A curiously travel-friendly batch of internet finds surfaced this month, and a few of them could genuinely shape a Paris itinerary.
The standout: curators at the Condé Museum inside Château de Chantilly, about 25 miles north of Paris, have rediscovered one of Napoleon's bicorne hats after it sat forgotten in storage for over a century. It entered the collection in the early 20th century, then vanished into the archives until preparations for an upcoming exhibition on Napoleon's legacy brought it back to light. After a provenance study, it was unveiled to the press on March 26. Context for the history buffs: Napoleon is thought to have commissioned between 60 and 80 of these hats across his career, and only around 15 have been authenticated — most live in French museums. His habit of wearing it sideways, unlike his fellow officers, made him instantly recognisable to his troops. Chantilly, with its château, gardens and famous cream desserts, makes an easy day trip from the capital.
Staying in Paris: a genuine slice of the Eiffel Tower is heading to auction. Section no. 1 of the original spiral staircase that once connected the tower's second and third floors — 2.75 metres tall, 1.75 metres in diameter, 14 riveted steel steps on a cross-shaped base — carries an estimate of €120,000 to €150,000 at Artcurial. Unless you're bidding, the better news for visitors is the V&A in London, where the Gilbert Collection, one of the largest-ever gifts to the British public, has just opened newly expanded galleries this March. Over 1,000 objects of gold boxes, snuffboxes and micromosaics, with its own endowment and trustees, are on show for free.
Further afield, the Worldwide Sidewalk Joy Map plots free, community-built micro-attractions — curb gardens, toy exchanges, tiny street galleries — designed to add a bit of whimsy to a neighbourhood walk. It's a lovely way to explore a city you think you already know, and it works almost anywhere.
Rounding out the roundup: a reminder that Claude Monet started out as a teenage caricaturist in Le Havre, charging locals the equivalent of about €200 a portrait and claiming he'd have been a millionaire if he'd stuck with it — a fun aside for anyone visiting Normandy's coast. There's also an auction of more than 500 costumes and props from the Sex and the City revival series at Julien's Auctions, Mr Big's funeral place cards included, and a charming piece of 18th-century American eccentricity in Timothy Dexter, the merchant who faked his own funeral, wrote a book with zero punctuation, and filled his garden with wooden statues of great men — including himself.
Why it matters for travellers: two of these stories add fresh reasons to routes people already fly — a new reason to detour to Chantilly, a free highlight at the V&A — while the Sidewalk Joy Map rewards anyone who'd rather wander than tick off monuments.