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. Here's the post with all ten ideas they mentioned in the episode. Also mentioned in this episode: The Earful Everywhere podcast (currently in Italy): https://theearfultower.substack.com/p/its-here-the-official-launch-of-the Our walking tours of Paris: http://www.theearfultower.com/tours Music by...
Jun 23, 2025•30 min•Season 17Ep. 7
Meet Corinne Menegaux, the managing director of the Paris tourism board (Paris je t’aime). We discuss Paris, the legacy of the Olympic Games, and what's coming next. We also talk about her Paris, her job, and how she'd spend her last day in this city. Find more about Paris je t'aime here: https://parisjetaime.com/eng/ Also mentioned in this episode: The Earful Everywhere podcast (currently in Italy): https://theearfultower.com/2025/05/15/lets-explore-italy-with-the-earful-everywhere/ Our walking...
Jun 16, 2025•36 min•Season 17Ep. 6
This week it's Caroline de Maigret, supermodel and author of How to Be Parisian Wherever You Are. Her appearance on this podcast in April 2019 changed the direction and dynamic of the show. While we're between seasons, I take a look back at this episode and explain why it made a difference to The Earful Tower. In the episode, Caroline talks about being a Parisian woman, the freedom of Paris, and how pleasure is a key element of life in the French capital. If you want to find more from Caroline, ...
Jun 02, 2025•32 min•Season 17Ep. 5
Author Cara Black is back on the podcast! She is a friend of the show, and has been appearing on it since 2019! We chat about writing mysteries set in Paris (she has penned over 20 of them), we talk about her upcoming book (which you can pre-order below), and we talk about Paris, of course. Helpful links for Cara: Cara Black's official site: https://carablack.com/ Cara Black's Susbtack : https://carablack.substack.com/ Preorder her book Huguette here: https://www.amazon.fr/Huguette-Cara-Black/dp...
May 19, 2025•34 min•Season 17Ep. 4
This week on the podcast, it's The Earful's two new interns Thomas Farnham and Genevieve Victoria Gorain. They share their bucket lists for Paris for their two-month stay in Paris. I found it quite interesting to hear the perspectives of American university students on the City of Light, not least because my typical guests are a bit older. We'll check back in on them in a couple months to see how they fared. Here's the post with all ten ideas they mentioned in the episode. Also mentioned in this...
May 12, 2025•27 min•Season 17Ep. 3
This week on the podcast, I invite my three-year-old son Otis to talk about language. He has been doing a stellar job learning English, French, and Swedish at the same time, and I was curious to pick his brain about it. You'll hear him tell me how I'm no good at rolling my Rs in French, why he speaks Swedish with his mother, and what he thought about Italy. Well... I mean... he's three years old, so he doesn't really get too deep into anything, but it's still a fascinating conversation for anyon...
May 05, 2025•16 min•Season 17Ep. 2
Let's go deep on the Notre Dame cathedral. Our guest: Boris Petrovic, who has just published a series of historical essays on Notre Dame. His books are a series of seven, which you can buy one by one or in a heavyweight tome, all the information is here . You can also book Boris for a walking tour of Notre Dame here . Enjoying what we’re doing here at The Earful Tower and keen to see more? Become a Patreon member here or a Substack member here to support it and to discover our exciting extras. M...
Apr 14, 2025•30 min•Season 17Ep. 1
For this season finale, we’re on a private boat on the Seine River with Marie and Bertrand from My Private Paris. They explain how best to plan a visit to the big five, the Louvre, Notre Dame, the Musee d’Orsay, the Eiffel Tower, and the Seine. My Private Paris is a local deluxe agency, crafting itineraries for tours in Paris and beyond. See what they offer here . They've been the sponsor for this podcast all season! Enjoying what we’re doing here at The Earful Tower and keen to see more? Become...
Mar 31, 2025•30 min•Season 16Ep. 30
We're nearing the end of this podcast season, so here is a look behind the curtain at five exciting things that have happened... and that are about to happen. 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 ...
Mar 24, 2025•23 min•Season 16Ep. 29
This week we talk about fun workshops in Paris that we've done recently, specifically stone carving and hat making. The guest: Lina Nordin Gee. The details: Stonemasonry classes are with last week's guest Grégory Philippe in his atelier in the Marais. If you want to find his studio and book one of his stone-carving sessions, you can find it online here ( Address : 12 Rue du Prévôt, 75004). For the hatmaking, seek out MiniMe Land (Address: 25 R. de Turbigo, 75002 Paris) At the end of the episode,...
