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Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche

(This is the second in a series of posts on department stores in Paris, read the first here)

Of all the Parisian department stores, Le Bon Marché is by far my favourite.
It’s exactly how I imagined a Parisian shopping experience would be; beautiful architecture, fabulous design and layout, with excellent and well-selected collection of merchandise and attentive staff.
Often regarded as the ‘world’s first department store’ it opened circa 1830s on the Left Bank (Rive Gauche).
The store’s ambiance encourages luxurious leisure shopping, which is its advantage over the other department stores; Galeries Lafayette and Printemps. It’s never overcrowded and the staff is actually nice and helpful

A short 8 second clip

Bon Marché has everything – and I mean EVERYTHING!
From the best and fabulous designer clothes in mini boutiques to furniture from designers I’d only read about in books.
I could spend the whole day there and never get bored, I’d be just happy riding the those cool escalators all day…
I literally spent an hour browsing the bookshop and I can’t even read French!

And when I felt a little peckish I headed for Primo Piano, the indoor and terraced café with colourful décor and great food.
And then there’s La Grande Epicerie, a gourmet food emporium so epic and awesome it deserves it’s own post.

Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche
24, rue de Sèvres
75007 Paris
France
www.lebonmarche.com

Posted November 18th, 2011 in Daily, Travel. Tagged: france, Paris, shopping, Vacation.

Scenes From Elsewhere: Montmartre

I went up the hill to Montmartre for the first time during this trip to Paris.
I love Montmartre; it has a certain charm… it’s picturesque, crowded, artsy, touristy, hilly with magnificent views.
Narrow winding streets, Sacré-Coeur, the cafés and artist on Place du Tertre and people watching…

Posted November 9th, 2011 in Travel. Tagged: france, Paris, ten random pictures, Vacation.

Vintage Luggage

Someone once told me that owning vintage luggage is like owning a piece of history…

Posted November 8th, 2011 in Daily, Travel. Tagged: luggage, Paris.

A Good Walk

In the days leading up to my vacation I was on the look out for good walking shoes.
Last year while getting a Compeed patch for my blistered aching feet, the guy at the pharmacy smiled knowingly and said, “This city is full of lost tourist with sore feet”.
I found these boots at the Bay from the Topshop Capsule Collection.
I didn’t know then that I’d wear them everywhere throughout my vacation – yes, they are that comfortable!
I didn’t get them because they looked comfortable; I liked the classic look, and felt they’d pair well with my travel wardrobe.
I didn’t mean to wear them everyday, I just keep reaching for them every morning because I’d walk in them for hours and not feel like my feet were on fire.
Last year my seemingly comfortable looking shoes let me down, the year before that, I actually broke down and bought a pair of flats while on a day trip.
Taking it off and on at airports was a breeze.
We did three cities and stayed out one night till morning came.

Posted November 4th, 2011 in shopping, Travel. Tagged: Paris, Vacation.

At Fauchon

There was a supermarket close to our house when I was a kid, it was a big unimpressive building at a busy intersection close to the Kroo Town Road market, I don’t think I ever knew its name.
We didn’t shop there much, my mom would sometimes buy baked beans and cheese from there; and once, I remember, laundry detergent.
It wasn’t a particularly fancy store, but it’s was the closest we had to a gourmet store; one time I saved a bit of money and got a bar of Lion Bar just because of a cool ad I’d seen.
As a kid with an overactive imagination who read a lot, I’d make up these dazzling characters in my head and wonder about the mundane bits that came with living, like where they’d buy their groceries or the kind of toothpaste they used.
I imagined them in futuristic looking stores with neon lights and carts designed to follow them around the aisles.

For whatever strange reason, these are the two things I thought about when I went into Fauchon… the old supermarket from my childhood and the imaginary places I’d made up.
Fauchon is one of those haute gourmet places everyone recommends you visit when you’re in Paris.
The main store on Place de la Madeleine in the 8th arrondissement has been opened since 1886, but you can’t tell from its chic pink and black and white décor.
The flagship store occupies three addresses over three levels that include a patisserie, deli, bakery, café, a bar, grocery store and an amazing wine cellar.
And there’s so much amazement to Fauchon, you can’t help but feel like a kid in a candy shop – it’s like something I’d imagined.