Y is for Yesteryear. In this episode, I chat with two long-time Paris residents about their first impressions of the city.  First, you'll hear from American music journalist Valli about life in Paris in the early 1980s. (Valli was first on the Earful Tower in 2019: "Famous in France: Meet American singer Valli") Then it's Englishman Jim Bane who first came to Paris in 1963. (Jim was first on the Earful Tower in 2017: "Paris expat for 50 years".) Do you like this podcast? Become a Patreon member of The Earful Tower here to support this show and get extras. The music in this episode is from Pres Maxson, find his Substack here.  Click here for our walking tours of Paris.

Yesteryear: Paris impressions from the 1980s, 70s, and 60s

The Earful Tower is a weekly podcast all about Paris, hosted by Australian expat Oliver Gee. With a huge variety of guests - from cooks and comedians to TV hosts and tour guides - this show will transport you to the City of Lights and make you feel like you've met the characters that make it shine.

Society & Culture

Personal Journals

History

Philosophy

Places & Travel

Arts

Literature

Performing Arts

Design

Food

Fashion & Beauty

Visual Arts

Meet Daniel Christensen, an avid boulderer in Paris. He talks of how the trend of climbing - aka bouldering - is captivating people's attention in Paris, and how the worldwide sport actually started near Paris in Fontainebleau.   Even if you're not a climber, this makes for an interesting chat about Paris and how sports/hobbies/pastimes are changing. There's even a climbing hall  INSIDE a church! Find out more about Daniel on his Instagram page here. *********** The Earful Tower exists thanks to support from its Patreon 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.  Membership takes only a minute to set up. Thank you for keeping this channel independent.  For more from the Earful Tower, here are some handy links: Website  Weekly newsletter 

The fastest climbing trend in Paris...

Meet Simon Kuper, a British (and naturalized French) journalist in Paris.  He talks of how the changing face of Paris and its suburbs - and his new book Impossible City: Paris in the Twenty-First Century. Find out more about Simon and his work on his Twitter profile here. *********** The Earful Tower exists thanks to support from its Patreon 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.  Membership takes only a minute to set up. Thank you for keeping this channel independent.  For more from the Earful Tower, here are some handy links: Website  Weekly newsletter 

The changing face of Paris and its suburbs

If you've been to a Paris cemetery, you might have seen curious collections of unusual objects on certain gravestones (especially celebrities like Jim Morrisson and Oscar Wilde).  You can find potatoes, chewing gum, Metro tickets, apples... and much more.  In this episode, Ana Gimena from LivTours breaks down some of the main offerings you can find on gravestones at Pere Lachaise and Montparnasse cemetery. See our full blog post with all the addresses here.   Book a walking tour of Pere Lachaise with LivTours here.    LivTours offer more than 30 experiences in and around Paris (and hundreds more across Europe). Their tour groups are small - max 6 people - or private and include everything from Pere Lachaise Cemetery and the Catacombs, to day trips in Versailles, Giverny, and Champagne.  They also do food tours of the Marais, small group and private visits to the Louvre, and TukTuk tours of Paris.  Find out more here about LivTours here.

Why do Parisians leave unusual objects at gravestones?

Meet Frank Adrian Barron, an American baker in Paris (better know as Cake Boy Paris). He talks of how he made it as a baker in the city, sharing his sweet treats on social media, and his book Sweet Paris. Find out more about Frank and his work via his Instagram page here, his website here, and his book here.  *********** The Earful Tower exists thanks to support from its Patreon 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.  Membership takes only a minute to set up. Thank you for keeping this channel independent.  For more from the Earful Tower, here are some handy links: Website  Weekly newsletter 

Sweet Paris: A life of cakes and pastries

Meet Scott Hillier, an Australian movie director in Paris, who runs the European Independant Film Festival (the ÉCU).  He talks of the iconic light in the city of Paris, his film festival, and his exploits around the world as a director and war photographer.  Find out more about the annual Film Festival here, 2024 marks the 19th festival, and it runs on April 19th, 20th, and 21st in Montparnasse.   *********** The Earful Tower exists thanks to support from its Patreon 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.  Membership takes only a minute to set up. Thank you for keeping this channel independent.  For more from the Earful Tower, here are some handy links: Website  Weekly newsletter 

Yesteryear: Paris impressions from the 1980s, 70s, and 60s

Download our free app to listen on your phone