Five unexpected things I learned about Paris this month: October edition

First of all, October was a record-breaking month for downloads! Thanks for listening.

We put out six shows – episodes 32 to 37 – with six interesting guests, and learned at least five things. Still with me? Ok, here we go.

1. We maybe interviewed the real Jim Morrison

This is a long shot, but hear me out. At the end of Episode 37 we discussed how there’s a conspiracy theory that Jim Morrison never died. His grave at the Pere Lachaise cemetery in Paris may be empty! We came to the logical conclusion that Old Jim – the longest serving expat in Paris from Episode 35  – may just be the actual Jim Morrison. Listen below to Old Jim. Could it be a fake English accent?

EDIT: Since writing this, I’ve confronted Old Jim in video format. Here’s his response.

2. Paris is nicknamed Paname because of headwear

In episode 33, we talked to Amber Minogue, the podcaster with the loveliest voice in Paris. She explained that Paris is nicknamed Paname due to the fact that Panama canal workers would come back to the City of Light wearing Panama hats. Listen to her episode below for even more cool stories, or just admire the Panama hat pic beneath.

3. Macaulay Culkin visited HolyBelly cafe after learning his name was the Wifi password

We met with Nico from Holybelly in Episode 32, and he said that Home Alone star Macaulay Culkin once came into his Paris restaurant. Did he have a problem with being a Wifi password? Listen to the episode and find out yourself. As a side note, it must be a very hard Wifi code to write – Culkin’s name is a tough one to spell!

4. Mona Lisa was an afterthought at the Louvre in 1911

Da Vinci’s masterpiece, the Mona Lisa, wasn’t a big deal back in 1911. At least according to a Paris guidebook from the time (ep.36), which listed about 20 other paintings at the Louvre before getting to old Mona. Why was she so unimportant then? Well, she hadn’t been stolen yet – in fact, it was in 1911 that she was nicked. It was only after that she became the star of the show. Listen to the episode below, and be warned that the picture beneath isn’t the real Mona, just one I found at Saint Ouen Markets recently. They’re the kind of pics you’re getting if you’re an Instagram follower 🙂

5. A woman once married the Eiffel Tower

In episode 34, How to NOT be an American in Paris, we finished with a story about an American woman who married the Eiffel Tower. Her name is Erika Eiffel. Weird, huh? She is one of very few people in the world practicing Objectum Sexuality, and even has a tattoo of the Tower on her chest. Listen to the chat at the end of this episode, and see Erika smooching what she considers to be her wife in the tweet beneath it.

I 2007 giftede Erika LaBrie sig med Eiffeltårnet. Hun hedder derfor nu Erika Eiffel. #unyttigehistoriefacts pic.twitter.com/EUmEQeqfQF

— Unyttige Historiefacts (@unyttigefacts) September 9, 2014