When I last visited the French medieval town of Provins, I attended the spectacular show called “Les Aigles des Remparts”. I was lucky to meet the director and falconer, Philippe Hertel, and I invited him to share his passion for birds of prey and hunt on the wing with you. There’s no doubt you’ll learn a lot in this episode, not only about the different birds but also about the importance of protecting them and the relationship that bonds them with the falconer! Episode Timeline [03 min 32 sec] “Fauconnerie”: definition [05 min 55 sec] How Philippe Hertel became a falconer [10 min 35 sec] … Read More →

Meet greeter Françoise Graux for a lovely visit of Epernay, in the Champagne region. Françoise’s ancestors were railway workers. Between historical facts and personal stories, you’ll get a unique insight about what life was like a few generations ago but also how the development of railway had a direct impact on the layout of the city. Visits with greeters are becoming more and more popular in France; they’re a great way to discover places with a local! Episode Timeline [04 min 06 sec] What’s “un cheminot”? [05 min 29 sec] The occupations of Françoise’s ancestors [08 min 23 sec] The visit … Read More →

Sylvie Pelletier is a painter from Quebec, Canada. Her art is very colourful and depicts human beings in many forms: portraits, nudes, life scenes, etc. Sylvie will share what fascinates and inspires her as well as how she creates her paintings (every artist has their small rituals!). We’ll end the conversation with some differences between Canadian French and French…from France! Episode Timeline [02 min 50 sec] How Sylvie Pelletier became an independent artist [05 min 06 sec] Sylvie’s passion for depicting human beings [07 min 11 sec] Sylvie’s style [10 min 44 sec] Sylvie Pelletier’s … Read More →

Florent Parfait can juggle…with bottles! Just like Tom Cruise in the movie Cocktail. In fact, flair bartending has become much more sophisticated and creative than when the movie was released. In this episode, Florent will share how he became happy work-partying for a living, how he went from being a mediocre student to the successful manager of his own entreprise, Cocktail Pro. But the fun is only the tip of the iceberg and the art of flair bartending has many little-known aspects and challenges. Listen to find all about it! Episode Timeline [06 min 24 sec] When work is a party [08 min 16 … Read More →

We had never talked about champagne before...Now it’s done! Meet Tristan Hyest, who will talk about his vineyard and how champagne is made… You’ll learn lots, from grape harvesting to how to accompany your dishes with the different types of champagne. We’ll also discuss the art of blending and the influence of the temperature, type of grape and even of the soil in the taste of the champagne! Episode Timeline [05 min 12 sec] The difference between “vigneron” and “viticulteur” [06 min 38 sec] Presenting the vineyard and types of grapes [07 min 27 sec] La vendange [08 min 53 sec] The … Read More →

In the second part of this conversation with Pierre-Marie Dupré, you’ll find out why Pierre-Marie had to change the end of one of the plays he wrote. Also, how is the cast distributed? What happens when you forget a line? How to deal with stage fright and anxiety? By the way, these tips are very valuable and relevant to all students feeling nervous about speaking French in public…so don’t miss out! Episode Timeline [03 min 15 sec] Casting of the plays [07 min 50 sec] Changing the end of a play [11 min 18 sec] What happens when you forget a line? [13 min 00 sec] Cinema vs theatre [13 min … Read More →

Pierre-Marie Dupré writes comedies for the theatre. He’s also a very talented actor whose plays I love watching on Youtube. In this first episode, Pierre-Marie Dupré will share how he started his career, what his play writing rituals are and much more. If you love theatre and have always wondered what the difference between “vaudeville” and “boulevard” are, you’ll have a great time listening to this episode! Episode Timeline [04 min 30 sec] How Pierre-Marie Dupré started his career [08 min 24 sec] A prolific writer [10 min 50 sec] Writing comedies [11 min 23 sec] Comédie, vaudeville, … Read More →

Ludivine has recently left the corporate world to start her new career as an event planner. In this interview we’ll touch on what’s involved when starting a business as a sole trader in France. Ludivine will also tell us about how she saved a wedding and will share more examples of the different kinds of events she’s organised. Also find out where the name Acte2Event comes from and what else Ludivine is passionate about! Episode Timeline [04 min 26 sec] How we met & career summary [05 min 38 sec] Creating Acte2Event [07 min 02 sec] How to become a sole trader [10 min 00 sec] The … Read More →