Coffee Pot Conversations hosted by An Englishman in Paris

Is the flâneur dead—or has it simply evolved?

In Part Two of this exploration into one of Paris's most fascinating cultural figures, I follow the flâneur from the boulevards of nineteenth-century Paris into the modern world of psychogeography, street photography, digital wandering and slow travel.

Discover how Guy Debord, the Situationist International, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Vivian Maier and Lauren Elkin reshaped our understanding of wandering without purpose. Along the way, I reflect on my own experiences exploring Paris and I ask whether the city still rewards those willing to abandon the map and embrace the unexpected.

Featuring insights from Professor Federico Castigliano, author of Flâneur: The Art of Wandering the Streets of Paris.

For more on Federico Castigliano check out https://federicocastigliano.com

For some amazing attire, Christian and French Abroad can be found at https://frenchabroadparis.com

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Introduction (00:24)

News (11:12)

Coffee Pot Conversation (19:05)

Conclusion (30:47)

Coming Up (33:56)

Outro (35:36)

#paris #travel #vlog

What exactly is a flâneur?

Is it simply someone who wanders around Paris without a destination? A person with too much time and too little purpose? A literary observer? A dandy? A tourist who has decided not to behave like a tourist?

Or has the flâneur become something rather more elevated - almost a status?

In this episode of Coffee Pot Conversations, I take a deeper look at the idea of the flâneur, building on my earlier episode about Charles Baudelaire.

The story actually began with my own blog. Long before I knew the word flâneur, I had written about what I called a “marché lent” - a slow walk: wandering through Paris without necessarily having anywhere particular to go.

Only later did I discover that there was already a word for what I was describing.

This episode is an attempt to go further.

Rather than simply revisiting Baudelaire, I explore how the idea of the flâneur developed, changed and evolved - from a term associated with idleness and aimless wandering into the celebrated figure of the detached urban observer.

And joining me sporadically throughout the episode is Professor Federico Castigliano, Professor of French and Italian Studies and author of Flaneur – The Art of Wandering the Streets of Paris.

Together, we explore the history, appearance, behaviour and changing meaning of the flâneur.

Perhaps the biggest question is a surprisingly simple one:

Can you still be a flâneur today?

Or has the modern city made genuine flânerie impossible?

Maybe being a flâneur isn't about where you go at all.

Maybe it is about how you move through the city.

So grab your coffee, leave your destination behind for a while, and come wandering through Paris.

Find out more about Federico here https://www.federicocastigliano.com/

His book, Flâneur: The Art of Wandering the Streets of Paris can be bought on Amazon and at other good book retailers online and throughout the world.

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Introduction (00:24)

News (04:25)

Coffee Pot Conversation (12:39)

Conclusion (32:07)

Coming Up (42:57)

Coming Up - Part 2 (44:10)

Outro (46:04)

Pre-Ending (46:39)

What exactly is a flâneur?

It's one of those French words that appears everywhere when people talk about Paris, yet few stop to explain where it came from or why it still matters today.

In this episode of Coffee Pot Conversations, I explore the origins of the flâneur through the extraordinary life and writings of Charles Baudelaire, the nineteenth-century poet whose observations of everyday Paris transformed the way artists, writers and travellers viewed the modern city.

Along the way, we uncover Baudelaire's complicated life, his fascination with the changing streets of Haussmann's Paris, his relationship with Edgar Allan Poe, the publication of Les Fleurs du Mal and how simply walking through Paris became an artistic act.

Whether you've heard the word flâneur a hundred times or are discovering it for the first time, this episode explores why wandering without purpose may be one of the best ways to experience Paris.

In this episode

• What is a flâneur?

• What does flâner actually mean?

• My own discovery of slow walking in Paris

• Charles Baudelaire's childhood

• Baudelaire's life in the Latin Quarter

• Hashish, cafés and nineteenth-century intellectual Paris

• Les Fleurs du Mal

• The Painter of Modern Life

• The birth of modernity

• Edgar Allan Poe and Baudelaire

• Haussmann's Paris through a poet's eyes

• Baudelaire's final years and burial in Montparnasse Cemetery

• Visiting Baudelaire's grave today

Perfect for listeners interested in

Charles Baudelaire • Flâneur • Paris history • French literature • Paris walking tours • Hidden Paris • Haussmann • Edgar Allan Poe • French poetry • Literary Paris • Montparnasse Cemetery • Creative writing • Coffee Pot Conversations

☕ Coffee Pot Conversations explores the hidden history, literature and everyday life of Paris through storytelling, personal experiences and carefully researched history.

