Two Ladies on the Loose in Paris - dln and Marcy trip report!
Jan 22nd, 2005, 06:55 AM
#101
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minim,
We <b><i>were</i></b> in the Butte Aux Cailles neighborhood, and we followed a walking tour of the area that we had printed out.
I thought the area had a certain small-town charm, in an authentic, working-class kind of way, and we did see a number of men playing boules, which was fun.
I think dln had expected something sort of magically charming, so it didn't quite live up to that, but I wouldn't say that it's not worth checking out.
I <i>would</i> love to go to L'Avant Gout sometime to eat-- I've read good things about it.
We <b><i>were</i></b> in the Butte Aux Cailles neighborhood, and we followed a walking tour of the area that we had printed out.
I thought the area had a certain small-town charm, in an authentic, working-class kind of way, and we did see a number of men playing boules, which was fun.
I think dln had expected something sort of magically charming, so it didn't quite live up to that, but I wouldn't say that it's not worth checking out.
I <i>would</i> love to go to L'Avant Gout sometime to eat-- I've read good things about it.
Jan 22nd, 2005, 07:26 AM
#102
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Marcy, you've hit the nail on the head about my expectations of the 13th. I WAS expecting the entire neighborhood to look like the charming photographs I'd seen in Gourmet, and while there were indeed pockets that matched my expectations, the place as a whole fell far short. If I had only one short week in Paris--as I'm sure will always be the case--I'd save my sightseeing energies for more pleasing areas of the city.
L'Avant Gout was on our restaurant list! We were, unfortunately, not in the 13th at the right hour to take advantage of it, which was a disappointment to us both. Ah well.
L'Avant Gout was on our restaurant list! We were, unfortunately, not in the 13th at the right hour to take advantage of it, which was a disappointment to us both. Ah well.
Jan 22nd, 2005, 07:49 AM
#103
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I had the same information on the 13th--Butte aux Cailles, and in fact went armed with the information in case we got there, which we didn't. At least that's not a major regret.
Anyone know of an on-line source for Mariage Freres tea?
Anyone know of an on-line source for Mariage Freres tea?
Jan 22nd, 2005, 08:19 AM
#104
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Betsy: the web site is french-word-a-day.com. I just googled it. The gal that has the site is an expat, living in Provence. She's from Arizona originally. I think she's been in France for about 20 years now. You can sign up for her e-mails. Now, this year she is starting a voluntary subscription, but you can get the daily e-mails still for free. She wants to be a writer and I think her ultimate goal is to actually have an income from her site. I haven't subscribed yet but think I will in the future. So give it a try, I think you'll find that it's fun.
Jan 22nd, 2005, 08:23 AM
#105
Elaine: http://www.sloanhall.com/bath/mariagefrerestea.html
crefloors: buy her book, it is delightful and makes a nice gift for a francophile. She is now writing for France Today. I was going to visit her but it was too out of the way for our limited time.
crefloors: buy her book, it is delightful and makes a nice gift for a francophile. She is now writing for France Today. I was going to visit her but it was too out of the way for our limited time.
Jan 22nd, 2005, 08:27 AM
#106
Jan 22nd, 2005, 08:46 AM
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Jan 22nd, 2005, 11:02 AM
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Marcy and dln, your trip sounds just wonderful, and I'm enjoying your reports immensely. Would love to spend a week in Paris doing just what you did!
Someone should organize a Fodor's Gals shopping trip to Paris!
Someone should organize a Fodor's Gals shopping trip to Paris!
Jan 22nd, 2005, 11:48 AM
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Thanks for making my Saturday so enjoyable with your trip report. I lived in Paris for over 5 years and still have not seen everything that I wanted to see nor have my husband and I eaten in all the restaurants that we want to try. We are going for a visit in two weeks and all we can think about is what places to eat in ( we are happy to hear that one of our favorite chefs, Phillip Detroube has opened a new bistro in the 17th) and what food items we need to pick up to replenish our pantry. Mariage Freres is such a wonderful place and reading your comments about the place makes me want to pick up some of the Wedding tea.
Thanks for making me feel like I'm already walking around Paris and eating all that wonderful food!
