I have been doing mostly two kinds of shopping during this stay in Paris and they're both pretty friendly for the wallet. I've been doing lots of bargain hunting, mostly sales and second hand shops, and even more window shopping, or window "licking", léche vitres, as the french say (or so my dictionary once told me, I have never actually heard someone use that unhygienic expression).
Obviously, if you need to buy clothes, window shopping won't do. But if you don't shop out of pure necessity but more just for the pleasure of beautiful things, in Paris window shopping is a real alternative to actually going in and spending money. You can stand behind a window and lovingly gaze that Chloé bag that's made of leather that looks like it will feel like a perfectly ripe peach and that sells for a four or five digit number of euros. And when it comes to an object like that, you know that juts looking is enough. You know you would never put that much money on a bag even if you had that money. Because that money would buy you a really nice trip somewhere. So you look and leave, feeling relieved that so much beauty can go into such a useful object. And hoping to bump into a Richard Gere in Pretty Woman -character right around the corner as well, because he probably would pay money like that for a bag and wouldn't mind offering it to you.
The category of window shopping also includes walking into a shop and just looking and touching things you know you can't afford now, but maybe on your next visit... I always go and say hi to the K. Jacques sandals that are waiting for me patiently. Same thing with shops like Mellow Yellow, Kooples, Loft and the rest that sell gorgeous things that are not cheap but definately affordable for someone who actually gets paid unlike me at the moment. So you can also call it background research for my future wardrobe. And also background research for the soldes...
For the bargains there are two main things: SOLDES and second hand. It's as simple as that for me. I'm not some fashion industry personality that gets invited to some private fashion people clubs that organize secret sales operations. So if you would like to know more about those, find yourself a real fashion blog.
The great soldes, the big sales take place every winter and every summer and they should not be missed. And obviously if you are planning to do some shopping in Paris, do it during the soldes. They last for a couple of weeks and as usual, the discounts get bigger as the stock gets smaller. This is the time when even an average stagiaire might be able to offer herself something more than H&M. I always use this opportunity to buy some lovely quality underwear, Princesse Tam Tam is my favorite. The summer sales are always end of june, beginning of july and winter sales in january-february. Google "soldes paris" and you will probably get exact dates since they are somehow controlled by law.
And for second hand, there are many little guidebooks around that list the second hand shops around Paris. The overall level here is great but the prices vary a lot. Obviously if you want to buy vintage 60's Chanel that has not been used, it might be more expensive than the latest season Chanel. Then there are the usual second hand/vintage shops that buy their clothes from stocks and choose them carefully, such as Hippy Market (Rue de Turbigo & rue Clignancourt) and Kiliwatch. The thing with shops like this is that they also take big margins and sometimes they are on the expensive side. Especially in comparison to charity shops like my beloved Guerrisol. But on the other hand, unlike in Guerrisol, you don't need to inspect the garment for stains etc. before buying it. But I just can't resist mentioning that I just bought another 3 euro dress from Guerrisol yesterday...
Aug 14, 2011
Aug 5, 2011
Les Musées
Everyone knows that when in Paris, you should always visit a museum. Especially if it's the first sunday of the month, since then most of them are free, notably the "important" ones such as Louvre, Musée d'Orsay or Quai Branly. I haven't been to all the museums in Paris, but here's what I think of the ones that I've been to. And I'm being super nice and adding a link to all of their websites that you can acces by clicking the name of the museum. Magic.
MUSÉE DU LOUVRE
This is THE museum in Paris. THE one they say you MUST visit and you MUST go and see Mona Lisa. Well. This is my fourth time in Paris, and the second time I live in the parisian area and only now I felt like I MUST visit Louvre (well, it was really more like "I guess I should go, especially since it's free, why not"). I went with Justine and Helena on a free sunday. The queue was pretty impressive, but it did advance and it took a little less than two hours to get in. We had some sandwiches and a friendly conversation with a canadian couple waiting in line behind us. When we got in, we obviously wanted to get the most important thing to do in the Louvre done: direction italian renaissance and Mona Lisa. And there it was. Behind a wall of holiday hats and cameras. A tight wall. No way to penetrate all the way to the painting. I would smile like that also if I caused such a commotion. Obviously it's a fine piece of art. But I did find da Vinci's transvestite-esque version of John the Baptist much more intriguing. It hangs close by and there's plenty of space around it.
