Archive for 'Uncategorized'
Astérix: A French Comic for the Whole Family Posted by mtaulier on Mar 5, 2014
Lisez-vous des bandes dessinées (Do you read comics)? I’m not referring to classic American comics with superheroes fighting les forces du mal (the forces of evil). Everybody has heard of Superman, Batman and X-men. The popularity of these characters, once confined to the pages of paperback comic books, has soared in recent years thanks to…
Pour les Gourmands and Gastronomes: Crêpes Suzette Posted by mtaulier on Mar 3, 2014
La cuisine est une passion Française (Cuisine is a French passion). Beginning in the 17th century, gastronomy reached new heights among la noblesse (the nobility) and the art of fine cuisine was refined over the course of several centuries. The stereotype of a French chef often seen in cartoons does not stray too far from…
À l’École!: Fournitures Scolaires (School Supplies) Posted by mtaulier on Feb 13, 2014
Try to recall, for a moment, your days in grammar school. What kinds of school supplies did you use? Pens and paper? Pencils and erasers? One of my favorite back-to-school memories was going shopping for new supplies for the new year. Although I never really enjoyed school in my younger years, getting shiny new supplies…
À l’École!: French and American Grade Levels Compared Posted by mtaulier on Feb 10, 2014
It seems like just yesterday I was beginning my first year of French school in the small town of Villeneuve-sur-Lot in the Lot-et-Garonne department of southwestern France. Jean Jaurès was l’école élémentaire publique (public elementary school) in my area and was named for the French socialist leader who lived in the early 20th century. The…
A Trip to Paris: Visiting the French Capital’s Most Famous Attractions (Part 11) Posted by mtaulier on Dec 20, 2013
In the last post we learned about the Musée d’Orsay and its rich collection of western art. Today we will cross the Seine River to visit the Palais Garnier (Garnier Palace), home of the Opéra de Paris (Paris Opera) opera company. The Palais Garnier is often referred to simply as the Opéra de Paris, however…
A Trip to Paris: Visiting the French Capital’s Most Famous Attractions (Part 5) Posted by mtaulier on Nov 18, 2013
Bienvenue! Aujourd’hui nous allons visiter le Palais de Versailles (Today we will be visiting Versailles Palace). The palace is not situated in Paris proper but on the outskirts, about 20 miles outside of the city. The easiest way to get their is by taking le Métro (the subway). Then it’s just une petite marche (a…
A Trip to Paris: Visiting the French Capital’s Most Famous Attractions (Part 4) Posted by mtaulier on Nov 11, 2013
In the last few installments, we discovered La Tour Eiffel, L’Arc de Triomphe, Notre-Dame de Paris and Le Musée du Louvre. Today, we will be ascending a long flight of stairs to make our way to another famous tourist attraction just north of downtown Paris: La Basilique du Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre (The Basilica of the…