Letter from Paris: April 30, 2025 News Digest

The Eiffel Tower went dark to honor Pope Francis following his death on April 21, Easter Monday. A place in Paris will be named in his memory. Mayor Anne Hidalgo said, “He never ceased to embody a universal message of solidarity, peace, and humanity.” The faithful have gathered at Notre Dame, where a special vigil was held. The pope visited France three times during his reign as pontiff, but he did not visit Paris.

Did you hear about the hidden messages that an Egyptologist uncovered on the iconic obelisk in Paris? Dominating the Place de la Concorde, the 3,300 year-old monument was gifted to France by the viceroy of Egypt in the 19th century — transported by boat in an epic journey to the capital. During a recent restoration, a hidden inscription was discovered near the top. These hieroglyphics were obscured with a technique called “hieroglyphic cryptography,” created to be “read in 3D”. As reported by IFL Science, “The message itself exalted Ramses II and his divine power, while another encouraged viewers to make offerings to appease the wrath of the gods. So, it was essentially propaganda helping to legitimize the pharaoh’s claim to power and his divinity.”

Tomorrow is May Day, which means multitudes of muguet (lily of the valley). Vendors sell sprigs of the fragrant blossoms from pop-up stands all over town. They’re said to bring good luck. The first of May, Le 1er Mai, is an important holiday called fête du travail (International Worker’s Day) in France. Nothing is open in Paris so take a walk in a park, stroll along the Seine, or hit up the Fête du Pain, which will take over the Notre Dame forecourt until Sunday, May 11. Artisan bakers delight the crowds with tastings, competitions, demos and more.

A trial opened in Paris this week for the suspects in the infamous Kim Kardashian robbery which occurred during Fashion Week in 2016. The billionaire reality TV star will testify on May 13 about the horrifying ordeal, in which she was attacked and held at gunpoint at the “No Address” hotel after members of the so-called Grandpa Gang tracked her there via social media posts. Some $6 million worth of jewelry was stolen, with only one jewel ever recovered. (It had fallen out of a bag on the street as the robbers fled.) There were 12 original suspects, but one has since died, and another has Alzheimer’s disease. The trial will run through May 23. As reported by France 24, “most of the suspects have denied involvement, except for [Yunice] Abbas, [a 71-year-old who plans to apologize in court], and another man whose DNA was also found at the scene.”

What is it about Napoleon? Collectors get frenzied when the emperor’s memorabilia goes up for auction. Just one of his bicorne hats- and apparently he owned about 120 of them- sold for $2.1 million in November 2023. The latest to hit the market is a sword Napoleon ordered in 1802, which he passed on to his ally Emmanuel de Grouchy. The sabre has been in the de Grouchy family since the Battle of Waterloo. According to CBS News, “The Giquello auction firm said it expected the sword to reach $800,000 to $1.1 million when it goes under the hammer in Paris on May 22.”

Ever wanted to peek inside Lenny Kravitz’s palatial pad in Paris? Here’s a fascinating video brought to you by Architectural Digest, showing off the 16th-arrondissement mansion that formerly belonged to the Countess Anne d’Ornano. To quote the article: “The most Kravitz room of all… is “the Chaufferie”: a two-story boiler room in the darkest depths of the house, where he has created a sort of speakeasy, with old French bistro tables from the Saint-Ouen flea market, a 1940s German-made disco ball he picked up in Los Angeles, an ornate chrome car grill embedded in the brick wall, and “a great sound system,” he notes. “My daughter’s been having a lot of soirées here.”