Thanks for making me feel like I'm already walking around Paris and eating all that wonderful food!
Jan 22nd, 2005, 11:58 AM
#113
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Grandmere1, wouldn't that be just the thing, a shopping expedition of Fodorites?? I wouldn't doubt that Fodors could put together a entire new volume based on our collective experience!
In my haste to start in on The First Day of Sales, I've neglected to tell you about a little scam that was perpetrated on the two of us. Marcy and I were unsucessful in dining at any nice restaurant in the 13th because we'd missed the lunch hour. That left us with dining at a cafe. We got off our bus very near Bon Marche and walked into the cafe at the corner across the street from a very pretty hotel called Lutecia (or spelling very close...is it Lutece?). I didn't make a note of the name of this cafe, which is unfortunate, because I don't want any of you to dine there!
We ordered a Croque Monsieur, a bowl of fish soup and a little demi pichet of red wine. The waiter brought us SEPARATE checks for each of the items as he served them to us, and when we ordered coffee afterwards, yet another check for that. When we asked for the final bill, he made a big deal about doing all the addition from the receipts and even called over another waiter for a consultation. And he made certain to remind us about tipping him! Oh, and when I asked for a box of matches (for an Occitane candle we had in our room) he presented it to me saying "Un cadeau pour vous" (a gift for you). Come again? I should feel honored and grateful to have him hand me a bunch of matches from the bar? Was that to make me feel like I owed him a bigger tip?
My radar went up a little bit about all of this, but then I second-guessed myself. I thought that perhaps different cafes have different practices and maybe this one likes to itemize all foods on its menu (or something like that!). Nonetheless, I didn't care for this pushy waiter and wanted to leave without lingering too long over coffee. We paid the bill of 41€ which the waiter had added up by pencil on our table mat. And we left him the 2€ tip he demanded. When Marcy and I got outside the door, I stopped and asked Marcy how on earth our bill added up to 41€ when it was essentially only soup and sandwich! We looked at our receipt, thankfully not left on the table, and sure enough, that wiley waiter had overcharged us by 10€! Back in we marched and asked for it. It was rather awkward questioning him which is probably why we didn't tell him straight out to give us back the tip. I wished we had, though! It was very apparent that he hadn't made an honest mistake, that we were most likely only one of many he'd bilked out of a few euros here and there.
Thinking back on it, there was one other weird thing about that transaction. I was going to pay for it with my credit card, and for some reason the card was turned down, which forced us to pay cash. I know that happens occasionally and that it's no fault on either the cardholder's or the establishment's part, but both Marcy and I felt that the waiter stopped the transaction as a way to force us to use cash, which of course he could more easily pocket.
In my haste to start in on The First Day of Sales, I've neglected to tell you about a little scam that was perpetrated on the two of us. Marcy and I were unsucessful in dining at any nice restaurant in the 13th because we'd missed the lunch hour. That left us with dining at a cafe. We got off our bus very near Bon Marche and walked into the cafe at the corner across the street from a very pretty hotel called Lutecia (or spelling very close...is it Lutece?). I didn't make a note of the name of this cafe, which is unfortunate, because I don't want any of you to dine there!
We ordered a Croque Monsieur, a bowl of fish soup and a little demi pichet of red wine. The waiter brought us SEPARATE checks for each of the items as he served them to us, and when we ordered coffee afterwards, yet another check for that. When we asked for the final bill, he made a big deal about doing all the addition from the receipts and even called over another waiter for a consultation. And he made certain to remind us about tipping him! Oh, and when I asked for a box of matches (for an Occitane candle we had in our room) he presented it to me saying "Un cadeau pour vous" (a gift for you). Come again? I should feel honored and grateful to have him hand me a bunch of matches from the bar? Was that to make me feel like I owed him a bigger tip?