Rather than simply visiting famous landmarks, each episode invites you to understand the people, ideas and places that shaped the City of Light.

Introduction (00:24)

News (02:42)

Outside Broadcast (13:46)

Coffee Pot Conversation (16:07)

Conclusion (42:20)

Coming Up (44:30)

Outro (45:02)

Most visitors to Paris head straight for the Louvre.

I didn't.

In this episode of Coffee Pot Conversations, I continue exploring some of Paris' most fascinating museums that quietly sit beyond the city's biggest attractions.

We begin at the remarkable Institut du Monde Arabe, an architectural masterpiece created to celebrate Arab culture, history and artistic achievement, before crossing the Seine to discover one of my favourite hidden museums in Paris—the Musée du Parfum Fragonard.

From the origins of perfume in Grasse to the extraordinary story behind Jean-Honoré Fragonard and his famous painting The Swing, we uncover how art, fragrance and Parisian culture have become intertwined over centuries.

Finally, we step into the spacious galleries of the Musée d'Art Moderne de Paris, where a work I believed to be by Piet Mondrian turned out to be something entirely different, proving that curiosity often matters far more than expertise.

If you're looking to experience Paris beyond the guidebooks, these museums deserve a place on your itinerary.

Perfect for listeners interested in:

Paris museums • Hidden Paris • Louvre alternatives • Musée du Parfum Fragonard • Institut du Monde Arabe • Musée d'Art Moderne de Paris • Perfume in Paris • Grasse • Jean-Honoré Fragonard • Wallace Collection • Paris culture • Paris history • Art history • Modern art • Paris travel • Coffee Pot Conversations

☕ Coffee Pot Conversations explores the hidden history, culture and everyday life of Paris through storytelling, personal experiences and carefully researched history.

Each episode encourages you to experience Paris as a visitor rather than a tourist, uncovering remarkable stories that many guidebooks overlook.

Introduction (00:24)

News (04:16)

Coffee Pot Conversation (11:46)

Conclusion (25:45)

Coming Up (27:54)

Outro (29:08)

Can you truly say you've experienced Paris without visiting the Louvre?

For years, my answer was yes.

Before I ever walked beneath I. M. Pei's iconic glass pyramid, I'd already fallen in love with Paris by wandering its streets, exploring neighbourhoods and embracing the art of becoming a flâneur. Rather than rushing between famous landmarks, I discovered that the city often reveals itself in the spaces between them.

In this episode of Coffee Pot Conversations, I reflect on my first visit to the Louvre Museum, what it was like finally seeing the Mona Lisa, and why the world's most visited museum didn't change my opinion that Paris is best experienced slowly.

We quickly gloss over the Louvre's ambitious Nouvelle Renaissance redevelopment, including plans for a dedicated gallery for the Mona Lisa and a redesigned entrance that aims to improve the experience for millions of visitors each year.

Along the way, I discuss some of Paris' other outstanding museums, mention that I only recommend places I've personally visited, and introduce a conversation with Nev about two museums I have yet to explore myself.

Whether you're planning your first visit to Paris or your fiftieth, this episode asks a simple question: is the Louvre the destination, or simply one chapter in a much bigger Parisian story?

Perfect for listeners interested in

Louvre Museum • Paris museums • Paris history • Hidden Paris • Paris culture • Mona Lisa • Paris podcast • Walking in Paris • Flâneur • Musée d'Orsay • Musée Carnavalet • Musée Jacquemart-André • Musée de l'Orangerie • Paris travel • Museums in Paris • Things to do in Paris • Paris itineraries • Everyday Paris

☕ Coffee Pot Conversations explores the hidden history, culture and everyday life of Paris through storytelling, personal experiences and carefully researched history.

Rather than ticking off famous attractions, each episode encourages you to experience Paris as a visitor rather than a tourist, discovering the stories and places that make the French capital unforgettable.

Reach out to Claudine Hemingway about Louvre tours - quite possibly ther best in the business. She's definitely the one with the best shoes! https://www.claudinehemingway.com/

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Introduction (00:24)

News (03:03)

Coffee Pot Conversation (10:14)

"Quick chat" with Nev (17:05)

Conclusion (33:27)

Coming Up (37:36)

Outro (39:17)

What if one of the greatest figures in French literature wasn't actually born where everyone thinks?

