Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Shop at the market in Rennes, historic capital of Brittany, and join master chef Rachel Gesbert as she prepares delicacies into a delicious feast.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Paris to Marseille for just 19 euros. Passengers are thrilled, but the ticket agent unions are not. These internet-only sale prices are putting their jobs at stake. Onboard, passengers can get a massage, or rent a DVD player, making for a more relaxing trip. Book your seat today!
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Rail travel between Paris and Marseilles used to be a lengthy ordeal. In 1950, the road trip took over ten hours, as did the train. By 2001, the TGV needed only three hours.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Joëlle Aubron, who died in 2006, was freed in 2004 after more than sixteen years in prison. She was a member of Action Directe, a movement which was responsible for a variety of violent events in the 1980s, most notably the assassination of the head of Renault in 1987.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Two hundred sheep jumped to their death in the French Alps. Even though no predator was seen, wolves in the Alps have been causing a lot of controversy lately. Should we just allow Mother Nature to maintain the circle of life? Or should wolves be hunted and killed to protect the sheep and their shepherds?
Difficulty: Intermediate
Martinique
Hurricanes are of course some of the most powerful and dangerous storms known to man, but they are also an occasion to enjoy the thrill of nature. As Hurricane Ivan approached Martinique, surfers took to the reefs and people gathered at the water’s edge to witness the approaching fury.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
The summer months have been very dry in many parts of France for the past several years.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Like the SATs for Americans, or A level in the UK, the baccalauréat exam, or le bac, creates more than its fair share of stress in students, especially on the day when they find out the results, the culmination of an entire school career. Students meet outside the school where exam results are posted, and share the emotion of knowing whether they and their friends succeeded or not.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Costume rental shops in Paris start their season before Christmas. For New Year’s Eve, who wants to dress like Austrian Princess Sisi or wear a Scottish kilt?
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Today’s mime is a far cry from Marcel Marceau, whose clones accost you in the park.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Fans are boycotting Olympique de Marseille (OM), whose record hasn’t been stellar of late. Organizers say the team doesn’t deserve support and that the owners shouldn’t expect fans to continue filling the stands if something isn’t done to improve the level of play.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
On the 9th of November, 1989, the wall that divided the German city of Berlin began to fall along with the East German state that built it. Claudia Rusch, a young Francophile, was one of the first to scramble over what remained of the divide, meeting up with a French friend on the western side. She’s recently recounted her story in a book, which is a best-seller in her native Germany.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
While no one denies that the Queen Mary 2 rightfully flies the Union Jack, she was built in France and this is where she sails when feeling homesick. As she comes to drop anchor on French shores, proud spectators come out to welcome her ashore.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
French movie star Agnès Jaoui talks about playing a French movie star in the film Le rôle de sa vie. The film, which explores relationships between movie stars and average folk, is the directorial debut for François Favrat, who may become a celebrity in his own right if the film is a success.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
The mortality rate for people with AIDS in France is one fifth of what it once was. Not only that, but modern medications are much easier to schedule.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
On the slopes, skiers at Les Menuires enjoy their winter vacations despite trying conditions. Who needs snow when you have fun!
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
X-Games: As though windsurfing wasn’t hard enough, they had to add a series of jump-obstacles to the race just to keep things interesting! Check out the “extreme kid” french voiceover… c’est formidable!
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Long-time French residents of Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) have been forced to flee the country due to political and racial unrest. Returning to France, they often feel like strangers in a strange land. Many of them, not so young, find that they have to start their lives again from scratch.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
The Malgré-nous (Despite Ourselves) are the roughly 130,000 young Alsatians from Lorraine, many of them recruited by force, who served under the Nazis during World War II.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
The Oradour-sur-Glane massacre took place over a half a century ago, but France still remembers.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Sailing around the world in a boat by yourself might seem like the ultimate in machismo, but the Vendée Globe is not only a man’s game.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Racing around the world by yourself often means a Christmas at sea. We drop in to the cabin of race leader Jean Le Cam, which has been decorated for the occasion, right down to a little tree.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Only four bears remain in Haut-Béarn, and all of them are male. Nothing can be done to save the population unless some females are introduced.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Excessive algae blooms are causing what is known as “green tides” off the coast of Brittany, affecting ten percent of its coastline. Agriculture is the culprit, due to its extensive use of fertilizers and production of animal wastes, both of which make their way to the ocean and feed the algae.
Are you sure you want to delete this comment? You will not be able to recover it.