PARIS, France — At the base of the Eiffel Tower is an artist creating some of the best stories in France.
"I've got my watercolors here, and you know, I'm all set up," Lina Nordin Gee said.
Lina is from Sweden, and her husband, Oliver, is from Australia — but France has been their home since 2015.
"The inspiration in Paris is endless. There's always something new going on. It's not stagnant. It's just full of inspiration. It's been like that for hundreds of years," Lina said.
Lina created an Instagram account during the COVID-19 pandemic called Parisian Postcards.
"I started doing daily sketches, and I did the time lapse. You could follow along with my pen as I did it and see the finished result. That kind of took off," Lina said. "I've been posting regularly ever since, talking about community. It's a really amazing thing, social media, and how it can bring people together."
Lina illustrates children's books written by her husband.
"This is the latest one, 'Grace the Giraffe.' It's based on a true story. It's very French, very Parisian. Fashion-based, but also a historical piece, which is kind of fun," Lina said.
Their stories about France aren't just found in the pages of children's books — they are being streamed, too.
"I'm a podcaster," Oliver said. "It might not sound like a career, but it is. It's a podcast in Paris called 'The Earful Tower.'
"Each week, I share a story about the city. Usually I interview people, characters that make the city of light shine," Oliver said.
Oliver said his favorite podcast episode features a crocodile.
"I was looking for a big old animal that I had seen swimming. It was a beaver in the canal. An elderly woman told me that I should be looking for crocodiles instead because she released one. She said she released two. That story was running, jumping, diving, interviewing mayors, going to museums, traveling around France, trying to find the truth. Are there crocodiles swimming in Paris? I can't give you the answer, but I like the story," Oliver said.
The podcast became a children's book.
"It seemed like the kind of story that captures the imagination, not to mention having Paris in the background as well," Oliver said.
The couple realizes their adopted home generates nostalgia for people beyond France.
"From all these hundreds of years of films and music, it just brings something out in people's imagination, and then you get here and it's true to form," Oliver said.
What they see in Paris is what they want to share with readers and listeners around the world.
"I love illustrating people and café scenes. It's one of my favorites," Lina said. "When you walk past a café, you can imagine what people are and what they're talking about. When I get to illustrate that, I can create my own little stories, so I love that."
This creativity is born in the city of Paris.
"Often, I get this vision of what I want, and it's just trying to get that down on paper," Lina said.
These are stories about Paris from a couple captivated by their life in the Olympic-host country for 2024.
"I love to go for long walks without an aim. You just see where you end up. I love walking along the Seine and sitting down for a little picnic and just see what happens. Often, there are people just dancing. It really is that magical. I can't believe we get to live here," Lina said.