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.

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.

In part two of her lesson on elisions, Patricia will help you navigate the rules of elisions with multiple examples. They're an essential part of French speech that will no longer be a mystery!

In the first part of this series on negation, you will learn how to use the formula ne... ni... ni (neither... nor... nor) to construct a negative sentence in French.

In the second part of this series on negation, you will learn the negative forms rien ne... (nothing), ne... aucun(e) (not any), and ne... nulle part (nowhere). We hope you will be feeling more positive about these negatives!

In part three of this series on negation, Patricia demonstrates the use of adverbs of frequency in the affirmative and in the negative form. Some changes are required with some adverbs.

Patricia concludes her lesson on negation with a discussion of phrases using sans (without), double negation, and negation in the imperative mood.

Come visit the neighborhood of Vieux Nice (Old Nice), with its charming village atmosphere and interesting architecture. You will notice a definite Italian influence in this French city near the Italian border.

The artist Henri Matisse lived in a beautiful building, the Palais Caïs de Pierlas, in the Old Nice neighborhood. He captured the neighborhood's colorful atmosphere in many of his paintings.

Discover the unique street patterns of Old Nice, which benefit from the Mediterranean wind and provide an ingenious and efficient cooling system for the neighborhood.

Patricia points out some architectural peculiarities in Old Nice. For example, the windows are very narrow to keep the heat out in the summer. Some houses even have special shutters with a lower part that opens separately to let in cool air.

In this video on Nice, Patricia explains the history of the city, its Italian heritage, and its typically French atmosphere.

Patricia talks about the bustling Cours Saleya in the Vieux Nice neighborhood. In the nineteenth century the Cours Saleya attracted intellectuals to its literary salons, as well as tourists from all over the world.

Patricia is on the Promenade des Anglais, the most famous avenue in Nice. The avenue is very long and stretches from the port of Nice to its airport. You can even wheel your suitcase all the way to the airport and catch your plane.

The Promenade des Anglais is Nice's most famous and beautiful avenue. Sadly, its reputation was tarnished by a 2016 tragedy that left 80 pedestrians dead. As a result, safety barriers have been installed to prevent this from happening again.