It takes a lot to decorate the 31-meter high Christmas tree on Strasbourg's Place Kléber: ten technicians, two bucket lifts, 75 thousand lights. Luckily, the operation is being managed by Antoinette Pfimlin, who has 20 years of experience decorating giant trees in a hard hat.

Despite the cold weather, people are flocking to the opening of the Colmar Christmas market in Alsace. In this video, tourists talk shopping and vendors explain why they like to work at the Christmas market.

What is the French traditional holiday fare? You'd be surprised... While the classic turkey with chestnut stuffing is still on the menu, some people are getting off the beaten track, pairing classic dishes with ethnic food. Foie gras samosas, anyone? Or how about imitation caviar truffles?

A Primacalc representative introduces a revolutionary eco-friendly device that softens hard water. The device can be installed by a savvy handyman or a plumber.

Joanna and Caroline take us to the northern French city of Nancy in Lorraine. They'll show you around the beautiful Place Stanislas, classified as a World Heritage Site, and the famous Daum crystal studio. A beautiful art piece might set you back a few thousand euros... Be sure to bring your check book or your credit card!

The Musée des Abattoirs (Slaughterhouse Museum) in Toulouse devoted an entire exhibition to dub music, a subgenre of reggae. The exhibition featured a selection of Jamaican-style sound systems and culminated in a big dub concert.

At the Eco Habitat salon, Olivier Brunet from the "Terres Cuites de Courboissy" (Courboissy Terracotta) tile factory explains how they make floor tiles that are both eco-friendly and pleasing to the eye. One of their clients even had his floor tiles made to look three dimensional!

The pianist Alexandre Tharaud plays Beethoven and Chopin in the beautiful surroundings of the Chambord castle. It's an outdoor concert, but the acoustics are so powerful that the performers can hear a pin drop from the audience!

An exhibition called "Pottery through the Ages" is being held at La Châtaignère in Savoie, near the Alps. A friendly woman explains the history of pottery, from Ancient Egyptian artifacts to Biblical clay men to modern techniques.

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 are a fishing enthusiast or not, hop on board Charlie's boat and listen to what he has to say. The Indre-et-Loire Federation hired him to promote fishing and help revamp the dowdy image of the fisherman by dispelling stereotypes and encouraging young people to take up the sport.

Tourists can enjoy the Bérard waterfall in the Alps once again. At a cost of one hundred fifty thousand euros, a new footbridge leading to the waterfall and the Cave of Farinet was recently inaugurated.

The Lille Piano Festival is taking place in a subway station, where pianists bring music to the train commuters for their enjoyment and perhaps a gentle introduction to jazz and classical music.

Henri Griffon, an art enthusiast, puts his passion to work and brings together an amazing collection of contemporary artwork featuring the best artists from the Vendée.

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!