Episodes

  • The 19th arrondissement of Paris (with a local)

    The 19th arrondissement of Paris (with a local)
    May 11 2026
    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 town. This is true locals telling us about the soul of their kingdom and what they like to do there. The goal is to give you a very real look at each of these districts from a local's perspective. And for the 19th Kingdom, the second episode of the season, you'll meet Ben McPartland, the presenter and producer of the Talking France podcast, which is made by The Local France news website here in Paris. He loves this "genuine neighbourhood" of an arrondissement, and I met him at the edge of the Bassin de la Villette for a pint of beer, which he also loves. Here's what he had to say. Mentioned in this episode: Drinks, Food & Canal Hangouts Paname Brewing Company A floating brewery on the Bassin de la Villette with an easygoing, almost London-style pub atmosphere. Great beers, lively crowds, and one of the best sunset views over the canal. 41 Quai de la Loire, 75019 panamebrewingcompany.com L'Atalante Just up the Canal de l'Ourcq from Paname Brewing, this spot is known for its strong craft beer selection and excellent IPAs. 26 Quai de la Marne, 75019 latalante-paris.com La Rotonde Historic circular building at Stalingrad with restaurants, terraces, and drinks right on the edge of the canal basin. Ideal meeting point before exploring the neighborhood. 6–8 Place de la Bataille de Stalingrad, 75019 Bars Inside Buttes-Chaumont In summer, the park fills with tiny outdoor bars and terraces tucked among the hills and pathways — perfect for an afternoon drink after wandering the park. Music, Film & Culture Philharmonie de Paris One of Paris's great modern concert halls, famous for its dramatic silver architecture and panoramic rooftop terrace overlooking the city. 221 Avenue Jean Jaurès, 75019 philharmoniedeparis.fr Le Zénith Large live music venue inside Parc de la Villette hosting major touring artists and rock concerts. 211 Avenue Jean Jaurès, 75019 le-zenith.com MK2 Cinemas Twin cinemas facing each other across the canal. A favorite local spot for late-night screenings and films in original English versions. 7 Quai de la Loire & 14 Quai de la Seine, 75019 mk2.com Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie Massive science and industry museum loved by Parisian families, with exhibitions, immersive installations, and huge open spaces. 30 Avenue Corentin Cariou, 75019 cite-sciences.fr On the Water Marin d'Eau Douce Rent small electric boats and cruise the Canal de l'Ourcq yourself — especially beautiful from spring through early autumn. 37 Quai de la Seine, 75019 marindeaudouce.fr Kayaks & Rowboats Locals can often access free kayaking and rowing sessions around the Bassin de la Villette on weekends during warmer months. Summer Canal Swimming Every summer, sections of the Bassin de la Villette transform into open-air swimming areas, with races, floating pools, and seasonal events. Parks & Walks Parc des Buttes-Chaumont Wild, cinematic, and hilly — often called the most beautiful park in Paris. Expect cliffs, bridges, waterfalls, a lake, and incredible Sacré-Cœur views. Parc de la Villette Huge contemporary park blending architecture, green space, music venues, museums, and canal life into one sprawling cultural district. **************** This episode brought to you by The Earful Tower Tours. Come join us in the Marais, Montmartre, or the Latin Quarter. Our Walking Tours 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 almost endless extras including bonus podcast episodes, live video replays, special event invites, and our annually updated PDF guide to Paris. Membership takes only a minute to set up on Patreon, or Substack. Thank you for keeping this channel independent. For more from the Earful Tower, here are some handy links: Website Weekly newsletter Walking Tours Music: Pres Maxson
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    28 mins
  • Following the Rose Line to the Paris observatory

    Following the Rose Line to the Paris observatory
    May 8 2026

    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 Louvre, and into the Paris Observatory.

    Featured is the voice of Nicolas Lesté-Lasserre, a science historian and the community manager of the Observatoire de Paris. He showed me around this incredible 17th century institution, which is usually closed to the public.

    Find more, including beautiful pictures of the observatory, on The Earful Tower's website.

    The episode in this music is from Pres Maxson, featuring an original song called Le Meridien de Paris.

    This episode brought to you by The Earful Tower Tours. Come join us in the Marais, Montmartre, or the Latin Quarter. Our Walking Tours 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 almost endless extras including bonus podcast episodes, live video replays, special event invites, and our annually updated PDF guide to Paris.

    Membership takes only a minute to set up on Patreon, or Substack. Thank you for keeping this channel independent.

