Paris got a new mayor: But who is he? (And what will be Anne Hidalgo's legacy?)
Release Date: 03/24/2026
Street art, a hidden gem of a Paris museum, and the forbidden catacombs
The Earful Tower: Paris
I recount my recent visit to the Musée de Minéralogie, where Codex Urbanus has taken over with a street art exhibition "Codex on the Rocks". It was quite a fascinating visit to a place I'd never been, and it was wonderful to have the artist himself explain the impressive work that went into this exhibtion. If you're an Earful Member on Substack or Patreon, you can get more information about a private tour with Codex himself. The second half of the episode is a look back at when Codex took me into the illegal part of the catacombs. The music in this episode is from Pres...
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The 15th arrondissement of Paris (with a local)
The Earful Tower: Paris
Welcome back to "The 20 Kingdoms" season, where I'll visit each kingdom and introduce you to someone who truly loves it. In this episode for the 15th arrondissement, it's content creator Gaby Hafner who lives in the district and absolutely loves it. Mentioned in this episode: Sang Bong Lo: 8 Rue Viala, 75015 Paris Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ssang_bong_lo/?hl=en Café du Commerce: 51 Rue du Commerce, 75015 Paris Website: Marché Grenelle: Boulevard de Grenelle (between Dupleix and La Motte-Picquet Metro stations) Rue du Commerce: A major shopping street with boutiques...
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The 16th arrondissement of Paris (with a local)
The Earful Tower: Paris
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 YouTuber Jay Swanson who has lived in the 16th for over a decade. I met him in the Passy Cemetery, here’s what he had to say. Mentioned in this episode: Museums & Culture Passy Cemetery Trocadéro Cité de l'Architecture et du Patrimoine Musée d'Art Moderne de Paris Palais de Tokyo Palais Galliera...
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Grand Palais: Eight things you probably didn’t know it
The Earful Tower: Paris
G is for Grand Palais. In this episode, we present eight facts (well, nine) about the magnificent Grand Palais. This is a mixture of entertaining, informative, and practical facts, so you'll certainly get something out of it! The music is from Pres Maxson. This episode brought to you by The Earful Tower Tours. Come join us in the Marais, Montmartre, or the Latin Quarter. Our are exceptionally highly rated online and are the best way to experience this podcast in real life. The Earful Tower exists thanks to support from its members. For just $10 a month you can unlock...
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Five more awesome things to find in Provence
The Earful Tower: Paris
We've been exploring Provence this week and here we share some good tips with you. Mentioned in this episode: The Pont du Gard, a 2,000-year-old Roman acqueduct Robion, a sleepy village that's perfect for a glass of Ricard L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, where we bought our house and recorded this episode Fontaine de Vaucluse, aka Rivendell from Lord of the Rings The Sénanque Abbey with its monks and lavendar The music in this episode is from Pres Maxson. This episode brought to you by The Earful Tower Tours. Come join us in the Marais, Montmartre, or the Latin Quarter....
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Meet the Clown Bringing the Fringe Festival back to Paris
The Earful Tower: Paris
F is for Fringe Festival. In this episode, I talk with Australian clown and actor Jasper Foley about how he (and his team) are bringing the famed international theatre and performing arts festival back to the City of Light. Paris. Also: What's life like as a trained clown in Paris? What happens at the famed Ground Control in Paris? And how can you support the arts in Paris, even if you're not here? Here's the link to donate and support the upcoming Fringe Festival: Here's the link to get tickets to the show, Sep 9th to 13th, 2026: Here's the link to the episode of...
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Inside the US embassy's July 4th party in Paris
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://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygYRLRg--70 The music is from Pres Maxson. This episode brought to you by The Earful Tower Tours. Come join us in the Marais, Montmartre, or the Latin...
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Unique apartments in Paris: Inside a domed rooftop home
The Earful Tower: Paris
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 of Paris. Today's episode is a segment from an episode in early 2022, where I interviewed an American woman called Sarah who lived in such a dome. Here's the chat. . This episode is brought...
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How we launched our newest children's book in Paris
The Earful Tower: Paris
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 knock on. So, for our second new episode this week, we're focusing on D for Deliveries. Five books in, the operation has grown. This new book, Sophie in Paris, has been our biggest yet, and Lina...
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Alain Delon and the murder that shook Paris
The Earful Tower: Paris
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 France's most explosive unsolved murders. In 1968, a body was discovered on the outskirts of Paris and identified as Stevan Marković, the former bodyguard and close associate of the enigmatic film...
info_outlineParis 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 behind the Millefeuille Substack page, which she calls the "newsletter for Parisians who are bad at local news".
Follow Katy to find out more:
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Music: Pres Maxson (his take on Sous le ciel de Paris, by Edith Piaf)