Episode nine of this series focuses on Galileo, a prolific inventor and scientist. He discovered the principle of the simple pendulum motion, very useful in the measure of time and later in the making of clocks.

Alessandro visits a wine festival with his breathalyzer to make sure that nothing more than some innocent dégustation (sampling) is going on. Some of the people he interviews fail the test, but one expert claims it might not be that accurate to begin with!

In this video, a young Galileo gets one of his first revolutionary ideas on how to measure time. Pretty impressive for a fourteen-year-old, huh?

In this video, a representative at an ecology trade show presents some innovative building materials that are eco-friendly and will allow you to save some money on your energy bills. These materials are made out of gypsum cellulose and are used for insulation.

The Maestro explains how the revolutionary ideas of the early discoverers, which we now take for granted, were not always well received. Before Galileo, for example, everyone believed that the sun and all the other planets revolved around the earth!

In his song "Le monde est beau" (The World Is Beautiful), Oldelaf's ironic take on social networking is bittersweet and not without humor.

Whether you're a scholar, a budding writer, or just a casual beach reader, you'll find a lot to learn in Manon and Clémentine's lesson on book-related vocabulary. Using one of the most renowned works of French literature, In Search of Lost Time, as a guide, our two friends also recite their own poem on the future of the book. Happy reading!

In this hilarious video, Allessandro Di Sarno decides to strip (nearly) naked to determine whether Parisians are really as jaded as he thinks they are. Luckily the only violence he suffers is at the hands of an elderly woman, who pokes him with her cane!

In the last segment of this Il était une fois... episode on technology, we learn more about what vertical farms can do to help the planet thrive. The first commercial vertical farm recently opened in Singapore.

Our eco-friendly home show representative explains the benefits of cellulose wadding versus fiberglass, two insulation materials commonly used in houses.

The students present the Maestro with various solutions for eliminating pollution on our planet, including vertical farms and biotechnology.

For New Year's Eve, come join the mountain people of the Savoie region at the O’Communailles restaurant where good local food is being served with a twist in a convivial atmosphere. Then watch the happy locals dance the night away.

In keeping with northern European traditions, Saint Nicholas visits local French schools to bring good cheer and some treats! Luckily, his partner Père Fouettard, who usually hands out coal to naughty children, is away looking after his sick donkey today.

Twenty-one thousand letters to Santa Claus were sent this year in Marseille. As if he didn't have enough on his plate, Saint Nick will send a handwritten response to each one, as long as their senders are on his "nice" list (and indicated their return address)!

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.