Difficulty: Intermediate
France
We end our visit to the museum where Josef Pyrz's beautiful wooden statues are displayed. Find out why some heads are represented upside down and a few are not.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Enjoy the exquisite statues of Josef Pyrz, a Polish sculptor who finally found recognition thanks to the famous composer Olivier Messiaen who propelled his career. The statues are made of various woods and many have a religious theme.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Jacqueline explains how the building that now houses Josef Pyrz's sculptures came about.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Jacqueline shows Lionel some magnificent wooden statues by a Polish sculptor who settled in France.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
The Calendar of Peace includes three figures depicted with their eyes closed, signifying their "inward-looking" lives: Jesus, Buddha, and Louis Braille.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
In part two of this series, we continue our visit of the little village of Schorbach and join Jacqueline and Lionel at the Calendar of Peace Museum, which depicts famous figures throughout history, from Buddha to Louis Braille.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Lionel and Jacqueline take us to the Moselle region in the little town of Schorbach, which is renowned for its pink sandstone sculptures and its Path of the Ten Covenants.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
We continue our visit to Vaucouleurs, a small town where Joan of Arc spent part of her life. Her story sparked many legends and anecdotes, one of which concerns a magical linden tree...
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Nathalie explains how Joan of Arc's persistence paid off. She passed through the France Gate in Vaucouleurs to meet her destiny defending her country.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
We go from Domrémy, where Joan of Arc was born, to Vaucouleurs, where her story really begins. She was called to defend France even though her hometown wasn't technically part of it.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
We conclude our visit to the Joan of Arc museum with a look at Joan's influence through the ages. Did you know that the company that used Joan's image the most in advertising was Laughing Cow cheese?
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Discover some more amazing facts about Joan of Arc. Did you know that she is the French figure about whom the most films and books have been made, surpassing even Napoleon and de Gaulle?
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
The second room of the Joan of Arc museum is dedicated to the iconography of the saint, including a bronze sculpture by Prosper D'Épinay.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Lionel and Nathalie take us to the Joan of Arc Museum, where you will discover many of her portraits. Interestingly, none of these portraits were made during her lifetime and nobody knows for sure what she looked like.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Come to Vaucouleurs and discover the crypt where Joan of Arc used to pray during her stays. Also check out the interactive museum where Joan will bring history to life and ask you questions!
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
We conclude our tour of Joan of Arc's birthplace with a look at the very spot where she heard divine voices for the first time. You don't want to miss this!
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
We continue our tour of Joan of Arc's childhood home in the bedroom she shared with her sister. Joan used to look out the window to contemplate the town church.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
In this tour of Joan of Arc's childhood home in Domrémy, you'll get to see the room where the iconic figure was born.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
In the final part of Lionel and Roger's tour of the Domrémy basilica, you will discover a painting depicting Joan of Arc's tragic end at the stake.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Lionel takes us inside the Saint Joan of Arc Basilica, which contains several paintings depicting events in Joan's life.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Join Lionel and Roger in front of the Domrémy basilica dedicated to Joan of Arc. You will find out some more about her family, as well as a surprising fact about Roger's!
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Lionel is with Roger in the town of Domrémy, the birthplace of Joan of Arc. You will discover the statue of the three saints who spoke to Joan at the age of thirteen and a half, as legend has it.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Cyril and Lionel end our visit to the citadel by showing us where the officers of the garrison slept. And why not take them up on their invitation to visit the citadel in person during your future travels?
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Lionel takes us to a bakery, not the modern kind, but one located beneath the citadel of Bitche. The four giant ovens could each bake five hundred rations a day to feed up to two thousand soldiers!
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Cyril walks us through the underground passages where livestock was kept and troops were housed during the 1870-71 siege of Bitche.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
We continue our tour of the citadel of Bitche deep in its underground passages, which contain a large well that dates from the Middle Ages.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
You will discover in this video the great history of Bitche, a medieval city in the east of France. Its citadel, an important line of defense in the Thirty Years' War, was rebuilt on the ruins of a castle dating back to the twelfth century.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
We continue our visit to Liverdun with Lionel. The town features a lot of houses with gerbières, or hayloft windows, through which people would hoist sheaves of wheat.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
The village of Liverdun has an interesting fountain with a huge underground reservoir that collects water from the nearby Moselle River. In the Middle Ages, people used the religious statues on the village's street corners to orient themselves.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Lionel is in the town of Grand, a Gallo-Roman city whose origin is puzzling, as there was no main source of water in the area.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Lionel is in the city of Schengen in Luxembourg. He talks about the Schengen Area, a group of countries between which European citizens can pass freely, without border checks.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Lionel is in the Duchy of Luxembourg in Remich, a lovely town on the banks of the Moselle River. It has a lot to offer: boat rides, walking trails, and pleasant green surroundings.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Lionel takes us to the tiny country of Luxembourg. Wedged between France, Belgium, and Germany, Luxembourg boasts one of the highest gross national products per capita and is one of the richest nations in the world.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
We continue our walk around the little town of Liverdun, perched on a rock spur near the Moselle river. Françoise tells us about its collegiate church and the legend of Saint Euchaire.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Lionel is in Liverdun, a small town in the Lorraine region that dates at least to Roman times. Burial grounds called tumuli have been discovered in the area around the Moselle river, which loops around the town.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
We continue our visit to Liverdun with Françoise and Lionel who will show you inside the collegiate church of Liverdun. It once housed the relics of Saint Euchaire, which were looted during the Revolution. Now all that remains is the statue of the saint with his head... in his hands!