    For more from the Earful Tower, here are some handy links:

    Website

    Weekly newsletter

    Walking Tours
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    36 mins
  • The INIMITABLE Arc de Triomphe: Five things you didn't know

    The INIMITABLE Arc de Triomphe: Five things you didn't know
    May 4 2026

    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 which you definitely didn't know.

    Find the video we mentioned on my YouTube page here: https://www.youtube.com/theearfultower

    This episode brought to you by The Earful Tower Tours. Come join us in the Marais, Montmartre, or the Latin Quarter. Our Walking Tours 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 almost endless extras including bonus podcast episodes, live video replays, special event invites, and our annually updated PDF guide to Paris.

    Membership takes only a minute to set up on Patreon, or Substack. Thank you for keeping this channel independent.

    For more from the Earful Tower, here are some handy links:

    Website

    Weekly newsletter

    Walking Tours
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    30 mins
  • What to do in Belleville and the 20th district of Paris

    What to do in Belleville and the 20th district of Paris
    Apr 24 2026
    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 restaurant. (She sings on the episode, too, her fave Edith song, which was J'm'en fous pas mal). You can find everything we mention on this post: This episode brought to you by The Earful Tower Tours. Come join us in the Marais, Montmartre, or the Latin Quarter. Our Walking Tours 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 almost endless extras including bonus podcast episodes, live video replays, special event invites, and our annually updated PDF guide to Paris. Membership takes only a minute to set up on Patreon, or Substack. Thank you for keeping this channel independent. For more from the Earful Tower, here are some handy links: Website Weekly newsletter Walking Tours If you're in a rush, here is a narrative distillation of the episode (meaning, essentially, that you're reading about 10 percent of what happens). Oliver: Let me take you back to December 19th, 1915, in Paris, where a baby girl named Edith Piaf was born on the cold streets of Belleville. She became the soul of Paris and, more specifically, the soul of the district we are sharing with you today in the far east of the city. To get there, we are taking a car, and I'm joined by my wife and confidant, Lina,. Lina: Yes, I am ready. Welcome to a new season. Oliver: I'm very excited. I've described my role this season as the Robin to your Batman. Lina: And usually, I am the Batman, of course. Oliver: We want to give everyone a glimpse into this interesting neighborhood where Edith Piaf served as the muse,. Upon arrival in Belleville, we stayed at the Babel Belleville hotel. It was immediately clear that this is a different version of Paris than the one people expect with berets and the Eiffel Tower. Lina: Especially since we arrived on market day. Oliver: The market was busy, bustling, and colorful, with more people than I've ever seen in a Paris market. We were in full tourist mode, talking to street sellers and eating what seemed like an Algerian Korean crepe,. The area is very diverse and immersive,. We also noticed that as time passed, there were far fewer tourists than in areas like the Marais. Lina: The shops aren't catered to tourists either; many were residential or even closed down,. It's a real, unpolished neighborhood. Oliver: Our plan was to explore for the day and then attend a show at Le Vieux Belleville. The 20th is a large district, so we did a lot of walking. We set our sights on Peppe's Pizza, which is ranked the best pizza in Europe. On the way, we passed the Père Lachaise Cemetery, which is essentially the only major tourist attraction in the district. Lina: I used to live in the 20th and had visited the cemetery a few times years ago, but it is just so big. Oliver: No one should miss it because entering those gates feels like entering a different world. However, it is not wheelchair or push-chair friendly due to the huge cobblestones,. While the most famous grave is often cited as Jim Morrison, I went looking for the ultimate hit: Edith Piaf,. Her grave is somewhat unassuming, much like her famous little black dress. After the cemetery, we finally had that pizza, which lived up to the hype with its unique toppings like cheese and marmalade,. Lina: It was delicious. Oliver: Next, we looked for La Campagne à Paris, the "countryside of Paris". It's a remote area with cottage-style houses built on top of old quarries, which is why the buildings are so low,. Our cab driver even gossiped that the previous president, François Hollande, lives up there. Lina: It was lovely, though since it's winter, there were more sticks than greenery. It's a great spot for a 15-minute walk and an Instagram photo. Oliver: That evening, we went to Le Vieux Belleville. We were worried it might be cheesy or touristy, but we ended up staying for three hours,. I managed to warm up the owner by telling him he looked like George Clooney,. Every Tuesday is Edith Piaf night, featuring an accordionist and a wonderful Polish singer named Gosia,. Lina: The vibe felt like crashing a French family's dinner party,. Oliver: We were the only foreigners there, but everyone was dancing and singing together. It was an utterly surprising amount of fun. Afterward, I stepped outside to interview the singer, Gosia,. Oliver: Gosia, that was a wonderful performance. How did a Polish woman end up singing Edith Piaf in Belleville,? Gosia: I started learning French by singing her songs. I adore the "gut" emotion in ...
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    35 mins
  • The 20th arrondissement of Paris (with a local)

    The 20th arrondissement of Paris (with a local)
    Apr 20 2026

    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 the podcast, I'm going to visit each kingdom and introduce you to someone who truly loves that particular district. Maybe they work there, maybe they live there, or maybe they just love it.

