Wandering about Paris with no particular itinerary in mind is a great way to really get to know this beautiful city.
I was staying at the Cordelia Hotel in Opera at 11 Rue Greffulhe and started my morning stroll by walking a minute down the road to a new restaurant called Boco for a coffee. This is an amazing new concept in economy gournmet food. Leading chefs have contributed favourite dishes which are purchased in glass jars. After selection, your meal is heated and served with thick slices of delicious bread. More on Boco later.
It was Easter in Paris – crisp in the morning, tiny green shoots just beginning to poke out of carefully pruned street trees. Gardens were yet to be planted adding to a rather drab effect – however colour is everywhere if you seek it out.
So, off I go on a five minute walk to the Saint Lazare Train Station which was once upon a time linked to the elegant, Victorian style Hilton Opera Hotel (previously Concorde Opera) next door. Here you will find one of the most beautiful foyers in Paris – go in and have a look. The property was recently taken over by Hilton and I wanted to know if renovations were finished. Sorry, but one floor still to go, I was advised. “This summer we will be finished”. Pity the poor guests who were told that same story last year. The renovated rooms are an improvement, particularly the bathrooms, but the old Victorian style elegance has been lost along the way. That's progress for you. Continuing along Rue Saint-Lazare the first burst of color and rich perfume emerges – beautiful long stemmed roses being whipped out of boxes and pressed into eager hands. These sellers have to move quickly – this mobile streetside “shop” is illegal and the police chase them away on a regular basis. I have to sneak a photograph – everyone is tense and very suspicious.
Across the road and I head into the basement of a department store to be greeted by beautiful girls spinning about on rollerskates handing out promotion sized cups of coffee and chips of chocolate. You have to smile. All of Paris seems to be on sale these days – the country is going through difficult economic times much like Australia.
Even big names like GAP is offering was a whopping 50 per cent off. I move on, heading up to street level and emerging at rue Caumartin. There is a basement Monoprix as you head towards the Printemps department store where you can buy just about anything, including wine. Not that I have ever bought a bottle that impresses me – quite the reverse in fact. Sadly the French have still not heard about screw caps so always take a corkscrew with you. The best advice I can give other than to buy Australian wine (boring I know) is stick with rose. Interestingly the consumption of wine in France is on a downward slide. Look carefully at the streetside cafes and it will be the tourists who are drinking wine. The locals prefer coffee or even Coke.
Anyway, we often use this supermarket – but keep in mind the French have absolutely no idea about speedy check-out. If there are crowds shopping, get set for a long wait. Just want a salad or delicious bread rolls or pastries? Head for the counter on the left hand side before you enter the supermarket.
Things are warming up now – the pale sunlight is finally having an effect. Printemps is turning up the temperature as well – the entire building has turned bright pink in celebration of its 150th anniversary.
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| Galeries Lafayette (France Tourism) |
I march on past Galeries Lafayette towards the Opera House which is sporting the most enormous advertising sign for Miss Dior. The purists will simply gasp in horror at such blatant commercialism – but times, as it said, are tough.
I now decide to head towards Concorde Square via the famed Angelina with its astonishingly beautiful pastries and permanently packed out tea rooms to view this year’s Easter offering. It's called the Belle Epoque Egg which according to the management “shows mouldings, gildings and fine details reminding of the timeless elegance of Angelina. Its Peruvian dark chocolate hull holds dark, milk and white chocolate fish.” Sounds amazing and should be considering the price tag of $30.
You just have to head into these famous tea rooms and choose from the scrummy range of pastries.
Close to Concorde now, I stroll past a motorbike taxi lurking beside a fountain - looks like the traffic can be so bad these days that two wheels are an answer. That certainly is the case in Bangkok. Everywhere shops are enticing me to sample croissants cakes, pastries, chocolate, pies, baguettes. Now hungry, I head for rue de rivoli which is usually so packed with visitors it is best avoided. I enjoy more people spotting sitting at a street-side table enjoying lunch and then head home very pleased with my relaxing morning. Just as I reach the square I am lucky enough to spot a wonderfully iconic Paris moment. With perfect almost theatrical timing as the sun really breaks out, a beautiful girl with long dark hair rushes around the corner of rue saint florentin and falls in the arms of a tall dark stranger. Seemingly oblivious to the hundreds of tourists and motorists milling about (the traffic was shocking that morning) they kiss and hug before she unwinds and disappears as quickly as she had arrived.
Even at her most drab before Spring rejuvenates the scarecrow trees and empty gardens, Paris is still very much for lovers, an walkers.
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