I personnally found the Egypt and Greece -sections more interesting than the italian renaissance, but that's simply because it's not my favorite period at all and the style just doesn't really speak to me. Too much detail, too little color for me. But just a question of taste. Of course I have a huge admiration for the technique and all that. But just not my cup of tea.
The museum is HUGE, so there really is no way to see everything on one go.
Still not my favourite, and to be honest I prefer the British Museum when it comes to the historic objects, but I'm still very glad I went. The building in itself is worth the visit. Don't forget to peek out the windows, you just might get a perfect view over the Tuileries all the way over Arc de Triomphe to the Défense, ideally all bathing in the intense glow of a midsummer parisian sun.
MUSÉE D'ORSAY
Musée d'Orsay is my favorite of the "big" parisian art museums. The building is an old railway station situated right on the banks of Seine opposite Louvre and Tuileries. This museum holds some of my all time favorite paintings. I love impressionists and they're what Orsay is all about. Monét, Cézanne, Van Gogh, Gauguin, Manet, just to mention the biggest stars. The basic collection is already enough but they also have fantastic changing exhibitions that are always thoughtfully constructed and don't only showcase the masterpieces of an artist or of some theme, but also introduce the surrounding people and events as well as some less known works that showcase a whole new side of the artist in question. This is how I discovered the cigarette smoking gypsy woman by Manet. She's still hanging on my wall and probably will hang on the wall of my next home as well, I just wish she was in a poster format instead of a postcard. The shop is also full of treasures and the most fascinating books.
Tourists are a plenty, of course, but it's just an amusing little addition to the visit to observe how some people manage to visit an art museum in a way that they see the minimum of paintings. A good start is not to take off your sunglasses, now who would like to see the colours that impressionist paintings are all about? Also walk very fast in the middle of the corridor where you're as far as possible from the paintings on both sides, and if you have company, talk to them about something totally unrelated. If you are alone, type text messages. Best thing to do is to sit on a bench close to the entrance wearing sunglasses and typing text messages/going through the photos you've taken.
They also have the rudest people selling tickets. If they get confused using the credit card machine (Help! A foreign Visa card in a world renowned art museum!) then it's your fault. You broke it. You and your weird-ass card. Oh, here's the boss. Oh miracle, it works.
On the other hand the people in the shop are normal.
MUSÉE D'ORANGERIE
If Orsay is my favorite of the "big" parisian art museums, Orangerie is my favorite of all parisian art museums. Mostly because it's very calm and not too big, so you don't overdose.
The flow of visitors is controlled, so not too many people are inside at once. That's mostly because of the main attraction of the museum, Monét's Nymphéas , the 8 wall size paintings of the water-lilies of his garden in Giverny (that can also be visited, haven't, yet). They are exhibited in specially constructed oval rooms with skylights that filter in the natural light. This is the ideal way to exhibit these impressionist masterpieces, since the impressionists were the first ones to take their canvases and brushes and paint outside, in the landscape. And that's why I find them so magical. I've been here a few times and every time the water-lilies look a bit different and every time I like different ones. The rest of the collection is also vast and this is where I first discovered Marie Laurencin, who's portrait of Coco Chanel accompanies the Manet cigarette-gypsy in my room. She uses colors that speak to me only in her work. And I love nothing more than starting to like something that I thought I couldn't enjoy, like country music, mustard or as in Laurencin's case, pastels.
They sell a combination ticket for Orangerie and Orsay and it is very much worth it. But I recommend that if you're planning to do them both on a same day, go to Orangerie first, since after Orsay, you will suffer for sure of at least a mild case of art overdose.
I also love the statue of lovers all over each other right outside the entrance (see picture).
