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.

At the Balzac Museum in the Château de Saché, exclusive period furniture was brought in to illustrate Honoré de Balzac's famous collection of novels, La Comédie Humaine (The Human Comedy). Balzac was famous for his lengthy, detailed descriptions of interiors in his novels.

Part two of this video on "La Marseillaise" explains how it evolved from a song of war and freedom to its current status as the French national anthem. The fact remains that it still stirs up controversy for its violent content, which some find offensive.

Patricia discusses the history of the the French national anthem, "La Marseillaise," explaining how the song traveled from the Rhine region to Marseille, where it earned its final name.
She even sings a few lines of the song for us!

In this video, you will learn the history of the French flag. Once it was completely white, the color of the French royalty, and now it's blue, white, and red. The French flag has recently been tainted with controversy by nationalist groups who have appropriated it as a symbol of their own causes.

This artist discovered her true calling: she collects driftwood and other found materials for her art. Her predilection is birds, all kinds of birds, that she paints to make signs or other creations for her clients. Her studio bears the tongue-in-cheek name of "La Dilettante," or "The Dilettante," which she is not by any means...

In the final installment of his tour of Compiègne, Daniel takes us to the "Haras National" (National Stud Farm), where some of the most prestigious horses in France have been raised since the 1700s. He also shows us the Imperial Theater, built by Napoleon III, and the Museum of Internment and Deportation, which commemorates the prisoners of the Royallieu concentration camp.

In the third installment of Daniel's tour of Compiègne, he shows us the magnificent Saint Jacques Church, which happens to be a stop along the Way of St. James. He also takes us to some former salt warehouses and to a beautiful garden surrounded by medieval walls.

As Daniel explains, Joan of Arc is a bit of an "obsession" among French people, and tributes to her can be found in many towns across France. Compiègne has particularly close ties to the country's patron saint—after assisting the town in its fight against the Burgundians, she was captured by them in 1430.

Daniel introduces the charming town of Compiègne and its magnificent City Hall. In the City Hall building, you'll find the Bancloque, a fourteenth-century bell that still rings today with the help of three automated figures called jacquemarts that "poke" the bell on the hour. And make sure to stop by the burger kiosk on your way out of the city for a delicious, locally sourced treat!

In the last part of his tour of the town of Gisors, Daniel shows us an interesting structure called a cabinet de verdure (greenery chamber) as well as a waterfall that served as the major driving force of the town's economy for centuries. Daniel also tells us the story of Philippe Auguste and the Golden Virgin, which you won't want to miss!

There's no better time to break out the bubbly than to celebrate the New Year. In this video, you will learn all about champagne, including how bubbles occur in a glass.

This nursery offers various species of Christmas trees to suit every taste and every budget. The traditional spruce tree of many French people's childhoods is still going strong, but the Nordmann fir has gained popularity. Species of trees with a bluish tinge or a nice pine tree fragrance are also available.

Daniel Benchimol braves the freezing temperature to show us around the beautiful medieval town of Gisors in the Vexin region in the north of France. The highlight of the town is its eleventh-century castle, which is currently undergoing major restoration work. The castle was once surrounded by a moat, and some of its towers still remain, with imposing names like "Prisoner's Tower" and "Chilly Tower."

Audrey is a practitioner of yarn bombing, a street art movement originating from the United States. You'll find her art all over the city of Lyon. She crochets colorful pieces that she uses to cover anything that takes her fancy, from bicycle seats to lamp posts and a few statues.

A few kilometers from Paris, on Chatou Island (also known as Impressionists' Island), Daniel Benchimol has a nice surprise for you.... Watch this video to find out what it is!

The "Doubles" exhibition at the Dini Museum in Villefranche-sur-Saône explores the role of the double in art history in all its forms—from mirror effects, to diptychs, to self-portraits—through works spanning from the Renaissance to the present day.

Alessandro goes to the Autumn Fair, a craft show that takes place every October at Porte de Versailles, near Paris. He is not afraid to voice his opinion and pokes gentle fun at the artistic attempts with his clever word play and good-humored insults, which elicit a few chuckles.

Why not bring the orchestra to the people instead of the people going to the orchestra? That's exactly what the Lyon Villeurbanne Symphony Orchestra did. They brought the opera Carmen to the bowling alley in the town of Mornant so that people would not have to travel hundreds of miles to enjoy the show.

In this episode, Pierre Esparre, a fine mosaic artist, explains how he discovered his talent and how he gets his inspiration from everyday life, whether it's a street scene, a YouTube video, or an Internet page. Watch this video to see how Pierre translates his ideas into quirky, humorous, and eye-catching creations.

Laurent literally takes sand castles to new heights with his giant sand sculptures, and he's sharing his love of beach art with the next generation. In this video, Laurent teaches a group of kids how to build a giant turtle out of sand.

Zombies from many different eras have invaded Lyon! That is, zombie enthusiasts with impressive makeup and costumes have invaded. The ninth-annual Zombie Walk has attracted around a thousand of the undead to roam across the city under the theme "a return to the past."

If you're a comic book lover, you might want to hop on a plane to Lyon, which has held a huge comic book festival for the past ten years. This year, they're even launching a monthly comics magazine called "The Streets of Lyon."

Alessandro braves the men's beauty parlor. In addition to a clean shave, he is having his eyebrows, nose hair, and ear hair trimmed. Ouch! After a painful plucking session, he looks fantastic and somewhat relieved it's over...