I too am green with envy. I'll be following along. Have a WONDERFUL time!

I am kind of sad about the Samaritaine trip. It sounds as if you are going just for the shopping bags even though they sell the same old crap as the other places. And you are trying to make people jealous about this???

A nice discussion of the New Samaritaine (not favorable) is available here: https://secretsofparis.com/commentar...taine-is-dead/

I remember taking my DD round the Samaritaine in the early '90s, looking for a smart jacket for her. I don't remember if we found anything but we certainly enjoyed it as it was completely outside the experience of my 15 year brought up in Cornwall DD.

Wow

Actually, I think I was the Fodorite who discovered Les Papilles. My cousin Kirsty (from London) and I had dinner there in 2009. Another restaurant we tried, that was nearby, was Le Timbre.

Thanks for all your well wishes.

Thin,aristocrat 🦌

What an interesting article! It's worth reading before going to the Samaritaine. Unfortunately, the tale has been told a thousand times in thousands of countries. I'm glad to see historical shopping malls survive but it's at a price.

Enjoy your time there but you'll have to go onwards to enjoy an live view of Paris.

I doubt i will buy a thing but want to see the building. They uncovered some fantastic murals. Just like you love to take pictures of Galeries Lafayette I find this building interesting. My husband only knows it as the building from Bourne identity. The atrium and glass roof to the floors and iron work. It is a historical Paris building and yes, I want to see the inside of it finally.

Oh, the building is absolutely worth seeing. It is just not a place for people like me to shop. The Louis Vuitton bicycle for 22,000 euros says it all.

I hope you have a wonderful time! It all sounds so lovely!!

Kerouac, please stop projecting. Just because you can't afford Louis Vuitton doesn't mean I can't. What I buy with my own money is none of your business.

I think that most American travellers who holiday in Paris can afford to splurge at Samaritane, Galeries Lafayette, Le Bon Marché, Printemps, Sandro, The Kooples, Tom Greyhound, etc.

Thin,aristocrat 🦌

Vulgar bragging about one's means and activities is a bit contradictory.

I'd disagree with your assessment of "most" American travellers in Paris. I've learned something new about shopping in Paris on this thread but also the history of one of its iconic department stores. If I wanted to splurge, I could do that anywhere but walking through historical buildings really gets sets the imagination on fire.

oh my goodness, we have all just survived a pandemic, be kind guys and gals

Beat you by a week - arrived this past Monday. The city is quiet for July, as tourists are slow to return. My one pre-buy was a ticket for the Carnavalet this coming Tuesday - the renovation is supposed to be fabulous. I will of course report all this to my fellow Fodorites as soon as I can after one more week here, then back to the US.

SemiMike….Looking forward to your report on the Carnavalet. It’s our favorite museum in Paris and we’ve missed it the last few years.

Pepper….splurge all you want. We’d like to hear about it. Paris is the best place to splurge.

I know that Thin has a good sense of humor (after all of these years and all of the times he was banned under different names). And he also knows how France dealt with aristocrats at the end of the 18th century.

They moved this post from the lounge to Europe but only the people from the lounge posted. Is there anyone else here?

Was in Paris towards end of June. Weather was blah, overcast and muggy.

So I skipped Versailles because I wanted to see the gardens in sunshine.

Thing I noticed is a lot of ramen and bubble tea places.