In this and the next two episodes of Coffee Pot Conversations, I take a shallow dive through the reign of King Louis XIV - the Sun King - without pretending to be a historian, while still treating history with the respect it demands.

Rather than racing through dates, this is an attempt to understand why Louis XIV looms so large over French history, Parisian identity and European power politics - and how his reign shaped everything from war and religion to art, architecture and daily life.

This is Louis XIV not as myth, but as mechanism.

Coffee Pot Conversations is a slow, reflective podcast about Paris, history, culture, and the unexpected connections that appear when you follow curiosity rather than chronology.

It is intentionally non-academic, but never casual with facts.

In the second part of this 2-part episode, we continue to embrace the spirit of the flâneur - the intentional wanderer.

We trace the history of the Parisian "Escargot" (the snail-shaped numbering system) and discover why the city layout changed so drastically in 1860.

From the bohemian heights of Montmartre and the vibrant markets of Belleville to the posh mansions of Passy, we look at how these former independent villages still maintain their unique "village" feel within the administrative quarters of the capital. We also tackle the mystery of the "unlucky 13th," the history of Paris’s wine warehouses and the psychological boundary of the Périphérique.

All in the Coffee Pot Conversations style.

Sorry…

Welcome back to Coffee Pot Conversations - Season 5!

In this 2-part episode, we embrace the spirit of the flâneur - the intentional wanderer. We trace the history of the Parisian "Escargot" (the snail-shaped numbering system) and discover why the city layout changed so drastically in 1860.

From the bohemian heights of Montmartre and the vibrant markets of Belleville to the posh mansions of Passy, we look at how these former independent villages still maintain their unique "village" feel within the administrative quarters of the capital. We also tackle the mystery of the "unlucky 13th," the history of Paris’s wine warehouses and the psychological boundary of the Périphérique.

All in the Coffee Pot Conversations style.

Sorry…