My radar went up a little bit about all of this, but then I second-guessed myself. I thought that perhaps different cafes have different practices and maybe this one likes to itemize all foods on its menu (or something like that!). Nonetheless, I didn't care for this pushy waiter and wanted to leave without lingering too long over coffee. We paid the bill of 41€ which the waiter had added up by pencil on our table mat. And we left him the 2€ tip he demanded. When Marcy and I got outside the door, I stopped and asked Marcy how on earth our bill added up to 41€ when it was essentially only soup and sandwich! We looked at our receipt, thankfully not left on the table, and sure enough, that wiley waiter had overcharged us by 10€! Back in we marched and asked for it. It was rather awkward questioning him which is probably why we didn't tell him straight out to give us back the tip. I wished we had, though! It was very apparent that he hadn't made an honest mistake, that we were most likely only one of many he'd bilked out of a few euros here and there.
Thinking back on it, there was one other weird thing about that transaction. I was going to pay for it with my credit card, and for some reason the card was turned down, which forced us to pay cash. I know that happens occasionally and that it's no fault on either the cardholder's or the establishment's part, but both Marcy and I felt that the waiter stopped the transaction as a way to force us to use cash, which of course he could more easily pocket.
Jan 22nd, 2005, 01:17 PM
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OK, I confess....
I found a beautiful red coat (on sale
) at Bon Marché, and the most gorgeous pleated silk hand-dyed scarf imaginable at Fabrice, on Rue Bonaparte.
Fabrice was my favorite store in all of Paris, and that's saying a lot! They have mostly accessories, and a few items of clothing, and it is all so beautiful I would have liked to buy the whole store. So really, I showed remarkable restraint.....O
Of course, that's not mentioning the food items from Fauchon and the grocery: foie gras, macarons to take home to my DH, fig-walnut jam, walnut oil, mustard.
And beauty products: Some Annick Goutal perfumed body cream (Nuits d'Hadrien- my favorite) Phytologie hair products, Roger & Gallet shower gel and hand soap, and a few cosmetics from Sephora.
Our luggage that was carry-on on the way there was bulging on the way home and had to be checked. I guess that's the sign of a successful shopping trip!
I found a beautiful red coat (on sale
) at Bon Marché, and the most gorgeous pleated silk hand-dyed scarf imaginable at Fabrice, on Rue Bonaparte.Fabrice was my favorite store in all of Paris, and that's saying a lot! They have mostly accessories, and a few items of clothing, and it is all so beautiful I would have liked to buy the whole store. So really, I showed remarkable restraint.....O
Of course, that's not mentioning the food items from Fauchon and the grocery: foie gras, macarons to take home to my DH, fig-walnut jam, walnut oil, mustard.
And beauty products: Some Annick Goutal perfumed body cream (Nuits d'Hadrien- my favorite) Phytologie hair products, Roger & Gallet shower gel and hand soap, and a few cosmetics from Sephora.
Our luggage that was carry-on on the way there was bulging on the way home and had to be checked. I guess that's the sign of a successful shopping trip!
Jan 22nd, 2005, 02:21 PM
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I thought Marcy and I showed remarkable restraint in Paris considering we were there without any husbands to hurry us in and out of the shops! Perhaps having carry-on size luggage and no husbands to lug the loot home was also a factor?
This is what I bought:
- an adorable red handbag from the boutique <b>Lamarthe</b> just a few doors down from our hotel on Rue Bonaparte. Lamarthe is roughly equivalant to Longchamp though the styling is very different. It was half price!
- a hunter green leather handbag from <b>Le Grain de Sable (une boutique d'accessoires de mode, sacs, bijoux, chapeaux)</b> on 79 Rue Saint Louis-en-l'Ile, at a 30% reduction. This small shop had lovely scarves as well, but I held back!
- an aubergine microfiber and leather handbag from <b>BHV,</b> strictly for travel since it's rather plain and utilitarian. It will, however, comfortably fit a map and small guidebook and microfiber is indestructible.
- food souvenirs like fleur du sel, mustard, chocolate, herbal tea
- two Yves Rocher lipsticks that came in beautiful packaging. I am definitely a sucker for pretty containers of all sorts.
- earrings from <b>Lewistone,</b> mentioned above. Garnets and diamonds and jade in one irrisistable shape dangling from my ears!
