Travel: Provence 🌸

🏄‍♂️ If you love the south of France—the sun, the sea, and great food—but are tired of the overwhelming crowds of tourists, look no further: the Basque Country is the place for you. Still relatively low-profile, with a charm often overshadowed by the French Riviera, this region has something for everyone—from history, linguistics, and culture enthusiasts to surfers and hikers! Join this week's conversation on https://www.frenchconversationgroup.comRelated episodes: le béret basque (https://youtu.be/yAV8_Nlj5nI), Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle (https://youtu.be/expwWTCsjY0), Maurice Ravel (https://youtu.be/cmH_YGoF0v4)🎵 Soundtrack: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6i4JjGSsId4CCCVkJuwLHa?si=K0d8KhxkSqqAPq8_kw5XqQ☝️ If you enjoyed this episode, please consider:- supporting on https://www.patreon.com/frenchconversationgroup or https://anchor.fm/frenchconversationgroup- subscribe and share🇫🇷 French Conversation Group meets weekly in Los Angeles, New York or online. It's meant for non native speakers (beginners, intermediate, advanced) to practice their French and have fun. You're more than welcome to join! Check out this link for more info: https://www.frenchconversationgroup.com

🐄 How can a grudge last so long? In 1375, the inhabitants of two small Pyrenean communities, situated between France and Spain, found themselves in a dispute over the use of a water source. As a resolution, it was agreed that three cows would be offered annually by way of reparation. A ruling that evolved into a tradition. To this day, three cows cross the Franco-Spanish border every year to honor the pledge made in the Middle Ages. Join this week's conversation on https://www.frenchconversationgroup.com🎬 (en) Is this Europe's oldest treaty? – BBC Reel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cola7R1hPKA🎵 Soundtrack: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6i4JjGSsId4CCCVkJuwLHa?si=K0d8KhxkSqqAPq8_kw5XqQ☝️ If you enjoyed this episode, please consider:- supporting on https://www.patreon.com/frenchconversationgroup or https://anchor.fm/frenchconversationgroup- subscribe and share🇫🇷 French Conversation Group meets weekly in Los Angeles, New York or online. It's meant for non native speakers (beginners, intermediate, advanced) to practice their French and have fun. You're more than welcome to join! Check out this link for more info: https://www.frenchconversationgroup.com

📸 To mark the bicentenary of the invention of photography, the French Ministry of Culture is organizing a major celebration that will showcase both historical and contemporary work. It is hardly surprising that so much effort is being put into this, given that the pioneers were French—including the very first person to capture light, the inventor Nicéphore Niépce. Join this week's conversation on https://www.frenchconversationgroup.comRelated episodes: Jules Verne (https://youtu.be/FZS2JzcQocs), Alice Guy (https://youtu.be/bZ9H90gEmMs), l'impressionnisme (https://youtu.be/ukVU6OiNn08)🎵 Soundtrack: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6i4JjGSsId4CCCVkJuwLHa?si=K0d8KhxkSqqAPq8_kw5XqQ☝️ If you enjoyed this episode, please consider:- supporting on https://www.patreon.com/frenchconversationgroup or https://anchor.fm/frenchconversationgroup- subscribe and share🇫🇷 French Conversation Group meets weekly in Los Angeles, New York or online. It's meant for non native speakers (beginners, intermediate, advanced) to practice their French and have fun. You're more than welcome to join! Check out this link for more info: https://www.frenchconversationgroup.com

