Vive Asterix and the Kingdom of Gaul!

Time to revisit The Adventures of Asterix, the comic book series written by René Goscinny and illustrated by cartoonist Albert Uderzo, a wonderful way to improve your French if you’re studying it, or a great tool to use in the classroom if you’re teaching it. The year is 50 BC and Gaul is entirely occupied by the Romans except for one Gaulish village, holding out against the invaders…. The main character is Asterix, the cunning, pint-sized warrior with superhuman strength which he gets from drinking the magic potion brewed by the old village druid, Getafix. His best friend is the enormous menhir-carrying Obelix whose favorite dish is wild boar and favorite activity, fighting Romans! Dogmatix is Obelix’s tiny dog and his constant companion. The village bard is named Cacofonix (!), and the village chief is Vitalstatistix. The book, Le tour de Gaule d’Astérix(Asterix and the Banquet, in English)can be read to learn about the geography and gastronomic culture of France. In this episode, Asterix and Obelix go on a tour of Gaul (France) and visit its main cities, collecting the culinary specialities from each region: Paris (ham), Reims (Champagne), Lyon (sausages), Nice (salade niçoise), Marseilles (bouillabaisse, or fish stew), Bordeaux (oysters and wine). Not only hilarious, but the puns in French will do wonders for your language skills! French actor Gerard Depardieu plays Obelix in three non-animated action movies : Asterix and Obelix Take on Caesar (1999), Asterix and Obelix : Mission Cleopatra (2002), and Asterix at the Olympic Games(2008). Amusez-vous!