MUSÉE DU QUAI BRANLY
Quai Branly is a museum of cultures and of cultural history. It's also one of the most recent museums in Paris. The imposing modern building complex is a short walk from Tour Eiffel and only the building itself is worth a look. The permanent collection hosts all kinds of cultural artefacts from all over the world organized by continents and you visit them by following a "river". I've visited the permanent collection without audioguide but I thing it could be useful if you really like to know what the crazy masks and headrests are about. (I still don't know what headrests are about.) But the descriptions and videos along the "river" are pretty helpful and informative as well. And I always feel like they're not telling me everything on the audioguides and I can't stand the little "animation" they always put there "look, there comes the king for his dinner", music, king's footsteps, etc. No, I don't care about king's footsteps, tell me about the food he ate, the cutlery he used, the fabric of the chairs, etc. I want facts in a museum, for fiction I will go to the cinema or the theatre. So that's my problem with audioguides. Back to the subject of Quai Branly.
They also have changing exhibitions around a specific subject. I'm going tomorrow (it's the first sunday of august) to see a Maya exhibition and I'm pretty sure it will be great. I find the Mayas fascinating and I'm sure they've done a fantastic job at Quai Branly. But I will confirm this after tomorrow.
And for world culture fanatics (like me) the museum shop is a treasure cove. Obviously it has a lot of garbage trinkets and that (some of the garbage trinkets are actually pretty nice, since they're trinkets or jewelry fabricated by some people far away of recycled garbage) but it's also full of books, documentaries on dvd's and world music cd's. I know I will buy something again tomorrow. Last time I bought Karen Blixen's "Out of Africa" book and on dvd Mika Kaurismäki's "Moro No Brasil", a fantastic documentary about brazilian music. I also almost bought Bhagavad Gita, the 700-verse holy Hindu-script. And I might actually buy it tomorrow. That would make a great beach reading for Nice in a few weeks. I like the hindu philosophy a lot. But not enough to have a cow invade my living room though, I'm more into some of their ideas.
Also, the garden outside the museum with a restaurant is a great place to visit. A great place to read some Bhagavad Gita as well, I imagine.
This is THE museum in Paris. THE one they say you MUST visit and you MUST go and see Mona Lisa. Well. This is my fourth time in Paris, and the second time I live in the parisian area and only now I felt like I MUST visit Louvre (well, it was really more like "I guess I should go, especially since it's free, why not"). I went with Justine and Helena on a free sunday. The queue was pretty impressive, but it did advance and it took a little less than two hours to get in. We had some sandwiches and a friendly conversation with a canadian couple waiting in line behind us. When we got in, we obviously wanted to get the most important thing to do in the Louvre done: direction italian renaissance and Mona Lisa. And there it was. Behind a wall of holiday hats and cameras. A tight wall. No way to penetrate all the way to the painting. I would smile like that also if I caused such a commotion. Obviously it's a fine piece of art. But I did find da Vinci's transvestite-esque version of John the Baptist much more intriguing. It hangs close by and there's plenty of space around it.
I personnally found the Egypt and Greece -sections more interesting than the italian renaissance, but that's simply because it's not my favorite period at all and the style just doesn't really speak to me. Too much detail, too little color for me. But just a question of taste. Of course I have a huge admiration for the technique and all that. But just not my cup of tea.
The museum is HUGE, so there really is no way to see everything on one go.
Still not my favourite, and to be honest I prefer the British Museum when it comes to the historic objects, but I'm still very glad I went. The building in itself is worth the visit. Don't forget to peek out the windows, you just might get a perfect view over the Tuileries all the way over Arc de Triomphe to the Défense, ideally all bathing in the intense glow of a midsummer parisian sun.
Musée d'Orsay is my favorite of the "big" parisian art museums. The building is an old railway station situated right on the banks of Seine opposite Louvre and Tuileries. This museum holds some of my all time favorite paintings. I love impressionists and they're what Orsay is all about. Monét, Cézanne, Van Gogh, Gauguin, Manet, just to mention the biggest stars. The basic collection is already enough but they also have fantastic changing exhibitions that are always thoughtfully constructed and don't only showcase the masterpieces of an artist or of some theme, but also introduce the surrounding people and events as well as some less known works that showcase a whole new side of the artist in question. This is how I discovered the cigarette smoking gypsy woman by Manet. She's still hanging on my wall and probably will hang on the wall of my next home as well, I just wish she was in a poster format instead of a postcard. The shop is also full of treasures and the most fascinating books.