In this episode of Coffee Pot Conversations, we explore the remarkable life of Molière, France's greatest playwright, while uncovering one of Paris' lesser-known historical mysteries. Beginning with an unexpected purchase of a tiny copy of Tartuffe in an antique shop in the Cotswolds, the journey leads deep into the streets of Paris, where competing birthplaces, changing street numbers and centuries-old records leave historians asking an intriguing question.

Together we'll metaphorically walk along Rue Saint-Honoré, visit Rue Sauval, explore Saint-Eustache, and discover why identifying Molière's birthplace is far more complicated than most guidebooks suggest.

Along the way, we uncover the fascinating history of Parisian street numbering, Napoleon's lasting influence on the city, and how a seemingly simple address can reveal centuries of political, social and architectural change.

From there we follow Jean-Baptiste Poquelin - better known as Molière - from aspiring lawyer to actor, playwright and favourite of Louis XIV, examining how his biting social satire transformed French theatre forever.

We also discover why Tartuffe became one of the most controversial plays ever written, why the Church fought to ban it, and how Molière's wit, irony and fearless criticism of hypocrisy continue to influence literature more than 350 years later.

If you enjoy discovering the hidden history of Paris beyond the famous landmarks, this episode is for you.

☕ Coffee Pot Conversations explores the hidden history, everyday culture and overlooked stories that make Paris one of the world's most fascinating cities.

Rather than ticking off famous landmarks, each episode invites you to experience Paris as a visitor rather than a tourist.

New episodes explore forgotten streets, remarkable people, cafés, neighbourhoods and the stories hiding in plain sight.

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Introduction (00:24)

News (02:39)

Coffee Pot Conversation (12:40)

Conclusion (29:30)

Coming Up (31:34)

Outro (34:45)

Perfect for listeners interested in

Paris • Paris travel • Paris shopping • Monoprix • Hidden Paris • Everyday Paris • French supermarkets • Paris history • Paris culture • France travel • Les Halles • Bastille • Nation • Paris podcast • Shopping in Paris • French retail history • Visiting Paris • Local Paris • Paris stories

In this episode of Coffee Pot Conversations, I explore my slightly unusual tradition of buying a Monoprix shopping bag every time I visit Paris. What began as an accidental souvenir has become a gateway into one of France's most recognisable retail brands.

From humorous encounters with Monoprix staff to the surprising history of the company itself, we uncover how a department store founded in 1932 became woven into everyday Parisian life.

We also follow the fascinating evolution of Monoprix through its partnerships with Casino Group, Franprix, Naturalia and even Ocado, revealing how one familiar Paris shop sits at the centre of a much larger retail story.

Along the way, I share stories from shopping in Les Halles, Bastille, Nation and Ledru-Rollin, discovering that sometimes the ordinary places reveal far more about Paris than its famous monuments.

If you've ever wandered through Paris carrying one of those famous white Monoprix bags - or simply want to understand everyday Parisian life - this episode is for you.

Perfect for listeners interested in

Paris • Paris travel • Paris shopping • Monoprix • Hidden Paris • Everyday Paris • French supermarkets • Paris history • Paris culture • France travel • Les Halles • Bastille • Nation • Paris podcast • Shopping in Paris • French retail history • Visiting Paris • Local Paris • Paris stories

☕ Coffee Pot Conversations explores the hidden history, everyday culture and overlooked stories that make Paris one of the world's most fascinating cities.

Rather than ticking off famous landmarks, each episode invites you to experience Paris as a visitor rather than a tourist.

New episodes explore forgotten streets, remarkable people, cafés, neighbourhoods and the stories hiding in plain sight.

The Earful Tower⁠ with Oliver Gee

⁠La Vie Creative⁠ with Krystal Kenney

⁠Bleu Blonde Rouge⁠ with Claudine Hemingway

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📧 Email -⁠ ⁠[email protected]⁠⁠

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Introduction (00:24)

News (03:54)

Coffee Pot Conversation (14:00)

Conclusion part 1 (27:21)

Coming Up part 1 (34:58)

Conclusion part 2 (35:29)

Coming Up part 2 (38:31)

Outro (39:08)

Discover how chance encounters at world expos have historically sparked groundbreaking ideas, cultural shifts, and architectural marvels, as Charles Pappas shares fascinating stories from Paris to global landmarks.

This episode highlights the fascinating intersection of history, architecture, culture, and serendipity, showing how moments of random chance at exhibitions have shaped our cities and ideas. Dive in to explore the stories behind iconic structures and the future of global expos - where innovation meets surprise.