    That's the whole concept. This isn't me recommending cafes or restaurants in different parts of town. This is true locals telling us about the soul of their kingdom and what they like to do there. The goal is to give you a very real look at each of these districts from a local's perspective.

    And for the 20th Kingdom, the first episode of the season, you'll meet Abiola, a social worker who looks after kids in the north western side of the district. He loves cafes, good food, football and the 20th arrondissement of Paris. Here's what he had to say.

    Mentioned in this episode:

    Restaurant

    Paloma

    Website: https://www.instagram.com/paloma.belleville/

    Address: 93 Rue Julien Lacroix, 75020 Paris

    Bar

    Combat

    Website: https://www.instagram.com/combat.belleville/?hl=en

    Address: 63 Rue de Belleville, 75019 Paris

    Cafes

    Candle Kids

    Website: https://www.instagram.com/candlekidscoffee/

    Address: 107 rue des couronnes, Paris, France 75020

    Miliki Coffee

    Website: https://milikicafe.com/

    Address: 8 rue Levert, 75020 Paris

    Bambin

    Website: https://bambin-coffeeshop.fr/

    Address: 40 Rue de Tourtille, 75020 Paris

    Best thing to do

    Parc de Belleville

    Best street

    Rue Saint Blaise

    ********************

    This episode brought to you by The Earful Tower Tours. Come join us in the Marais, Montmartre, or the Latin Quarter. Our Walking Tours 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 almost endless extras including bonus podcast episodes, live video replays, special event invites, and our annually updated PDF guide to Paris.

    Membership takes only a minute to set up on Patreon, or Substack. Thank you for keeping this channel independent.

    For more from the Earful Tower, here are some handy links:

    Website

    Weekly newsletter

    Walking Tours

    Music: Pres Maxson

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    30 mins
  • The midnight market in Paris you've never heard about

    The midnight market in Paris you've never heard about
    Apr 6 2026

    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 cheesemongers) open their doors to the eager buyers, who charge in and negotiate prices for the goods.

    And even though it's closed to the public, I got an invite to make this episode. My invite came from April Pett who runs April in Paris tours, check her out here: https://www.aprilinparistours.com/

    Big shout out to market vendor Jaad who took us around and whose laughter echoed through the halls of Rungis all night.

    You can find more about the market here (but remember, it isn't open to visit to the public). https://www.rungisinternational.com/

    Here's the replay of the short live video we made: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeiII9gqlZo

    And the rest of our pictures are on social media, the rest of my videos will be for the members, only. Links below.

    ********************

    The Earful Tower exists thanks to support from its members. For just $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.

    Membership takes only a minute to set up on Patreon, or Substack. Thank you for keeping this channel independent.

    For more from the Earful Tower, here are some handy links:

    Website

    Weekly newsletter

    Walking Tours

    Music: Pres Maxson

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    17 mins
  • A glimpse at life in our trilingual family

    A glimpse at life in our trilingual family
    Mar 30 2026

    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 everyeone else, you can support this show by buying the guide here: https://theearfultower.com/product/guide-book/

    ********************

    The Earful Tower exists thanks to support from its members. For just $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.

    Membership takes only a minute to set up on Patreon, or Substack. Thank you for keeping this channel independent.

    For more from the Earful Tower, here are some handy links:

    Website

    Weekly newsletter

    Walking Tours

    Music: Pres Maxson (his take on Douce France, by Charles Trenet)
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    16 mins
  • Paris got a new mayor: But who is he? (And what will be Anne Hidalgo's legacy?)

    Paris got a new mayor: But who is he? (And what will be Anne Hidalgo's legacy?)
    Mar 24 2026

    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 behind the Millefeuille Substack page, which she calls the "newsletter for Parisians who are bad at local news".

    Follow Katy to find out more:

    • The Millefeuille newsletter
    • The Europeans

    ***********

    The Earful Tower exists thanks to support from its members. For just $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.

    Membership takes only a minute to set up on Patreon, or Substack. Thank you for keeping this channel independent.

    For more from the Earful Tower, here are some handy links:

    Website

    Weekly newsletter

    Walking Tours

    Music: Pres Maxson (his take on Sous le ciel de Paris, by Edith Piaf)
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    31 mins