✌️ Standing fifty meters tall, the Arc de Triomphe has dominated the Champs-Élysées for nearly two centuries. Originally erected to celebrate Napoleon’s military victories, the Arch has seen its symbolism evolve over the decades to now embody peace. But do all the sculptures adorning it truly convey this message of peace? Join this week's conversation on https://www.frenchconversationgroup.comRelated episodes: la Marseillaise (https://youtu.be/m4CNOqtRpn0), la tour Eiffel (https://youtu.be/51x_-ZB4SJI), Napoléon (https://youtu.be/8YQ2XI8vBnA)🎵 Soundtrack: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6i4JjGSsId4CCCVkJuwLHa?si=K0d8KhxkSqqAPq8_kw5XqQ☝️ If you enjoyed this episode, please consider:- supporting on https://www.patreon.com/frenchconversationgroup or https://anchor.fm/frenchconversationgroup- subscribe and share🇫🇷 French Conversation Group meets weekly in Los Angeles, New York or online. It's meant for non native speakers (beginners, intermediate, advanced) to practice their French and have fun. You're more than welcome to join! Check out this link for more info: https://www.frenchconversationgroup.com

🛞 Which establishments will be graced with a Michelin star this year? This question is on the minds of countless restaurants around the world, as the distinction can significantly boost their reputation and financial success. However, ironically, the Michelin brand’s connection to gastronomy is rooted in a simple attempt by a tire company to generate publicity. Join this week's conversation on https://www.frenchconversationgroup.comRelated episodes: la gastronomie (https://youtu.be/Ym_sJMuta5M), Peugeot (https://youtu.be/wkhba5cw-2k)🔗 https://guide.michelin.com/🎵 Soundtrack: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6i4JjGSsId4CCCVkJuwLHa?si=K0d8KhxkSqqAPq8_kw5XqQ☝️ If you enjoyed this episode, please consider:- supporting on https://www.patreon.com/frenchconversationgroup or https://anchor.fm/frenchconversationgroup- subscribe and share🇫🇷 French Conversation Group meets weekly in Los Angeles, New York or online. It's meant for non native speakers (beginners, intermediate, advanced) to practice their French and have fun. You're more than welcome to join! Check out this link for more info: https://www.frenchconversationgroup.com

⚽️ Regularly ranked among the top five most popular figures in France, Zinedine Zidane (aka Zizou) left his mark on the world of football during his exceptional playing career, and then excelled as Real Madrid's coach for several more years. His humble beginnings in Marseille made him a role model and an inspiration for subsequent generations. Join this week's conversation on https://www.frenchconversationgroup.comRelated episodes: l'Euro 2020 (https://youtu.be/YAVny9tcVZ8)🎵 Soundtrack: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6i4JjGSsId4CCCVkJuwLHa?si=K0d8KhxkSqqAPq8_kw5XqQ☝️ If you enjoyed this episode, please consider:- supporting on https://www.patreon.com/frenchconversationgroup or https://anchor.fm/frenchconversationgroup- subscribe and share🇫🇷 French Conversation Group meets weekly in Los Angeles, New York or online. It's meant for non native speakers (beginners, intermediate, advanced) to practice their French and have fun. You're more than welcome to join! Check out this link for more info: https://www.frenchconversationgroup.com

🌻 Provence is a unique region. Long independent, its cultural heritage draws inspiration from France, Italy, and even Greece if we go back to antiquity when Marseille was a Greek trading post. The quality of life enjoyed by its inhabitants is renowned worldwide, thanks in particular to the Mediterranean diet and the beauty of its colors and light, which have attracted so many artists throughout the centuries. (Subtitles are available in French and English by clicking on the CC button on the YouTube control bar). Join this week's conversation on https://www.frenchconversationgroup.comRelated episodes: la Côte d'Azur (https://youtu.be/_mVjSvlGfRE), le parfum (https://youtu.be/nUf0y2lvQeA), le paradoxe français (https://youtu.be/Sgo6Fsva4ik)🎵 Soundtrack: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6i4JjGSsId4CCCVkJuwLHa?si=K0d8KhxkSqqAPq8_kw5XqQ☝️ If you enjoyed this episode, please consider:- supporting on https://www.patreon.com/frenchconversationgroup or https://anchor.fm/frenchconversationgroup- subscribe and share🇫🇷 French Conversation Group meets weekly in Los Angeles, New York or online. It's meant for non native speakers (beginners, intermediate, advanced) to practice their French and have fun. You're more than welcome to join! Check out this link for more info: https://www.frenchconversationgroup.com