Tourists are a plenty, of course, but it's just an amusing little addition to the visit to observe how some people manage to visit an art museum in a way that they see the minimum of paintings. A good start is not to take off your sunglasses, now who would like to see the colours that impressionist paintings are all about? Also walk very fast in the middle of the corridor where you're as far as possible from the paintings on both sides, and if you have company, talk to them about something totally unrelated. If you are alone, type text messages. Best thing to do is to sit on a bench close to the entrance wearing sunglasses and typing text messages/going through the photos you've taken.
They also have the rudest people selling tickets. If they get confused using the credit card machine (Help! A foreign Visa card in a world renowned art museum!) then it's your fault. You broke it. You and your weird-ass card. Oh, here's the boss. Oh miracle, it works.
On the other hand the people in the shop are normal.
If Orsay is my favorite of the "big" parisian art museums, Orangerie is my favorite of all parisian art museums. Mostly because it's very calm and not too big, so you don't overdose.
The flow of visitors is controlled, so not too many people are inside at once. That's mostly because of the main attraction of the museum, Monét's Nymphéas , the 8 wall size paintings of the water-lilies of his garden in Giverny (that can also be visited, haven't, yet). They are exhibited in specially constructed oval rooms with skylights that filter in the natural light. This is the ideal way to exhibit these impressionist masterpieces, since the impressionists were the first ones to take their canvases and brushes and paint outside, in the landscape. And that's why I find them so magical. I've been here a few times and every time the water-lilies look a bit different and every time I like different ones. The rest of the collection is also vast and this is where I first discovered Marie Laurencin, who's portrait of Coco Chanel accompanies the Manet cigarette-gypsy in my room. She uses colors that speak to me only in her work. And I love nothing more than starting to like something that I thought I couldn't enjoy, like country music, mustard or as in Laurencin's case, pastels.
They sell a combination ticket for Orangerie and Orsay and it is very much worth it. But I recommend that if you're planning to do them both on a same day, go to Orangerie first, since after Orsay, you will suffer for sure of at least a mild case of art overdose.
I also love the statue of lovers all over each other right outside the entrance (see picture).
Quai Branly is a museum of cultures and of cultural history. It's also one of the most recent museums in Paris. The imposing modern building complex is a short walk from Tour Eiffel and only the building itself is worth a look. The permanent collection hosts all kinds of cultural artefacts from all over the world organized by continents and you visit them by following a "river". I've visited the permanent collection without audioguide but I thing it could be useful if you really like to know what the crazy masks and headrests are about. (I still don't know what headrests are about.) But the descriptions and videos along the "river" are pretty helpful and informative as well. And I always feel like they're not telling me everything on the audioguides and I can't stand the little "animation" they always put there "look, there comes the king for his dinner", music, king's footsteps, etc. No, I don't care about king's footsteps, tell me about the food he ate, the cutlery he used, the fabric of the chairs, etc. I want facts in a museum, for fiction I will go to the cinema or the theatre. So that's my problem with audioguides. Back to the subject of Quai Branly.
They also have changing exhibitions around a specific subject. I'm going tomorrow (it's the first sunday of august) to see a Maya exhibition and I'm pretty sure it will be great. I find the Mayas fascinating and I'm sure they've done a fantastic job at Quai Branly. But I will confirm this after tomorrow.
And for world culture fanatics (like me) the museum shop is a treasure cove. Obviously it has a lot of garbage trinkets and that (some of the garbage trinkets are actually pretty nice, since they're trinkets or jewelry fabricated by some people far away of recycled garbage) but it's also full of books, documentaries on dvd's and world music cd's. I know I will buy something again tomorrow. Last time I bought Karen Blixen's "Out of Africa" book and on dvd Mika Kaurismäki's "Moro No Brasil", a fantastic documentary about brazilian music. I also almost bought Bhagavad Gita, the 700-verse holy Hindu-script. And I might actually buy it tomorrow. That would make a great beach reading for Nice in a few weeks. I like the hindu philosophy a lot. But not enough to have a cow invade my living room though, I'm more into some of their ideas.