- same "botanical hair relaxing balm" as Marcy bought, the Phyto brand. The packaging is navy blue and white, very matter-of-fact looking (for those of you who want this excellent hair product) and the lettering says "Phytodefrisant." Marcy says it runs about $20 in the US but can be found in France for less than 9€.
- from a wonderful little boutique that may or may not be called <b>Scabass</b> on Rue Christine (I have only my credit card slip and that's all it says) two tops. One is a sage green knit with a deep Vee in the front and back and just enough spandex in it to make me think about every forkful of food that goes in my mouth! It's a <i>very</i> slim fit! And another top, this one black cotton with an almost imperceptible silkscreen pattern on it. The label says "Custo" which the sales woman told us is the name of the Barcelona designer who created the top. Both of these pieces of clothing have a very unique cut--you can tell on first glance that they're not American clothes. That's why I bought them. (If you look through the photos Marcy posted, there's one of a gorgeous red/orange gown--that's the shop I'm talking about.)
- yarn from <b>Pelotte</b> in the Marais, several skeins and I could have bought several more.
- assorted cosmetics from <b>Sephora.</b> What a fun place to try different colors!
- Italian waffle weave towels from Bon Marche. I'd wanted to buy them when we were in Italy in 2003 but ran out of luggage space, so I seized the opportunity when I saw similar towels at the venerable Bon Marche. Though I will say that I will need to wash them several times to soften them up until they feel like the Italian ones I loved!
And that's all, folks.
This is what I bought:
- an adorable red handbag from the boutique <b>Lamarthe</b> just a few doors down from our hotel on Rue Bonaparte. Lamarthe is roughly equivalant to Longchamp though the styling is very different. It was half price!
- a hunter green leather handbag from <b>Le Grain de Sable (une boutique d'accessoires de mode, sacs, bijoux, chapeaux)</b> on 79 Rue Saint Louis-en-l'Ile, at a 30% reduction. This small shop had lovely scarves as well, but I held back!
- an aubergine microfiber and leather handbag from <b>BHV,</b> strictly for travel since it's rather plain and utilitarian. It will, however, comfortably fit a map and small guidebook and microfiber is indestructible.
- food souvenirs like fleur du sel, mustard, chocolate, herbal tea
- two Yves Rocher lipsticks that came in beautiful packaging. I am definitely a sucker for pretty containers of all sorts.
- earrings from <b>Lewistone,</b> mentioned above. Garnets and diamonds and jade in one irrisistable shape dangling from my ears!
- same "botanical hair relaxing balm" as Marcy bought, the Phyto brand. The packaging is navy blue and white, very matter-of-fact looking (for those of you who want this excellent hair product) and the lettering says "Phytodefrisant." Marcy says it runs about $20 in the US but can be found in France for less than 9€.
- from a wonderful little boutique that may or may not be called <b>Scabass</b> on Rue Christine (I have only my credit card slip and that's all it says) two tops. One is a sage green knit with a deep Vee in the front and back and just enough spandex in it to make me think about every forkful of food that goes in my mouth! It's a <i>very</i> slim fit! And another top, this one black cotton with an almost imperceptible silkscreen pattern on it. The label says "Custo" which the sales woman told us is the name of the Barcelona designer who created the top. Both of these pieces of clothing have a very unique cut--you can tell on first glance that they're not American clothes. That's why I bought them. (If you look through the photos Marcy posted, there's one of a gorgeous red/orange gown--that's the shop I'm talking about.)
- yarn from <b>Pelotte</b> in the Marais, several skeins and I could have bought several more.
- assorted cosmetics from <b>Sephora.</b> What a fun place to try different colors!
- Italian waffle weave towels from Bon Marche. I'd wanted to buy them when we were in Italy in 2003 but ran out of luggage space, so I seized the opportunity when I saw similar towels at the venerable Bon Marche. Though I will say that I will need to wash them several times to soften them up until they feel like the Italian ones I loved!
And that's all, folks.
Jan 22nd, 2005, 03:08 PM
#120
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dln, I've bought a couple Custo tops, both very unique with assymetrical zippers/cuts....you are right in that they will disclose any fat roll present! I'm writing down the name of that shop for my girl trip in May. Thanks!
