Professor Joseph Melone stresses the importance of sources in historical research. He also makes the disputed claim that Shakespeare never existed. Whether you believe that or not, his message is clear: check your sources!

Professor Joseph Melone explains to us how countries got their name. He shares some very interesting insights on the origin of the name "France," coming from the word franc.

Enjoy another walk through the fields with pig brothers Piggeldy and Frédéric. This time Piggeldy wants to know what a letter is.

Piggeldy asks his big brother Frédéric what rain is. According to Frédéric, there are ten types of rain, but Piggeldy tells him he's missing one.

Piggeldy asks Frédéric what proverbs are. But when Frédéric responds to him only using proverbs, he can't understand him!

Enjoy another walk through the fields with pig brothers Piggeldy and Frédéric. This time Piggeldy wants to know what bees are.

Enjoy another walk through the fields with pig brothers Piggeldy and Frédéric. This time Piggeldy wants to know what a sheep is.

Piggeldy wants to know what a weed (une mauvaise herbe, literally "a bad herb") is. His big brother Frédéric takes him to the countryside in search of some.

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.

Singer-songwriter Phil Cambron talks about the “chanson vivante” scene in Montreal, his musical tastes and his ambitions.

Our presenter Peter is in front of the Olympia, which is the oldest music hall in Paris. Many French singers and big stars from around the world have performed there, from Edith Piaf to Liza Minnelli. The Olympia was entirely rebuilt in 2001.

Thierry Millet is an umbrella repairer in Paris, and one of last remaining ones in France. He shares his wealth of knowledge and some interesting umbrella facts. Did you know that the first umbrella dates from 6500 B.C.?

If you're looking for your next vacation spot, you might want to consider the beautiful Côte d'Azur, also known as the French Riviera. Whether you're into swimming, sailing, scuba diving, or just basking in la vie balnéaire (the seaside life), you'll find everything you need along France's "azure coast."

In the second installment of this video on the Côte d'Azur, our tour guide shows us around one of the area's beautiful pebble beaches, which are a favorite of the locals but not very well-known to tourists. In addition to providing endless ammunition for skipping stones on the sea, the pebbles also help break up the waves during heavy storms.

In this last video on the Côte d'Azur, you'll learn the French expressions for all the essential items for a perfect beach day. If you visit the beautiful Côte d'Azur, make sure to bring an extra comfortable towel—its beaches are filled with pebbles instead of sand!