Also, the garden outside the museum with a restaurant is a great place to visit. A great place to read some Bhagavad Gita as well, I imagine.
Aug 4, 2011
Picnic spots
Picnics are the best. They just are, aren't they? Has someone ever been on a bad picnic? If yes, then it's their own fault really, I'm sure. In Paris, these have been my favourite picnic spots:
For places that I recommend avoiding, I'd say definitely that park on the side of the stairs of Sacré Coeur. It's filled with racaille characters who stare and try to start up a "hellooohelloo" conversation with anything remotely blonde. Often smells of pee. Lots of bees and pidgeons (and their droppings) who try to get their part. I also can't understand people having picnic on Pont des Arts (yeah, some of whom I know also, sorry guys but you already knew what I think...). It's crowded with teenagers and probable pick-pockets. Not to mention that the police passes by all the time and starts lecturing if you have some alcohol. And all the while, you could have parked a 1664-truck on the bank right next to the bridge and they wouldn't raise an eyebrow. So just don't picnic on the bridge, it's stupid, since you'll just be interrupted by the cops and feel embarrased. Have your picnic on the bank of Seine right next to the bridge and have a walk on the bridge before or after. Easy.
Also, if you need a picnic blanket, visit Coupons de St Pierre on Marché St Pierre right next to the Sacré Coeur. They sell 3m pieces of fabric for 5 €. And while you're there, you can also bye all the fabrics and tissues you will ever need in your life. It's THE neighbourhood for that. It has at least 20 smaller fabric shops, one giant, 5-floor one, a big shop selling zips, ribbons, buttons, etc. accessories, not to mention the fantastic shops selling only buttons. They look amazing, rows after rows of tubes of buttons organized by colours. And then there are the more extravagant ones that probably sell for a very certain clientele who wear lots of feathers, paillettes and gigantic hats, but probably have problems finding lamé-dresses in a men's size... And right next to it a shop selling only matress and pillow fillings or a shop selling only oriental dance costumes and accessories.
Oops, ventured a bit off the subject of picnics there I guess.
One of the great things to do when on a picnic in Paris is some "alpha-male research". Or you could also call it checking out the hot guys, but that sounds sleazy and slutty. Which it isn't. Obviously. We're just feeding our eyes while we feed our stomachs, that's all. And it's kind of similar to the idea that good food shouldn't be wasted. Well, it's such a waste if a perfect male specimen walks around and no-one looks at him! So actually we're doing him a favor, charity basically. Poor guy. You can come and cry on my shoulder anytime. No, I don't mind if you need a hug.
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| Buttes Chaumont |
- Parc de Buttes Chaumont (next to the "blue flowers", that might also be yellow, overlooking the gazebo)
- Jardin du Luxembourg (on the only "Pelouse autorisée", as in the only patch of grass you can walk/sit on, or then on the famous green chairs, that are so gorgeous I every time contemplate stealing one. I need to bring a bigger bag next time. Just watch out not to pick a declining model, but the more upright one, they're more convenient for eating/drinking. Also, check out the kind of disturbing kitten poster in the toilets, it's in the big booth.)
- Canal St Martin (on the bank opposite Antoine et Lili. No toilets, so prepare to sneak into a bar if you have to go.)
- Ile-St-Louis (westernmost end, a handy stone bench that can be used as a table. Usually crowded, no toilets close by, so not for long picnics/lots of drinks.)
- Place de Vosges (surprisingly calm, nice and bourgeois when you feel like that)
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| The green chair of Jardin du Luxembourg |
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| Canal St Martin |
Also, if you need a picnic blanket, visit Coupons de St Pierre on Marché St Pierre right next to the Sacré Coeur. They sell 3m pieces of fabric for 5 €. And while you're there, you can also bye all the fabrics and tissues you will ever need in your life. It's THE neighbourhood for that. It has at least 20 smaller fabric shops, one giant, 5-floor one, a big shop selling zips, ribbons, buttons, etc. accessories, not to mention the fantastic shops selling only buttons. They look amazing, rows after rows of tubes of buttons organized by colours. And then there are the more extravagant ones that probably sell for a very certain clientele who wear lots of feathers, paillettes and gigantic hats, but probably have problems finding lamé-dresses in a men's size... And right next to it a shop selling only matress and pillow fillings or a shop selling only oriental dance costumes and accessories.
