Archive for 'Culture'
La Famille D’Abord (Family First) Posted by Hichem on Jun 7, 2013
J’aime toute ma famille (I love all my family)! La petite (the small) as well as la grande (the extended.) Don’t you too? Do you also believe in the priority that says “la famille d’abord” (“family first”)? Today, we will “familiarize” ourselves, so to speak, with a set of French words and expressions related to…
Shopping at Montmartre Posted by Hichem on Jun 1, 2013
Today, you are graciously invited to join une petite dame sympathique (a little friendly lady) to go on an exciting shopping spree. Where at? Montmartre, Paris’s most picturesque (and therefore “touristy”) neighborhood! Bonjour, today we’ll join Ines de la Fressange (could be her real name) for a little shopping at Montmartre, Paris’s most artistic neighborhood…
Before Versailles and Before the Louvre: Fontainebleau Palace Posted by Hichem on May 26, 2013
Everyone knows le Louvre. And I’m sure it is safe to assume that everyone has at least heard of Versailles. But how about Fontainebleau, the château (castle) that is both classique and Renaissance? It’s actually not that far from Paris, about soixante kilomètres (60 kms) South East of the French capital. Of course, you can also choose to…
French Legend: Fontainebleau from Henry II to Henry IV Posted by Hichem on May 23, 2013
Tel père, tel fils (as father, as son), says the popular adage. We previously saw how the father, in this case François Ier (or Francis I in English), was le responsable numéro 1 of introducing la Renaissance to France, by inviting the likes of Rosso Fiorentino and le Primatice to his court. There, the Italian masters…
François Ier: Patron of French Renaissance Posted by Hichem on May 21, 2013
“Une cour sans femmes est comme un jardin sans fleurs” (“a court without women is like a garden without flowers.”) Thus spoke François Ier (Francis I in English), like a true Frenchman some would say. But contrary to some other French monarchs, female company was not his only preoccupation. In fact, the lifetime dream of François was to bring…
Simply French Rock Posted by Hichem on May 18, 2013
Everyone agrees, Noir Désir is a household name on the French Rock scene. Their song “Un Jour en France” (“A Day in France”) has perhaps not reached the standing of a “classic” yet, but it does offer a pretty good idea about the message this band conveys through its music. Noir Désir’s “Un Jour en France” (“A Day…
Et Si…? (What If…?) Posted by Hichem on May 15, 2013
Ever wonder what if things went differently? Le monde serait-il devenu si différent? (Would the world have turned out to be so different?) The French musical featured today sings, tongue-in-cheek, about the so-called Effet papillon (Butterfly Effect): Every little detail could transform the world as we know it. Or is there more to that? Ray Ventura’s “Le…