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Françoise talks to Lionel about the Church of Liverdun. Built in 1184, the church is distinctive for its two superimposed doorways: an original Romanesque one, and a Baroque one added in the eighteenth century.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
In this third segment on the madeleine, a specialty of the Lorraine region, we find out more about the history of the famous pastry. Did you know that the first madeleine appeared in the Middle Ages?
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Lionel is still in Liverdun, a small village in the Lorraine, to find out some more about the madeleine. It's a specialty of the region that comes in various delicious flavors, such as mirabelle plum and bergamot orange.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Meet Jean-Claude and Rachelle, who own a specialty store full of delicious goodies. They talk to Lionel about the madeleine, a specialty of the Lorraine region that was supposedly invented by a cook named (you guessed it!) Madeleine.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Lionel and Jean-Pierre conclude the Lindre-Basse series from the top of a wildlife observatory overlooking the Lindre pond. It's a very fragile area filled with bird life that deserves protection.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Jean-Pierre teaches Lionel some more interesting facts about the birds of the Saulnes region. For example, did you know that a swan can eat up to three kilos of grass per day? How's that for a vegetarian diet!
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Jean-Pierre gives Lionel some more information about the habits of storks. These migratory birds can be trained to be sedentary so visitors have a chance to see them year-round.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Still in the Lindre-Basse region, Jean-Pierre explains the fish breeding process to Lionel. They also enjoy the beautiful sight of storks building their nests during mating season.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Lionel and his cousin Jean-Pierre continue their visit to the Lindre-Basse area with its amazing natural surroundings. The ponds teem with fish and birds for a while before being drained and then used for cultivation, which in turn will enrich the soil after they're refilled.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Lionel is in Toul, twenty-seven kilometers from Nancy in the northeast of France. This small medieval town has a pretty riverside port and a magnificent Gothic cathedral called Cathédrale Saint-Étienne. Don't miss Lionel's signature pun at the end of this video!
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Lionel and Jean-Pierre talk about fish farming in the pond of Lindre-Basse. This practice dates back to the Middle Ages with an order of soldier-monks called the Knights Templar.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Lionel and Jean-Pierre try to find their bearings along the Lindre pond. Luckily they have a compass! Jean-Pierre will teach you how to use a compass and explain the difference between true north and magnetic north.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Lionel and his cousin Jean-Pierre visit a nature park in the Saulnois region with some interesting wildlife. Storks are a major attraction in the region. Unlike other storks, these storks don't migrate, but stay year-round.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Lionel concludes his discussion of train rides in France at the Rémilly station. Built in 1851, the station now has a special significance for film lovers.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
We continue our series on train travel in the Moselle region, where we'll accompany Lionel on a short train ride from Faulquemont to Rémilly. Many commuters travel to and from work by train each day, some even to Germany, which is just a few miles across the border.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
If you wish to travel in France by train, you will find Lionel's video very useful. He will teach you the necessary vocabulary for buying a train ticket from a ticket machine. Happy travels!
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
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.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
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.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Astrid gives us a detailed description of the Toul Cathedral, its history, and its special features. Though its gargoyles may look scary, they serve a special purpose: draining rainwater off the roof. A light and sound show takes place every year, highlighting the gargoyles and the cathedral's amazing architecture.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Still in Toul, Lionel takes a closer look at the Saint-Étienne Cathedral in Toul. Its construction started in the thirteen hundreds and was completed around 1495.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Lionel takes us inside a shop that sells "dragées" (sugared almonds), which are the specialty of Verdun. These treats come in all colors and flavors, from chocolate to marzipan to hazelnut. If you want to try the famous "dragées," be sure to visit this shop in Verdun on your next trip to France!
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Lionel stays in Verdun for part two of this series. You will see the remains of the famous Battle of Verdun, which took place in 1916 and lasted ten months. The French soldiers were called poilus or "hairy men" because of their unshaven faces. Verdun also has a magnificent cathedral with stained glass windows.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Lionel Brigeot takes us to the northeast of France to the town of Verdun, where the famous Battle of Verdun took place during World War I. Follow Lionel up the Victory Steps, commemorating the battle in which more than one hundred sixty-three thousand soldiers lost their lives.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Lionel takes us to an Alsace flea market and unearths some shopping gems: old vintage postcards painted by a student of Picasso, a set of tires, a few saucepans, and a makeup kit that he buys for his four-and-a-half-year-old daughter, or so he claims...
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