding writer, or just a casual beach reader, you'll find a lot to learn in Manon and Clémentine's lesson on book-related vocabulary. Using one of the most renowned works of French literature, In Search of Lost Time, as a guide, our two friends also recite their own poem on the future of the book. Happy reading!

Manon and Clémentine will show you how to make an appointment at the doctor's... and how to reschedule it when your friend invites you to go shopping instead!

Jeremy and Marie play a round of Monopoly. As you'll see, the game gets a little out of hand after the auction... but in any event, you'll have learned some valuable vocabulary to be able to play Monopoly in French.

Marie is interested in learning how to draw and paint. She decides to take classes with Sandra, a local art teacher, who gives her a list of all the supplies she'll need.

Marie is taking her first drawing lesson with Sandra, so she brought all her new material to show her tutor. In the process, you will learn a ton of vocabulary!

Sandra is giving Marie her first drawing lesson, starting with an exercise called "blind drawing." Try it out yourself!

Sandra has brought some leaves and flowers for Marie to draw. She stresses the importance of drawing what you see, not what you think you see.

Sandra teaches Marie how to draw a plant and a vase using crosshatching and shading to add perspective. Just a few strokes go a long way!

Sandra gives Marie some pointers on how to draw a leaf. And Marie shares some surprising information about the painter Henri Rousseau.

Marie continues her lesson with Sandra, who will talk about anatomy and how to draw movement. But first, they have to get their payment agreement squared away.

Sandra shows Marie a series of paintings about childhood games and explains what she'll need to know in order to depict movement.

With the help of a mannequin, Sandra introduces Marie to the study of anatomy. They'll follow Charles Bargue's drawing course, which inspired famous artists like Van Gogh.

Marie gets an in-depth lesson on how to draw faces. With careful observation, she should be able to complete her assignment.