The Earful Tower: Paris

E is for Embassy. And in this case, I'm talking about the US Embassy's Garden Party to mark 250 years of Independence with a capital I.  And guess what: I was there! So this podcast is just me, Oliver Gee, talking about my night among the Americans for their Fourth of July bash.  And here's the video from INSIDE the US ambassadorial residence that I mentioned in the show, from a year ago: https://...

It's sweltering in Paris right now and life is unbearable for many. Not least for those who live under the zinc rooftops. The whole city comes to a standstill in these heatwaves, but those in the rooftops suffer the most, perhaps.  So, while The Earful Tower puts business as usual aside like everyone else, we figured we could take a look back at an episode about another rooftop: The domed cupolas...

Every year or so, Lina and I make a children's book. Sophie in Paris is the fifth. And every time, once the books arrive, we hit the streets of Paris to deliver them ourselves. Bookshops, museums, all of it. This episode is about that part. Not the writing, not the illustrating, but the launching - which we find to be one of the most enjoyable bits. The envelopes, the deliveries, the doors we knoc...

D is for Delon, Alain Delon. Author Edward Chisholm is back on the podcast, this time talking about his new book Murder in Paris '68. We recorded this one on location - sitting on the quai by the Seine, directly beneath the Quai des Orfèvres, the famous Paris police headquarters that has watched over the city's darkest crimes for centuries. Fitting, then, that we were there to talk about one of Fr...

New episode: Let's take a deeper dive into the 17th arrondissement of Paris. You've hopefully already heard the previous episode, where Tom Vickers shared his thoughts on the 17th Kingdom.  In  this brand new episode, I kept exploring the 17th with my wife (and our new intern Victoria Hughes). Relevant places to find:  Musée national Jean-Jacques Henner 43 avenue de Villiers, 75017 A beautiful 19t...

Welcome back to "The 20 Kingdoms" season. As you probably know, there are 20 districts in Paris, known as  arrondissements . They may as well be kingdoms, at least for this podcast season, where I'll visit each kingdom and introduce you to someone who truly loves it. In this episode, it's Australian chef Tom Vickers. He runs a couple of cafes in the 17th, a district he defines as  being a fusion o...

Updated Re-Release: This episode originally aired a few years ago and has since become one of The Earful Tower's most beloved classics. We're bringing it back today because some things are simply too good - and too instructive - to stay buried in the archives. It started with a photo. A single, damning image shared on The Earful Tower's social media: an 18-month-old Comté, massacred at a Parisian...

C is for Carnavalet. Or should that be Kernevenoy?? In this episode, we dive into one of Paris's most overlooked treasures - the Carnavalet Museum, the only museum in the world dedicated entirely to the history of Paris. I share, for the first time, the story of visiting the newly renovated museum before it opened to the public - completely alone - while waiting for the birth of my first son. Plus...

New episode: Let's take a deeper dive into the 18th arrondissement of Paris. You've hopefully already heard the previous episode, where Sutanya Dacres shared her thoughts on the 18th Kingdom.  In  this brand new episode, I re-visited the 18th and did some exploring with my wife, and with Earful Tower's senior tour guide Hannah Coyle, who regularly walks the streets of Montmartre. Hannah shared her...

Welcome back to "The 20 Kingdoms", a new season of The Earful Tower podcast. As you probably know, there are 20 districts in Paris, known as  arrondissements . They may as well be kingdoms, at least for this podcast season, where I'll visit each kingdom and introduce you to someone who truly loves it. In this episode, it's Sutanya Dacres, podcaster and author of Dinner For One. She has called the...

This podcast episode features host Oliver Gee and his co-host Lina exploring the history and physical traces of the Bièvre, a lost river in Paris. Once a vital waterway that flowed into the Seine, the river was entirely buried and built over by 1912 due to industrial pollution. In this updated re-release, we lead a "scavenger hunt" with a group of enthusiasts to find medallions, plaques, and archi...

B is for Brocantes! This podcast episode features an interview with Sharon Santoni, a long-time expert on French lifestyle and author of the book "The Art of Antiquing in France." She discusses the nuances of the "brocante", which she defines as accessible antiques that possess a unique history and patina. The conversation explores the cultural importance of repurposing vintage items and provides...