Mar 17, 2025•26 min•Season 16Ep. 28
This week we chat to stonemason Grégory Philippe in his atelier in the Marais. He reveals the world of limestone, the most important stone in the city. If you want to find his studio and book one of his stone-carving sessions, you can find it in the heart of the Marais or online here ( Address : 12 Rue du Prévôt, 75004). At the end of the episode, Marie Segura from My Private Paris is in the studio discussing how best to visit her favourite Paris flea market, the Saint Ouen. In fact, this whole ...
Mar 10, 2025•26 min•Season 16Ep. 27
Let'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 arc...
Mar 03, 2025•31 min•Season 16Ep. 26
After ten years in Paris, my wife Lina and I couldn't be happier. We have two little Parisian children, we have a small business, and we pinch ourselves to call Paris home. BUT... we are also square pegs in rounds holes. Being a Swede and an Australian with a podcast company, while speaking questionable French, raises eyebrows. Here are a handful of things that have become frustrating for us as a result, so you can hopefully use it as a warning if you’re thinking to do the same, or perhaps as a ...
Feb 24, 2025•27 min•Season 16Ep. 25
Today we take a list of ten very popular things to do in Paris. And then Marie Segura, the co-founder of the My Private Paris tour agency, breaks them down into underrated or overrated. ( And you can read it all here ) Hope this helps you to plan your next trip. Enjoy! My Private Paris is a local deluxe agency, crafting itineraries for tours in Paris and beyond. See what they offer here . Enjoying what we’re doing here at The Earful Tower and keen to see more? Become a Patreon member here to sup...
Feb 17, 2025•25 min•Season 16Ep. 24
Let's visit the Louvre with author Elaine Sciolino . Today, we chat about her upcoming book Adventures in the Louvre: How to Fall in Love with the World’s Greatest Museum. The book pulls back the curtain on a building many think they know, but which still contains endless secrets and untold stories. And if you think you recognise Elaine’s name and voice, perhaps you heard her on the pod before! Elaine, the former Paris bureau chief for The New York Times, has featured The Earful Tower in the pas...
Feb 10, 2025•37 min•Season 16Ep. 23
It's time for a day of stained glass windows and gothic churches, featuring a visit to three key churches and cathedrals. We begin this day trip with Chartres, a little town to the south west of Paris. Trusty tour guide Bertrand d’Aleman, from award-winning travel company My Private Paris, explains how we're in the midst of a gothic church (and stained glass window) revival. We took the train to Chartres, then spent half a day exploring the cathedral and the town. Then we headed back to Paris fo...
Feb 03, 2025•33 min•Season 16Ep. 22
This week The Earful Tower is going to the opera. To prepare, I talked to superstar Australian soprano Siobhan Stagg, who is in Paris to perform in Orlando at the Théâtre du Châtelet . She helped me to demystify the opera. Find Siobhan Stagg on Instagram to follow her artistic adventures - and find her on Spotify here . Want more from The Earful Tower? Become a Patreon member here to support it and to unlock extras. This season of The Earful Tower is brought to you by the award-winning travel co...
Jan 27, 2025•40 min•Season 16Ep. 21
We filmed a "viral" video with the US ambassador to France , Denise Bauer, in her official residence in Paris. This episode is a behind-the-scenes from the video, plus a general chat about what has been going on here at The Earful Tower. Mentioned in this episode: Our YouTube video The fascinating Pamela Harriman Lina's "Scoop du jour" column (read it on Patreon here , Substack here ) Le Dali restaurant at Le Meurice This season of The Earful Tower is brought to you by the award-winning travel c...
Jan 20, 2025•30 min•Season 16Ep. 20
This week has been full of reflections as I celebrated my ten year anniversary of moving to Paris. Life has changed dramatically in those ten years and building the Earful Tower has been a major part of that. Little did I know, all those years ago, how much I had to learn about this beautiful, complicated city. It felt only right to contemplate upon what I have learnt over this decade and, to be completely honest, not all of it is totally positive. Acting as your "eyes and ears" in Paris has had...
Jan 13, 2025•35 min•Season 16Ep. 19
IT'S BACK AGAIN! Every year we make a bucket list of things we want to try for the first time in Paris. In this episode, you'll hear Oliver and Lina sharing their top five things they want to do this year in Paris. Why not write your own list and join us? The full list is on our official website here . This season of The Earful Tower is brought to you by the award-winning travel company My Private Paris, which specializes in tours in Paris, day trips outside Paris, and travel itineraries. See wh...
Jan 06, 2025•28 min•Season 16Ep. 18
Short answer: yes. Paris is worth visiting in the winter months. In this episode, Oliver and Lina explain why, based on their combined 22 winters in Paris. Mentioned in this episode: Ice Skating at the Grand Palais A chat with Chef Tony Xu from Shang Palace ( see our video here ) The Petit Palais museum At the end you'll hear from Marie Segura from My Private Paris talking about the Phantom of the Opera and at the Palais Garnier, which is incidentally a lovely way to while away a winter day. Thi...
