Père Lachaise: The most visited cemetery in the world
Release Date: 03/03/2025
Bistros to boulevards: How Paris was shaped by its World Fairs
The Earful Tower: Paris
Meet Charles Pappas - Mr World Fair. Charles likes nothing more in the world than a Universal Exhibition, especially if it's one of the seven that were hosted in Paris. In fact, he's written the book on the topic. I met him on a road-side terrace at Harvest cafe in the 11th arrondissement to talk Paris, Haussmann, coffee, and of course, World Fairs. His new book is: , a historical guidebook on how these World Expos, held between 1855-1937, transformed the city of Paris forever. The music in this episode is from Pres Maxson. *********** The Earful Tower exists thanks to support from...
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My love letter to the Parisian food markets
The Earful Tower: Paris
After an eventful visit to the Aligre markets in the 12th arrondissement, I came home to share my love of the French food markets with my wife Lina. Here's an energetic, honest, and in-the-moment recount of what happened when I went shopping for dinner ingredients. The music in this episode is from Pres Maxson, his take on the classic Sous le ciel de Paris. *********** The Earful Tower exists thanks to support from its members. From $10 a month you can unlock almost endless extras including bonus podcast episodes, live video replays, special event invites, and our annually updated...
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Meet the woman behind the top cooking classes in Paris
The Earful Tower: Paris
Meet Jane Bertch, a Chicagoan who has called Paris home since 2005. She started her life here as a banker, but made the unusual pivot to running a cooking class (which is now the hugely popular La Cuisine Paris). And now, she has written a memoir about it all: The French Ingredient. She joined me in the studio to talk about the book, how to make a croissant, and even how to make a croissant class (plus a whole lot more). Follow La Cuisine on and follow Jane herself . Book a cooking class at And follow the And of course, find the book: The...
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New Paris museum to open in iconic setting
The Earful Tower: Paris
This summer, the city of Paris announced plans to open a museum to showcase the work of architect Hector Guimard. He is the man behind the iconic Paris Metro entrances, several Art Nouveau buildings in Paris, and some very beautiful furniture and decorations in museum displays around the world. And better still: The museum will be housed in one of the very few buildings remaining in Paris that Guimard designed himself (The Hotel Mezzara in the 16th arrondissement). I've been a fan of Guimard and Art Nouveau for years, so let's take a deeper dive into the topic in general, with...
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I swam in the Seine: Here's what happened
The Earful Tower: Paris
I jumped in the Seine river - an activity that's legal again for the first time in 100 years. Here's what happened. Want to do it too? You have until August 31st, . Music: Sunset on the Seine, an original by Pres Maxson. *********** The Earful Tower exists thanks to support from its members. From $10 a month you can unlock almost endless extras including bonus podcast episodes, live video replays, special event invites, and our annually updated PDF guide to Paris. or . Thank you for keeping this channel independent. For more from the Earful Tower, here are...
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So THIS is the most popular street in Paris (Part Two)
The Earful Tower: Paris
So what is the best-known street in Paris? And if that seems obvious, then what's number two? And three? After last week's pod with Parisians Abiola and Margaux sharing their take on popular Paris streets, we surveyed our audience for an official answer. Here it is, presented by Oliver and Lina. Thanks to all who participated. Read some more of the comments . Fitting music this week, again, is from Pres Maxson. Thanks *********** The Earful Tower exists thanks to support from its members. From $10 a month you can unlock almost endless extras including bonus podcast...
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Which is the most popular street in Paris? (Part One)
The Earful Tower: Paris
Before you listen too far, make a mental note of what you think are the three most popular streets in Paris. Then listen to two typical Parisians as they take on this unusual question. Of course, most people would agree on number one... but where do we go from there. Fitting music this week is from Pres Maxson. Thanks to Abiola and Margaux for their voices. *********** The Earful Tower exists thanks to support from its members. From $10 a month you can unlock almost endless extras including bonus podcast episodes, live video replays, special event invites, and our annually...
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In charge of an icon: A chat with the Eiffel Tower's director
The Earful Tower: Paris
This week we scale the Eiffel Tower with its managing director Patrick Branco-Ruivo. What are his tips for visiting? His favourite view? And what would he ask if he had Gustave Eiffel himself on the telephone? Join us on this exciting opportunity to explore one of the world's most iconic landmarks with the maestro behind it all. And hang around - we'll get some exclusive access to the underground section at the end. Videos: 10-minute video 45-minute video Music by Pres Maxson. *********** The Earful Tower exists thanks to support from its members. From $10 a month you can...
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After 10 years in Paris, we finally got SCAMMED
The Earful Tower: Paris
I'm not proud to say it, but we got scammed pretty hard. Here's the full story. Mentioned at the end of the episode: Our of Paris: http://www.theearfultower.com/tours Music by Pres Maxson. *********** The Earful Tower exists thanks to support from its members. From $10 a month you can unlock almost endless extras including bonus podcast episodes, live video replays, special event invites, and our annually updated PDF guide to Paris. or . Thank you for keeping this channel independent. For more from the Earful Tower, here are some handy links:
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Flea markets, football, and the Louvre: The Earful interns are back!
The Earful Tower: Paris
This week on the podcast, it's The Earful's two interns Thomas Farnham and Genevieve Victoria Gorain. And it's time to hear how they went with their bucket lists after their two-month internship is over. they mentioned in the episode. Also mentioned in this episode: The podcast (currently in Italy): https://theearfultower.substack.com/p/its-here-the-official-launch-of-the Our of Paris: http://www.theearfultower.com/tours Music by Pres Maxson. *********** The Earful Tower exists thanks to support from its members. From $10 a month you can unlock almost...
info_outlineLet's take a closer look at the Père Lachaise cemetery of Paris, the most visited necropolis on earth.
All kinds of famous and interesting people are buried here including Jim Morrison, Edith Piaf, Oscar Wilde… and about a million more. Some 3.5 million people check it out annually.
In this episode you'll hear from author Joe Start, who wrote a book on Père Lachaise called The Chairfather - a literal translation of the cemetery’s French name. This part of the episode is taken from the Earful archives.
Joe visited the tombstones countless times to research the book and interview the dead, and today on The Earful Tower he shares his tips on which graves to find, what to avoid, and how not to act if you’re a tourist there.
And if you like what you hear, you can find the Chairfather book here or on ebook here.
At the end of the episode, Marie Segura from My Private Paris talks more about the cemetery.
In fact, this whole season of The Earful Tower is brought to you by My Private Paris, which is an award-winning travel company creating deluxe itineraries for Paris and beyond. See what they offer here and be sure to let them know that you came from The Earful Tower.
Enjoying what we’re doing here at The Earful Tower and keen to see more? Become a Patreon member here to support it and to discover our exciting extras.