00:00 - Introduction to the serendipitous power of expos and their cultural significance

02:55 - The unexpected influence of the 1900 Paris expo on art and architecture

05:23 - How Paris’s structures have endured and evolved over a century

06:49 - The cultural and technological ripple effects of early exhibitions

08:24 - Hidden stories from the 1867 Paris expo and aquariums' history

09:21 - Serendipity and innovation: Jules Verne and the roots of underwater exploration

10:43 - Influences of the 1889 expo on modern art and architecture

13:01 - The role of expos in shaping global perceptions and national pride

15:41 - Dismantling and rebuilding iconic structures like the Eiffel Tower

17:14 - The changing perception and valuation of Paris's landmarks over time

22:18 - Designing experiential architecture to create emotional impressions

23:50 - The political symbolism and tensions reflected in expo pavilions of the 1930s

27:31 - The role of chance in the creation of iconic objects like the bistro chair

30:55 - The future of world expos: shifting locations, themes, and cultural impact

36:16 - The importance of face-to-face experiences over digital and virtual alternatives

43:49 - Paris's art and architecture masters, many linked to expo origins

44:33 - The journey of the iconic French bistro chair from innovation to mass production

48:50 - The humorous and spontaneous moments in live conversations about history and design

Resources & Links:

Nobody Sits Like the French by Charles Pappas

Exhibitor Magazine - Industry insights

World Expo Official Site - Bureau International des Expositions

📹 YouTube - ⁠⁠https://youtube.com/@CoffeePotConversations/

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📧 Email -⁠ ⁠[email protected]⁠⁠

🔗 Links - ⁠⁠https://anenglishmaninparis.start.page/⁠⁠

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#paris #travel #vlog

There's not much to say - except 50 (official) episodes have brought me to this moment in time.

There's a lot to do and a lot to come, but that's for Seasons 6 and 7.

• For those of you who have been with me from the beginning, I thank you.
• For those of you who have joined me more recently, I thank you.
• For those of you who have joined me since I recorded this episode, I thank you.

There is a lot of time and work that goes into making these episodes and for you to be spending some of yours with me is what makes me continue.

Not just that, but also my love of creating and of Paris.

(00:00) Introduction

(03:15) Paul with the news

(09:50) Coffee Pot Conversation

(20:14) Conclusion

(21:04) Coming Up on Coffee Pot Conversations

Find me and say hello...📹 YouTube - ⁠⁠⁠https://youtube.com/@CoffeePotConversations/⁠

📷 Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠https://instagram.com/anenglishmaninparisblog/⁠⁠⁠

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⁠⁠⁠⁠☎️ Message - ⁠⁠https://voicenote.anenglishmaninparis.blog/⁠⁠

📧 Email -⁠ ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠

🔗 Links -⁠ ⁠⁠https://anenglishmaninparis.start.page/⁠⁠⁠

📣 Shout out - ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠

🎂 Birthdays - ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠

💰 Support - ⁠⁠https://patreon.com/coffeepotconversations⁠⁠

☕ Buy Me a Coffee - ⁠https://buymeacoffee.com/anenglishmaninparis⁠

#paris #travel #vlog

Beyond the grand jardins, Paris is filled with smaller, tranquil pockets of green space - the squares. We explore these essential respite areas and the history hidden within them. From the sand of the Roman-era Arènes de Lutèce to the art and scandal tied to the Square Laurent Prache, which features a statue honoring poet Guillaume Apollinaire (who was arrested during the Mona Lisa theft investigation). We also visit Parc Monceau, an English-style garden built for a royal cousin and Parc Montsouris, a former quarry and necropolis that became one of the "lungs of air" for the city under Napoleon III.

Key Takeaways:

• Small Parks/Squares: Their function as tranquil oases and their prevalence in the outer arrondissements.

• Arènes de Lutèce: Discovering the Roman amphitheater and its connection to the sand in Square Capitan.

• Guillaume Apollinaire: The story of the poet, his Calligramme creation and his surprising connection to the Mona Lisa theft.

• Parc Monceau: The history of the rotunda (a former customs house for taxation) and the first ever silk parachute jump performed there.Parc Montsouris: A deep dive into its origins as a quarry and its creation by Adolphe Alphand, plus a mention of the ongoing saga of the Parc des Princes and PSG's potential moves

  📹 YouTube - ⁠⁠https://youtube.com/@CoffeePotConversations/

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  #paris #travel #vlog