Dec 30, 2024•32 min•Season 16Ep. 17
It's time for a day trip to Vaux-le-Vicomte! This week, I'll show you how to visit the magnificent chateau Vaux-le-Vicomte with Bertrand d’Aleman from award-winning travel company My Private Paris. We took a private van from Paris, then spent half a day exploring the chateau and its grounds. This was a family-friendly visit (two families on board!) but the episode is aimed at everyone and anyone. My Private Paris is a local deluxe agency, crafting itineraries for tours in Paris and beyond (inclu...
Dec 23, 2024•26 min•Season 16Ep. 16
Paris is home to over 100 museums, from world-renowned art galleries to quirky, hidden gems. In this episode, we highlight 5 underrated museums you won’t want to miss, each offering a unique glimpse into Parisian history and culture. Discover the Bibliothèque Nationale Richelieu , where centuries of knowledge await. This historic library houses treasures like a rare Gutenberg Bible and an original manuscript of Les Misérables . Then, explore the newly renovated Musée Carnavalet , a free museum d...
Dec 16, 2024•29 min•Season 16Ep. 15
This Week on The Earful Tower: Notre Dame's Grand Reopening In this special episode, we dive into Notre Dame's grand reopening after the fire that shook the world. I speak with Ariel Weil , the mayor of Paris' central arrondissements, about his firsthand experience inside the newly restored cathedral, and what’s next for this iconic monument. Then, for a visitor's perspective, I chat with Bertrand d'Aleman , co-founder of My Private Paris , about what tourists can expect when they visit Notre Da...
Dec 09, 2024•15 min•Season 16Ep. 14
This week on the podcast we are chatting about gin with Charlotte Buisson Dackow from La Distillerie de l’Arbre Sec . This cool, new micro-distillery is located on a quiet street, with a macabre history, mere steps from the Louvre museum in the 1st arrondissement. We visited their stunning workshop and listened as Charlotte explained the evolution of the gin culture in France. Offering excellent quality gin, as well as tastings and workshops, it’s clear that Charlotte and her colleagues take gin...
Dec 02, 2024•27 min•Season 16Ep. 13
It's time for a day trip to Versailles! This week, I'll show you a great way to visit the town of Versailles with the help of Bertrand d’Aleman from award-winning travel company My Private Paris. We took the train from Paris, then spent a day exploring the town, but never stepped foot inside the palace or the palace grounds. My Private Paris is a local deluxe agency, crafting itineraries for tours in Paris and beyond (including, of course, Champagne). See what they offer here . Here is their ful...
Nov 25, 2024•35 min•Season 16Ep. 12
This week, Lina and Oliver discuss how to entertain children in Paris. Even if you're not visiting with kids, you'll find some good tips in this episode. As usual, everything is written in full, with links and more details, on the website here . Below is a short version. This season of The Earful Tower is brought to you by the award-winning travel company My Private Paris, which specializes in tours in Paris, day trips outside Paris, and travel itineraries. See what they offer here . Get more fr...
Nov 18, 2024•29 min•Season 16Ep. 11
Here are the main mistakes to avoid if you're visiting Paris, according to this week's guest, writer and social media star Anna Kloots. Anna has lived in Paris for five years - and I've been here for 10 - so this list is based on 15 years of Paris experience. Watch the YouTube version of this chat, filmed on the streets of Paris, right here . For more from Anna, find her on Instagram here and Substack here . This season of The Earful Tower is brought to you by the award-winning travel company My...
Nov 11, 2024•32 min•Season 16Ep. 10
What's a baguette? A long loaf of bread, surely. WRONG! A baguette can be one of 15 different things. Here's how I found out - and a few baguette-related language facts to impress your French friends. Featuring, ever-so-briefly, the voice of Véronique from France with Véro . And here's the full French dictionary listing for 'baguette'. This season of The Earful Tower is brought to you by the award-winning travel company My Private Paris, which specializes in tours in Paris, day trips outside Par...
Nov 04, 2024•8 min•Season 16Ep. 9
Here are our six golden rules for visiting Provence, based on over a decade of visiting the region. In fact, we just got back to Paris after another visit to the sun-soaked region and now it's time to share what we've learned. In this episode, you'll hear Lina and I walking in a quiet and beautiful part of Paris, while discussing Provence. You can watch the video on our YouTube channel . After our chat, Marie Segura from My Private Paris talks about the upcoming reopening of the Notre Dame Cathe...
Oct 28, 2024•30 min•Season 16Ep. 8
