Two Heroines in the Panthéon: Geneviève de Gaulle-Anthonioz and Germaine Tillion, Episode 616
Two women honored in the Panthéon, Geneviève de Gaulle-Anthonioz and Germaine Tillion, were arrested as Resistance fighters and survived deportation to Ravensbrück together. Elyse Rivin joins me to explain how their friendship began there, and why they spent the rest of their lives fighting poverty, torture, and injustice.
Loire Valley Chateaux (Plus a Month of French Lessons in Tours), Episode 615
Rowena Sjovall spent four weeks in immersive French classes in Tours, renting her own apartment and shopping the local markets. On her days off, she explored Loire Valley chateaux most visitors skip, from Chinon to Blois to Angers, picking up restaurant tips along the way.
Jean-François de Galaup, Comte de Lapérouse: France's Greatest Explorer You've Never Heard Of, Episode 614
Jean-François de Galaup, Comte de Lapérouse, was born near Albi in 1741 and became one of France's greatest naval explorers. Elyse Rivin joins me to cover his forbidden love story, his humane command style, and the 1788 cyclone that ended his voyage and became one of France's enduring maritime mysteries.
Learning French Later in Life: A Couple's Avignon Immersion, Episode 613
Nan and Marty Deniston spent three months living in Avignon, chasing real fluency instead of a quick refresher. They found a private tutor, leased a car through a little-known program, and rented out their house to make it happen. Their story proves you can learn French at any age.
Louis Braille: The Blind French Teen Who Changed Reading Forever, Episode 612
Lyon Travel Guide: Secret Passageways and Food Specialties, Episode 611
A conversation with Mikayla Sibner of Pardon My Learning about visiting Lyon: the city's three neighborhoods, secret traboule passageways, Fourvière Basilica and its Roman ruins, the silk-weaving history behind the Croix-Rousse district, local murals, museums worth your time, and where to eat, plus tips on getting around using Lyon's city pass.
Camille Claudel: Betrayed by Family, Locked Away for 30 Years, Episode 610
Camille Claudel was a gifted sculptor who trained and worked alongside Auguste Rodin for ten years. When the relationship ended and her mental health declined, her own family had her committed to an asylum, where she remained isolated for 30 years until her death by starvation in 1943, largely forgotten.
How We Moved to Paris: Visa, Housing, and Healthcare, Episode 609
Sacha Cohen moved to Paris with her husband after two and a half years scouting France city by city. We cover the long stay visitor visa, opening a bank account, healthcare, renting an apartment as a foreigner, and the real adjustments of building a new life in your fifties.
Catherine and Marie De Medici: Queen Mothers and Kingmakers, Episode 608
50-word website preview: Catherine and Marie De Medici, two Italian banker's daughters, married French kings and ended up running the country. Annie Sargent and Elyse Rivin trace Catherine's decades as regent through religious wars, and Marie's proxy wedding, coronation, and exile. Both left their mark on Paris, from the Tuileries to the Luxembourg Gardens.
An Art Retreat in a Medieval Burgundy Village, Episode 607
Julie Lynch, an Australian costume designer turned painter, spent eight nights at an art retreat in Burgundy. We talk about painting without pressure in the medieval village of Noyers, afternoon outings to Vézelay, Avallon, and Chablis, and why a slow week beats a packed itinerary once you've traveled enough.