🚢 In 1869, Empress Eugénie of France inaugurated the Suez Canal in Egypt, to the strains of music by the Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi. This event marked a turning point in international trade, allowing ships to significantly shorten their journeys between the East and the West. After more than 150 years of service, a new route seems to be emerging through the Arctic Ocean. Could this route supplant the Suez Canal? Join this week's conversation on https://www.frenchconversationgroup.comRelated episodes: la statue de la Liberté (https://youtu.be/hbPabR-6waY), Champollion (https://youtu.be/hAM29D0Mmi0)🎬 (fr) to understand the politics behind the construction of the canal, watch this excerpt of "L'Homme de Suez" by Christian-Jaque (1984): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPDo5Xs-Ryg🎵 Soundtrack: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6i4JjGSsId4CCCVkJuwLHa?si=K0d8KhxkSqqAPq8_kw5XqQ☝️ If you enjoyed this episode, please consider:- supporting on https://www.patreon.com/frenchconversationgroup or https://anchor.fm/frenchconversationgroup- subscribe and share🇫🇷 French Conversation Group meets weekly in Los Angeles, New York or online. It's meant for non-native speakers (beginners, intermediate, advanced) to practice their French and have fun. You're more than welcome to join! Check out this link for more info: https://www.frenchconversationgroup.com

🚽 In 1917, a major artistic turning point occurred. Marcel Duchamp exhibited ordinary objects in galleries and museums, calling them "art." But can we truly call it art? More than a century later, the question remains surprisingly relevant. Let's revisit the origins of this approach and the legacy it left in conceptual art. Join this week's conversation on https://www.frenchconversationgroup.comRelated episodes: le Surréalisme (https://youtu.be/Lr6p4H7ANE4), la Classe américaine (https://youtu.be/8ftYhPxhCfU), Picasso (https://youtu.be/jjaD41zMt7w)🎬 (fr) "Duchamp, la baronne et le mystère de l'urinoir" sur ARTE: https://www.arte.tv/fr/videos/112338-000-A/duchamp-la-baronne-et-le-mystere-de-l-urinoir/ 🎵 Soundtrack: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6i4JjGSsId4CCCVkJuwLHa?si=K0d8KhxkSqqAPq8_kw5XqQ☝️ If you enjoyed this episode, please consider:- supporting on https://www.patreon.com/frenchconversationgroup or https://anchor.fm/frenchconversationgroup- subscribe and share🇫🇷 French Conversation Group meets weekly in Los Angeles, New York or online. It's meant for non-native speakers (beginners, intermediate, advanced) to practice their French and have fun. You're more than welcome to join! Check out this link for more info: https://www.frenchconversationgroup.com

🤹 Cardinal Mazarin is regarded as one of the greatest diplomats in history. He may even have been the first one, since the term was all new back in the 17th century. Following in the intimidating footsteps of the Cardinal de Richelieu as Prime Minister of France under the monarchy, Mazarin shaped the reign of Louis XIV, the Sun King. His vision was to transform politics into a grand spectacle that would enhance France’s worldwide influence. Curtains up, ladies and gentlemen! Join this week’s conversation on https://www.frenchconversationgroup.comRelated episodes: Cardinal de Richelieu (https://youtu.be/bPcnCIQnB4Y), Académie française (https://youtu.be/1RU75-ufcsc)🎬 (fr) "Mazarin : les liaisons dangereuses... Secrets d'histoire": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vu6flnGY4w0🎵 Soundtrack: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6i4JjGSsId4CCCVkJuwLHa?si=K0d8KhxkSqqAPq8_kw5XqQ☝️ If you enjoyed this episode, please consider:- supporting on https://www.patreon.com/frenchconversationgroup or https://anchor.fm/frenchconversationgroup- subscribe and share🇫🇷 French Conversation Group meets weekly in Los Angeles, New York or online. It’s meant for non-native speakers (beginners, intermediate, advanced) to practice their French and have fun. You’re more than welcome to join! Check out this link for more info: https://www.frenchconversationgroup.com