Join Daniel Benchimol on his tour of the quaint town of Fourqueux. There, you will find a magnificent house where Victor Hugo, the famous French poet and writer, once stayed. Adding to the historic atmosphere, old road markers and vintage hand-painted advertising signs are a great reminder of a colorful past.

Next to the Dreyfus Museum stands Emile Zola's house, which you can also visit. The famous writer financed his estate with the proceeds from his novels, and he even named the two towers he later added after two of his novels. He also hosted many of the biggest names in French literature and art.

In addition to housing the second largest port in the Paris region, Nogent-sur-Marne also includes a promenade dedicated to the "accordion queen" Yvette Horner and a square named after the famous Corsican singer Tino Rossi. The latter is located on the Marne River's "Île de Beauté" (Island of Beauty), which is also a nickname for Corsica.

It's back to the past, with the Once Upon a Time series. How did America get its name? Take a trip back to Renaissance Italy in this first episode of The Explorers to find out.

At the Paris Salon du Livre this year, in response to the visit of the Israeli president, six Arab nations decided to exclude themselves from the event. Some attendees were puzzled by the boycott, especially considering that many Israeli writers are known to advocate the creation of a Palestinian state. With all that pressure, no wonder the roof collapsed!