For the first time ever, I'm in France for Christmas. Specifically, I'm in the charming Provence town of l'Isle sur la Sorgue. But what do the French eat on the big day? I have no idea.

I walked around this beautiful town, the Pearl of Provence, the Venice of the South, and I asked the locals.

You'll hear from Nathalie at Maison Moga and Aluna from Maison Jouvaud, both excellent stop-offs if you're looking for local food treats.

I'll share pics and videos along the way, be sure you're following our social media channels!

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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.

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Have you seen Lupin? Or Emily in Paris? What about The Bureau? Or Call My Agent? Maybe you've seen all four of them, perhaps more.

It's undeniable, French TV (and even movies) are having their moment right now, and in the post-Olympic Paris glow, people are even more fascinated with France. Let's talk about it with an expert, Lucille Béfort, who runs the French Vibes Club.

Her very popular Instagram account breaks down French culture and the "art de vivre" in France (as in: the art of living well).

As a French woman raised in the American university system, she has a pretty firm finger on the pulse of both cultures. And she is especially interested in how French culture, including the likes of these TV shows, is affecting people's perception of Paris in a whole new way. Is it escapism? Digital media redefining cultural diplomacy? Or something different entirely?

Let's find out. And a reminder: This chat was streamed live on YouTube for Earful Tower members, and included a Q&A with Lucille after. Watch the replay and get future invites by becoming an Earful member.

More from Lucille Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frenchvibesclub Website: https://frenchvibesclub.com/

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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:

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Walking Tours

This week it's The Earful Tower's musician Pres Maxson. We talk about his new novel, how he came to work on The Earful Tower, and French music in general.

This chat was streamed live for Earful Tower members, join the crowd and meet cool people in Paris (Membership takes only a minute to set up on Patreon, or Substack.

As for Pres, find his new book, Chinatown Troubadour: https://www.amazon.fr/Chinatown-Troubadour-Story-Pres-Maxson/dp/B0DY7Y8Z4Q

Find Pres on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/presmaxson/?hl=en Find Pres on Substack: https://presmaxson.substack.com/ The story of Pres Maxson's first record in ten years, produced by The Earful Tower: https://presmaxson.substack.com/p/my-first-record-in-10-years

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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

Paris by night. So many possibilities. Sure, it's easy to create magical memories with a stroll along the Seine or a cobblestoned Marais street.

But there are also more than 5,000 restaurants, over 2,000 bars, and hundreds of shows every night.

So where to begin?

If you've only got a few nights in the city, you simply can't afford to get it wrong.

We talk you through how to do it best. We also are excited to announce the launch of our new PDF guide to Evenings Out in Paris, which you can buy on this link for 14.99 euros.

The music in this episode is Pres Maxson's take on Nuit d'Hiver.

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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

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Walking Tours

Let's talk theatre.

This week on the show is Irish actor/playwright Hannah Coyle (who is also one of the Earful Tower tour guides!)

Hannah talks about the theatre scene in Paris, especially the English-language scene,

She also talks about Alchemy Theatre's forthcoming production of Three Sisters, which she personally reimagined from Chekhov's classic play. It runs at Théâtre de l'Opprimé (78 Rue du Charolais, 75012 Paris) from 9–14 December.

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The Earful Tower exists thanks to support from its members. For the past 92 months and counting it has cost just $10 a month to 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

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Walking Tours

Meet Penelope Fletcher, who runs two Paris bookshops, side by side near the Luxembourg Gardens.

The shops: The Red Wheelbarrow and The Red Balloon

The Red Balloon is just for children's books, and is almost certainly the most likely of all shops in Paris to have all our own children's books.

Addresses: 9-11 Rue de Médicis, 75006.

This episode is from The Earful Tower podcast archives.

Here are all the books that Penelope mentioned, in order:

Books for adults

Stories from the Magic Canoe of Wa'xaid, by Cecil Paul.

A Moveable Feast, by Ernest Hemingway.

Selected Letters, by Madame De Sevigne.

The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas, by Gertrude Stein.

The Flight Portfolio, by Julie Orringer.

Almost French, by Sarah Turnbull.

Circe, by Madeline Miller.

Walking on the Ceiling, by Aysegül Savas.

Demystifying the French, by Janet Hulstrand.

Books for children

Paris Chien, Adventures of an Expat Dog, by Jackie Clark.

Marielle in Paris, by Maxine Schur.

I'm sure you can find these and more at The Red Wheelbarrow. Check out the site here.

Music in the episode was from Pres Maxson, his take on the classic Charles Aznavour song Hier encore.

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The Earful Tower exists thanks to support from its members. For the past 92 months and counting it has cost just $10 a month to 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

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Walking Tours

Meet Loïc Estimbre, a Parisian entrepreneur who is behind four different eateries on just one street in the 12th arrondissement. That street: rue Emilio Castelar. In this podcast episode, we talk food in Paris, the 12th district in general, and the challenges of funding four separate spots. As for Loic, I met him when he was behind the counter at the Magic Carpet cafe and was surprised to see him literally building a new eatery down the road. Imagine my surprise to learn that he leading a team that was behind half the places on this little street. His spots:

• The restaurant: Le Singe à Paris
• The café: Magic Carpet
• For beer and whisky: Chinaski
• The sandwich spot: Johnny Dwich

The music in this episode is from Pres Maxson.

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The Earful Tower exists thanks to support from its members. For the past 92 months and counting it has cost just $10 a month to 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

This week on the show it's Guy Griffin, the owner of Cafe Mericourt in the 11th arrondissement. He talks about the current explosion of speciality coffee shops across Paris and whether it is sustainable. He also takes us behind the beans... er, scenes... about the change in tipping culture, the challenges of being an entrepreneur in France, and the cost of hiring people in France compared to the US or Australia. As for you - why not go in for lunch as a savvy diner. Look at his ever-changing menu here.

• Address: 22 Rue de la Folie Méricourt, 75011 Paris
• Find Cafe Mericourt on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/cafemericourt/
• Explore the website here: https://www.cafemericourt.com/menu

The music in this episode is from Pres Maxson.

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The Earful Tower exists thanks to support from its members. For the past 92 months and counting it has cost just $10 a month to 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

This week on The Earful Tower podcast it's Jake and Holly Barker, two American tourists who were actually inside the Louvre's Apollo Gallery when it was broken into on Sunday. I met them in the Marais to record their dramatic story. "When we heard the saws, we both knew that something serious had happened." It's reported that nine items from the crown jewel collection were taken from the Louvre. Also featured in this episode was Amber Minogue, our Louvre tour guide. Please get in touch to book a tour with her. The music in this episode was from Pres Maxson, rather fittingly his take on Elton John's "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters".

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The Earful Tower exists thanks to support from its members. For the past 92 months and counting it has cost just $10 a month to 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

This week on the show it's Cléophée Poli - aka Cléo - a Parisienne interior designer. She talks about typical Paris apartments and what she likes about them, how you can make your home more Parisian, and the small touches to improve the feeling of any home. And of course, we talk about a lot more. Follow her on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/cleointeriordesign/ Explore her website here: https://www.cleointeriordesign.com

The music in this episode is from Pres Maxson.

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The Earful Tower exists thanks to support from its 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 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