PARIS, gardens, umbrellas
 

Does anyone know of a ?medicinal? garden with a contemporary-styled dragon statue?
Also, does anyone know of a shop just for umbrellas?
thank you

The Royal Garden of Municipal Plants is part of the Jardin des Plantes. I have no idea about the dragon statue.

The dragon statue is also in the Jardin des Plantes: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wallyg/1389104424/

And just google umbrella shop Paris and you'll come up with your other answer.

There is an umbrella shop on Blvd. St. Germain, west of rue de Four.

That would be municipal medicinal plants, right?

Yes, I also wish there were an edit function.

here's an umbrella store on bd St Michel near Luxembourg Gardens: http://www.parapluies-simon.com/

There's an antique one in the Viaduc des Arts http://www.parasolerieheurtault.com/

Alexandra Sojfer umbrella store is at 218, Blvd.St,Germain in the 7th. It used to be called Madeleine Gely for many years. I've been going there since either the 70s or 80s, I think it's been, mostly back in the Madeleine Gely days.

I walked out Blvd.St.Germain recently to go to it, but then didn't see it, so thought that maybe it wasn't still there. I had forgotten the address back at the apartment. I didn't walk past address #200. I tried looking further down the block to see if it was still there, but couldn't spot it. I should have walked an extra block, but thought it was in the high 100 block.

There's also the gorgeous Parasolerie Heurtault in the 12th. The actual boutique has existed for about 2 years although the umbrella maker has been making umbrellas for years.

The boutique was located at 91, avenue Damesnil, but in December 2010, it moved to #85.

These umbrellas and parasols are works of art. There aren't tons of ready made ones in the small boutique as this is really a boutique that does custom made. But, there are enough there to find something special or to get an idea of what one might want in a custom umbrella/parasol.

I was recently there twice, and the umbrella maker is in the process of making me a custom, silk parasol. I picked out the fabric, from a ready-made umbrella in the boutique, and then selected the handle, and other features that I wanted.

The actual umbrella maker speaks some English, but the other guy at the boutique, Jean Yves, speaks fluent English. It takes a good month to have a custom umbrella made as there are lots of orders to fill for the film and fashion industry.

Expect to start at around 300euros. They go well into thousands of euros depending on what one wants. And expect to pay 65 euros to have it Fed Exp'ed to the U.S. after it's been completed. The boutique has a large U.S. and Japanese clientale.

The umbrellas and parasols in the boutique sell fast. I was there on a Monday, by special appointment, as they're closed on Mondays. I was considering 1 of two parisols or 1 of several umbrellas, but when I went back on Wednesday, one of the parasols had already been sold. So, I decided on custom made. A ready-made umbrella or parasol can also be customized by adding a few details.

There's also a collection of retro, 1960s umbrellas. And if one purchases an umbrella/parasol and years later the fabric needs to be replaced, then it can be taken back to the boutique and replaced. One can also take in one's own fabic. Happy Travels!

Guenmai, this was so fun to read. Definitely out of my price range but sounds so fun to visit. I hope you'll send us a photo of your finished umbrella!

MarySteveChicago: I wish I could post a photo, but I'd have to try to find someone who could do it for me. My parasol(sunbrella), as I live in a sunbelt, won't arrive until the end of May. I don't need an umbrella as it hardly rains here and when it does, I have plenty of regular umbrellas to get by. But, the sunbrella, as we call them, is needed due to the intense sun.

Also at the Heurtault boutique, there are containers of the stick part of umbrellas. They are from very old umbrellas and many are embellished with precious metal handles and other very decorative handles. The stick is taken and then transformed into new umbrellas as the umbrella maker, Michel, hand makes the umbrella frames. The frames are so sturdy that if a wind hits his umbrellas/parasols, they won't reverse like regular umbrellas do. Happy Travels!

oh, I could sure use a wind resistant umbrella here in Chicago! They sound beautiful and I will try to check this shop out - just to browse - in two weeks!

If you are in Normandy, umbrellas would surely be available at <i>Les Parapluies de Cherbourg</i>, if it's still in business.


<i>I used to be <b>rizzuto</b></i>