What are the green spaces of Paris? In this episode, we explore the origins of the city's most famous and historic gardens. We start with the Jardin des Tuileries - Paris's oldest public park and the ever-moving Roue de Paris Ferris wheel - and move on to the Jardin du Luxembourg, tracing its creation by Queen Marie de Medici and its current life as the home of the French Senate. Finally, we dive into the scientific history of the Jardin des Plantes, from a medicinal herb garden under Louis XIII to the second-oldest zoo in the world. We also track down the oldest tree in Paris, a 420-year-old Black Locust.

Key Takeaways:

• Tuileries: The history of the park, commissioned by Queen Catherine de Medici, and the original/modern Roue de Paris.

• Musée de l’Orangerie: The home of Monet's Water Lilies and its connection to Napoleon III.

• Luxembourg Gardens: The Boboli Gardens inspiration, the Fontaine Médici and the palace's transformation into the French Senate.

• Jardin des Plantes: Its founding as a royal medicinal herb garden, the menagerie, and the oldest tree in Paris (Square René Viviani).

  
  

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In this episode, we navigate the charmingly cramped world of Parisian hotels. From the struggle of hauling oversized suitcases up spiral staircases to the mechanical evolution of the elevator, we explore how Paris moved from hydraulic marvels at the World’s Fairs to the "sardine tin" lifts of today. Along the way, we detour into the history of French Creole, the haunting legacy of the Vél d’Hiv, and a ghostly urban legend from a London hospital.

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🏛️ The Immortals: Inside the Académie Française

"Paris cannot be rushed."

In this episode, we cross the Pont des Arts to uncover the secrets of one of Paris's most prestigious institutions: the Académie Française. What started as a mistaken identity of a building turned into a deep dive into the "Immortals," the 40 members tasked with guarding the purity of the French language.

Join Paul as he discusses the etymology of "Palais," the influence of Cardinal Richelieu, and the modern battle against "Anglicisms" in the digital age.

• The Palace vs. The Palate: Unpacking the 11th-century Latin roots of the word Palais and its surprising connection to the roof of your mouth.

• Cardinal Richelieu’s Legacy: How the "gang" of intellectuals was formalized in 1635 to give rules to the French language.

• The Snail’s Pace of the Dictionary: Why it took from 1638 to 1694 to finish the first edition, and where we stand today with the 9th edition.

• Breaking the Glass Ceiling: The history of women in the Académie, from the inadmissible Pauline Savary in 1893 to the first female Permanent Secretary, Hélène Carrère d’Encausse.

• French vs. English: Discover the official French terms for podcast, clickbait, and food truck.

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🗝️ Key Takeaways