Friday, October 26, 2012

Exploring Paris


Today I explored two areas of Paris which were very new to me -- the 2nd and 9th Arrondissements.  I started my day off by walking to Rue Montorgueil from my flat in the Marais.  Rue Montorgueil is an adorable little pedestrian street lined with amazing specialty food shops -- cheese, pastries, bakeries, butchers {even one with  a dead rabbit lying in the front window...tres triste}.  However, the walk to the Rue was through a bit of a seedy area, and I was actually yelled at and chased by a mentally unstable elderly woman {I started screaming random French words at her, and eventually she left me alone}.  Nothing like a little excitement to start the day!

From there, I wandered west and stumbled upon the glorious Passage du Grand Cerf and Galerie Viviene.  These little corridors were filled with antique stores, art galleries, and adorable little bookstores.  I made my way to Opera Garnier, first stopping at Le Grand Colbert {you may recognize it from the end of "Somethings Gotta Give"} for an AMAZING lunch.  The Opera Garnier was stunning, over the top, very gold, and so French.  I kept thinking I was going to suddenly hear the "Phantom of the Opera" soundtrack come bursting out of the theater at any moment.  

I hadn't really spent any time in one of my favorite areas of Paris, the Left Bank, so I hopped on the metro to take a little detour to Saint Germain de Pres.  I stopped at a fromagerie and boulagerie to pick up a few different cheeses and a baguette which I am very much looking forward to eating for dinner later tonight.  I also made sure to save some time to stop by Diptyque and pick up my favorite candle to take home with me.  

 {Images from my morning walk and Rue Montorgueil}
{An amazing discovery: the gorgeous covered passageways hidden throughout the city.  Pictured above is Passage du Grand Cerf, below is Galerie Vivienne which was absolutely stunning}

 {Had a fantastic lunch at Le Grand Colbert}


{The ridiculously opulent Opera Garnier}
 {The stunning, albeit ALWAYS insanely crowded, Galleries Lafayette department store}
{Place Dauphine on Ile de la Cite - notice the cat image on the side of the building?}

Well, that's all for today folks -- I am heading out to grab some wine at a cafe and spend some time people-watching {one of the best things to do in Paris}.  Au revoir!

2 comments:

  1. The fruit tart - yummy. Another series of wonderful pictures - - thanks so much - I have been to paris 3-4 times and NEVER saw what you have seen in 3 days. My amazing daughter.

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  2. Visually stunning images! Love the black and white. So ethereal..how did you do that? The passageways look amazing and the Grand Opera(?) gorgeously over the top. Loved the black bats on the gold ceiling. Makes me want to visit Paris. Hmmmm.......

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