New episode: Let's take a deeper dive into the 19th arrondissement of Paris. You've hopefully already heard the previous episode, where Ben McPartland shared his thoughts on the 19th Kingdom.  In this brand new episode, we visited some of the places he recommended, plus more. And we report back to you! (Scroll down for the spelling/websites of each place mentioned).  This episode brought to you by...

Welcome back to "The 20 Kingdoms", a new season of The Earful Tower podcast. As you probably know, there are 20 districts in Paris, known as arrondissements . They may as well be kingdoms, at least for this podcast season, where I' ll visit each kingdom and introduce you to someone who truly loves it. That's the whole concept. This isn't me recommending cafes or restaurants in different parts of t...

Let's take a deep dive into the Paris Rose Line. This is an updated re-release of the time I did another A to Z season, where A was for Arago, the name of the scientist who helped map out the Paris meridian line (François Arago (1786-1853)).  In this episode, I explored the "Rose Line" (as it was called in the Da Vinci Code), sought out the bronze medallions along the streets of Paris, through the...

It's another new season - and we're doing a new take on the A to Z of Paris. This time, A stands for Arc de Triomphe. A big thanks to the team at the Arch, who opened this majestic monument just for me! I had the whole thing to myself, did an interview on top - and then made this episode.  You'll hear my wife Lina as my sidekick as I share about 10-15 cool things about the Arch, at least five of w...

Let's take a deeper dive into the 20th arrondissement of Paris. This is an updated re-release of the time we visited the 20th arrondissement as part of our Paris Countdown season.  You'll hear dinnertime singalongs, a cemetery visit, and more about the best pizza in Europe. There is even an interview with a Polish singer called Gosia who had just finished leading an Edith Piaf show at a local rest...

Welcome to "The 20 Kingdoms", a new season of The Earful Tower podcast. As you probably know, there are 20 districts in Paris, known in French as arrondissements . But my brother once referred to them as kingdoms and I liked it. It's true, each of the districts has its own soul, quite separate from the next. They may as well be kingdoms. At least for a podcast season.  In this 20-episode season of...

Have you ever heard of Rungis? It's the world's largest wholesale food market, it provides all the Paris markets and restaurants with their fresh produce, and you can find it near the Orly Airport.  Or can you? This place may as well be top secret. Only the vendors and restauranteurs can access it - yet it's as big as a village. Every night, at around 2am, produce sellers (like fishermen and chees...

I speak English with our two children (soon to be 2 and 5 years old). My wife speaks Swedish with them. The outside world is in French. (Note: We all speak all three languages too).  Here's a glimpse at how that works, with special guests Otis and Astrid. Hope you find it as fascinating as I do! This episode is brought to you by the members, who get the new 2026 PDF guide to Paris for free. For ev...

Paris has a new mayor! That's right, after 12 years at the helm, Anne Hidalgo has stepped down. Parisians voted for a new mayor, and taking her place will be Emmanuel Grégoire. But who is Emmanuel Grégoire? What does a Paris mayor actually do? And what will be the legacy of Anne Hidalgo? This week's guest is Paris-based reporter Katy Lee, the co-host of the podcast The Europeans, and the woman beh...

We bought a house in the charming Provence town of l'Isle sur la Sorgue! That's right: the Pearl of Provence, the Venice of the South, the same place we recorded the Christmas episode last year. And while we'll still live in Paris and do business as usual, this exciting news will surely add a new scent of lavender to everything we do. So: Why did we buy this house? How? What next? Are we leaving P...

Almost like a sacred ritual in France, the  apéro  is much more than just a drink with friends.  Véronique Savoye from France With Véro explains more.  And be sure your membership is up to date to see Vero and I answer your questions about Paris in mid March 2026. This is an episode from The Earful Tower archives.  *********** The Earful Tower exists thanks to support from its members. For just $1...

I took my wife on a bohemian date in Montmartre - we called this episode "B ohemia on wheels". Join us as we take you through Montmartre in a 2CV with three nostalgic and bohemian stops along the way. Earful members can get 15 percent off your own unforgettable 2CV experience in Paris. The experience : 2 CV with Cedric's Paris Website:  https://cedricsparis.com/en/home/ This episode was recently r...

Last week we introduced you to Sophie, the newest character in our world of children's books.  Today, we're checking in - with a huge thank you - halfway through the Kickstarter campaign.  As you may have seen, we hit the target in 15 minutes. Now, as the campaign continues, we're donating books to local schools, hosting Online Salons, and giving you two last chances to be in the book... if you're...