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Tag Archives: french history

French History – WWI and the Occupation Posted by on Nov 20, 2018

Last week the world celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Armistice that ended la Grande Guerre which ravaged Europe from 1914 – 1918*. As a young man living in France, I heard much more about la deuxième Guerre Mondiale since my host parents had lived under that occupation**, but the recent anniversary got me thinking about that previous…

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French Culture – Bretagne bis Posted by on Sep 25, 2018

I’ve written before about the lovely French region of la Bretagne. And of course, last summer I shared a whole series of post following up on my trip to France for my step-daughter’s amazing wedding. Well my son and I recently got back from another amazing trip there and we discovered a wonderful new coin (corner) that I…

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Ticket Chic No More Posted by on Jul 24, 2018

From its rubber tires to its station signs and art deco entrance-ways, the Paris Metro is one of the oldest, one of the busiest, and perhaps one of the most recognized public transportation systems in the world. In a city of so many iconic sights, it might seem strange that one of the most iconic is…

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Visiting Ancient France: The Battle of Alesia Posted by on Apr 21, 2018

One of the most important ancient battles that occurred during the Gallic Wars took place in Alésia, France. Known in French as le siège d’Alésia, this battle pitted Roman forces, led by Julius Caesar, against the Gauls (the Celtic tribe that inhabited the region from 5th century BCE to the 5th century CE), led by the…

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French Nursery Rhymes: Au Clair de la lune Posted by on Mar 16, 2018

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a nursery rhyme with an interesting origin. That comptine, as nursery rhymes are known in French, might not have been as familiar to English speakers as the one I’m writing about today. The melody of “Au Clair de la lune” is probably familiar to most people around the world…

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French Nursery Rhymes: Une Souris Verte Posted by on Feb 26, 2018

One of my son’s favorite French children’s songs is “Une Souris verte.” It’s a very strange—albeit catchy—tune that dates back to the late seventeenth or eighteenth century. The song’s lyrics, or paroles, are below: Une souris verte qui courait dans l’herbe Je l’attrape par la queue Je la montre à ces messieurs Ces messieurs me disent…

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A New (Ancient) French Verb: Dorveiller Posted by on Dec 14, 2017

Have you ever learned something that has completely changed the way you look at the world? I recently found out that, up until the Industrial Revolution, people around the world usually slept in segmented sleep. But what is segmented sleep, and what does it have to do with French and French verbs? Read on below!…

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