In this powerful music video, Grand Corps Malade puts a modern twist on Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and even gives it a happy ending. You'll find a good amount of argot (slang) in the song lyrics, including some verlan, a form of slang that's very popular among French youth.

In "Les Voyages en train" (Train Rides), the French slam poet Grand Corps Malade creates an extended metaphor comparing love stories to train rides. Just as a successful train ride involves arriving at the station on time and catching the right train, a good love story involves finding the right person at the right moment in one's life. See if you can find some other similarities between the two in this gorgeous video.

In "Je suis Charlie" (I Am Charlie), Fabien Marsaud a.k.a. Grand Corps Malade commemorates the victims of the devastating attack on the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. As the slam poet notes, "I prefer to pick up a pen because tonight I am Charlie."

These brief interviews on the streets of Lille were conducted in order to test the waters of the tricky dispute over the banning of burqa-wearing in public.

Alice is fighting for a great cause: animal abandonment. She rescued her dog, Gadoue, named after the muddy terrain where he was found, through "Réflexe Adoption," an organization dedicated to animal welfare.

The rock group La Jarry has set to music a text written by Florence Cassez, a French woman who was imprisoned in Mexico in 2005 for her alleged involvement with a Mexican kidnapping ring. Cassez's case has provoked diplomatic tensions between Mexico and France in the years following her arrest.

Some people believe that plants contain pollution-reducing properties. However, a study by a group of researchers in Lille debunked that theory.

The greenhouses at the Tourcoing botanical garden contain a lot of exotic greenery, from banana trees to cacao and coffee plants. Visitors can take a guided tour of the garden to see where some of the foods they eat every day come from.

Eight-person bicycles, reversed tandems... Why not try them on your next trip to Lille? If you don't know how to ride these unusual bicycles, rest assured—someone will be there to give you a lesson. Just be careful not to fall off!

The Lille Piano Festival is taking place in a subway station, where pianists bring music to the train commuters for their enjoyment and perhaps a gentle introduction to jazz and classical music.

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.

With Christmas just around the corner, it's time to think of decorations and a festive table. You will learn how to fold a napkin in the shape of a flower, which is sure to dazzle friends and family. Do try this at home!

Making the news in Grand Lille is the end of an urban legend in the town of Villeneuve D'Ascq. A house that is supposedly haunted is being torn down, along with the stories and the rumors surrounding it. The demolition of the house is fairly uneventful, but will the legend live on?

What's the weather in Lille in northern France? Listen to a French weather forecaster and learn some very useful vocabulary. Soon, you will be able to make up your own forecast and test your skills... as a French speaker and a forecaster!

Meet Françoise, a social worker specializing in animal mediation. She visits children with developmental disabilities and introduces them to her four-legged friends. Health management students Noémie and Clémence work alongside Françoise and enjoy seeing the children flourish.