Oops, ventured a bit off the subject of picnics there I guess.
One of the great things to do when on a picnic in Paris is some "alpha-male research". Or you could also call it checking out the hot guys, but that sounds sleazy and slutty. Which it isn't. Obviously. We're just feeding our eyes while we feed our stomachs, that's all. And it's kind of similar to the idea that good food shouldn't be wasted. Well, it's such a waste if a perfect male specimen walks around and no-one looks at him! So actually we're doing him a favor, charity basically. Poor guy. You can come and cry on my shoulder anytime. No, I don't mind if you need a hug.
Aug 3, 2011
22 strange and unpleasant, if not quite traumatizing things I've seen on the Paris metro, PART 2.
9. A girl singing religious songs (the new, re-born-christian type) eyes closed with an asian accent (in french obviously). She did believe and sure hungered for a living god. I had the verse in my head for hours afterwards.
10. A guy begging for coins who was so drunk that he kept falling all over the place and people on the moving metro on and had problems spelling "une petite piéce, s'il vous plaît". A sad example of human condition but also a refreshing alternative to people explaining their entire life of misery. And at least you could see right away where he would spend his money.
11. A guy singing Boyzone's "Baby can I hold you tonight". No, please don't.
12. I thought I saw a really flashy lady, probably a go go dancer judging by her muscular legs. Then I looked a bit closer and realized that she was actually a he. But definitely the most gorgeous transvestite I have ever seen. I want those legs and that ass.
13. Not traumatizing at all this one. A big violin orchestra playing at Châtelet. You could hear them far away and it was a little bit magical. A great surprise on that most confusing metro station of them all.
10. A guy begging for coins who was so drunk that he kept falling all over the place and people on the moving metro on and had problems spelling "une petite piéce, s'il vous plaît". A sad example of human condition but also a refreshing alternative to people explaining their entire life of misery. And at least you could see right away where he would spend his money.
11. A guy singing Boyzone's "Baby can I hold you tonight". No, please don't.
12. I thought I saw a really flashy lady, probably a go go dancer judging by her muscular legs. Then I looked a bit closer and realized that she was actually a he. But definitely the most gorgeous transvestite I have ever seen. I want those legs and that ass.
13. Not traumatizing at all this one. A big violin orchestra playing at Châtelet. You could hear them far away and it was a little bit magical. A great surprise on that most confusing metro station of them all.
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| Violins at Châtelet |
Jul 30, 2011
More places where I ate
Last friday was a good food day. I ate out for both lunch and dinner. Tummy full, wallet empty...
Café d'Angel
16, rue Brey, 75017 Paris.
We had lunch with my collegues, one of whitch was leaving us to go back to Helsinki, here in this very sympatethic little bistro. "Typically french" and "typically parisian" are the two clichés that fit here perfectly and in a good way. Staff was helpful, food was good, clientele was local. Not the cheapest option at 24 € for a 2-course lunch menu, but the quality of the food was great. I had lieu jaune (probably "white fish" like all of them on english menus...) and liégois chocolat avec caramel beurre salé for dessert. Fish was oily and really well seasoned, really good and the dessert was hefty, chocolaty and with lots of caramel.
Tierra del Fuego
4-6 rue Sainte Marthe, 75010 Paris. www.tierradelfuego.fr
After the perfect 'Ti Punch at the colourful bar I can't remember the name of on the same street, we had a chilean dinner with Maaria and Henna at Tierra del Fuego. It's a cozy and colourful little restaurant run by two charming chileans, a father and son, Gonzalo and Carlo (I think). A three course menu is 20 €, I had a (YUMMY!!) ceviche and a (HUGE) chili con carne and mango mousse for dessert (desserts are tiny, but since the other two courses are truckdriver-size, a small dessert is just perfecto ). They also have a fantastic chilean wine selection, a rarity in Paris, since the french (for a perfectly good reason) love and cherish their own produce. Great food, great atmosphere, charming and fast service. Just one thing: If you (Henna) hate coriander, make sure to mention it. It's everywhere and it's a-plenty.
I do recommend I doooo!
Café d'Angel
16, rue Brey, 75017 Paris.
We had lunch with my collegues, one of whitch was leaving us to go back to Helsinki, here in this very sympatethic little bistro. "Typically french" and "typically parisian" are the two clichés that fit here perfectly and in a good way. Staff was helpful, food was good, clientele was local. Not the cheapest option at 24 € for a 2-course lunch menu, but the quality of the food was great. I had lieu jaune (probably "white fish" like all of them on english menus...) and liégois chocolat avec caramel beurre salé for dessert. Fish was oily and really well seasoned, really good and the dessert was hefty, chocolaty and with lots of caramel.Tierra del Fuego
4-6 rue Sainte Marthe, 75010 Paris. www.tierradelfuego.fr
After the perfect 'Ti Punch at the colourful bar I can't remember the name of on the same street, we had a chilean dinner with Maaria and Henna at Tierra del Fuego. It's a cozy and colourful little restaurant run by two charming chileans, a father and son, Gonzalo and Carlo (I think). A three course menu is 20 €, I had a (YUMMY!!) ceviche and a (HUGE) chili con carne and mango mousse for dessert (desserts are tiny, but since the other two courses are truckdriver-size, a small dessert is just perfecto ). They also have a fantastic chilean wine selection, a rarity in Paris, since the french (for a perfectly good reason) love and cherish their own produce. Great food, great atmosphere, charming and fast service. Just one thing: If you (Henna) hate coriander, make sure to mention it. It's everywhere and it's a-plenty.I do recommend I doooo!
Guerrisol, means "The love of my life" in french, or at least it should.
I might live to regret this, but I will now spill my best Paris shopping secret.
It's called Guerrisol and it's on Rue de Rochechouart. I'm not giving the number nor the metrostation. To deserve this, you need to work a bit... (A bribe will also work.)
This is the real deal. Not for amateurs. Not for the faint of heart. If you get confused and uncertain at H&M, forget about Guerrisol. It's for those who like to dig dig dig and who know that under 100 crappy garments there just might be the treasure, or then there will just be the 101st crappy garment. It's for those who can tell the difference between make-up stains and the never-gonna-wash-off stains. Those who know, when a missing button isn't a problem and when it is. Those, who can picture the garment in a different environment, not in the middle of faded, deformed t-shirts in a dusty warehouse-type space.
Those, who deserve to buy the perfect blue printed silk/cotton dress that makes you look slim and sophisticated, yet youthful and trendy, for 3 euros. Yes. 3. Euros. Here it is. Looks even better on a person.
Never mind the shoe selection that looks like it has passed through a dog's digestive system. Twice.
It's called Guerrisol and it's on Rue de Rochechouart. I'm not giving the number nor the metrostation. To deserve this, you need to work a bit... (A bribe will also work.)
This is the real deal. Not for amateurs. Not for the faint of heart. If you get confused and uncertain at H&M, forget about Guerrisol. It's for those who like to dig dig dig and who know that under 100 crappy garments there just might be the treasure, or then there will just be the 101st crappy garment. It's for those who can tell the difference between make-up stains and the never-gonna-wash-off stains. Those who know, when a missing button isn't a problem and when it is. Those, who can picture the garment in a different environment, not in the middle of faded, deformed t-shirts in a dusty warehouse-type space.
Those, who deserve to buy the perfect blue printed silk/cotton dress that makes you look slim and sophisticated, yet youthful and trendy, for 3 euros. Yes. 3. Euros. Here it is. Looks even better on a person.
Jul 28, 2011
For my traveling sisters
This website has been established by a Evelyn, a 70-year old traveling lady, who's been traveling solo for the last three decades. Too dangerous to travel as a single woman? Yeah right...
www.journeywoman.com/
www.journeywoman.com/
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