Travel And Leisure

By Phil Chavanne Good news! I have more great Parisian hot spots yet for the readers of Paris-Eiffel-Tower-News.com. Read on, I believe you won't be disappointed. Loose yourself at Le Grand Comptoir If you find yourself in the 7th district, take some time to stop by 116 Rue du Bac and check out the Grand Comptoir (the Big Counter), a luminous and refined shopping place filled with a motley of weird and wonderful Parisian items. The entrance courtyard is lined with a variety of cow pictures in tribute to "Vach'art", the French version of CowParade, a movement that started in Zurich in 1998 and now spans the entire globe (and for cow fans, you'll find some miniatures for sale inside). The top level of the Grand Comptoir offers a full array of ready-to-wear clothes for men and women. Beauty products and foodstuffs are on the ground floor, along with many shops selling indoor and outdoor house accessories and a host of other things: old style photos albums with pictures of Paris, pillows with your own black and white photo printed on them, dinner sets, wine bottle boxes, lights, linens, art, etc. You can also shop for gorgeous rustic pieces of heavy wooden furniture and wrought-iron (and typically Parisian) benches. These items are of course unlikely to fit into your suitcase, but they are rather nice to look at anyways. Prices are all over the place, but there's plenty of affordable stuff for bargain hunters. Le Grand Comptoir is located at 116 rue du Bac, 75007 Paris, and can be accessed from the 'Sevres-Babylone' metro station. Their phone number is: 33 (0)1 4049 0095. Free concerts in an awesome setting! Free music anyone? While in Paris you can attend free concerts twice a week at Saint-Merri Church in downtown rue Saint-Martin. This church dates back to 1550. Its architecture has been inspired by Notre-Dame's, and in fact it is known as 'Notre-Dame la petite' (the little Notre-Dame). It is chock-a-block with impressive stained-glass windows, frescos, bas-reliefs, sculptures, tapestries and paintings, not to mention its beautiful musical center-piece, an awesome organ with a long and distinguished history. Concerts last around an hour and start on Saturdays at 9:00 pm and on Sundays at 4:00 pm. Although the musical genre is predominately classical, they do play jazz from time to time, and even rarer kinds of music: classical Indian, Chinese, Armenian, and medieval music. Donations are appreciated but entirely at your discretion. On the first and third Sundays of every month the Church offers a guided visit of the building after the concert. The Saint-Merri Church is situated at 78 rue Saint-Martin, 75004 Paris. The phone number is: 33 (0)1 4271 9393. The two closest metro stations are: Hotel de Ville (take exit Rue du Renard); and Chatelet (take exit Place Sainte Opportune). Parisian designer leather & fur - direct from the manufacturers! I couldn't believe my luck when, wandering through the Rue de Paradis on the lookout for yet more shopping bargains for the readers of paris-eiffel-tower-news.com, I spotted the workshop exhibition of Jekel. Since 1947, Jekel has been bringing French fashion know-how to designer leather and fur. I know fur isn't the most popular item in the United States, and it is much less worn in Europe than in the 1920-50s. The art of designing fur coats and accessories is quickly disappearing, a less than a hundred craftsmen remain in activity in Paris. Finding fur clothing may soon be as difficult as finding a genuine Rembrandt in an attic. I met with the owner of Jekel, Sylvain Jekel himself who explained that his workshop creates and sells exclusive designer leather models, and fur clothing and accessories. Jekel distribute their goods internationally to ready-to-wear names and quality retailers such as Galeries Lafayette, Sonya Rykiel, Darel, Apostrophe, etc. The workshop is situated at No. 22 Rue de Paradis. The ready-to-wear clothing available off the rack is not tailor-made, but Sabrina, the lovely assistant I met, confirmed that Jekel could adjust items on the spot for you (and indeed, she was busily adding a button for a customer as we were speaking). Prices start at 300 euros, and they can even ship your purchases oversees so you don't have to overload your suitcases. Once again, the address of the Jekel workshop is 22 Rue de Paradis, 75010 Paris. Their phone number is 33 (0)1 4770 7390, and you can get there from the following stations: 'Gare de l'Est', 'Poissonniere', and 'Chateau d'Eau'. Discover your very own Paris: don’t miss the next issue of paris-eiffel-tower-news.com newsletter by Phil Chavanne, Paris veteran and author. Each issue brings you tips on everything Paris, from great spots for a stroll to off-the-beaten-track attractions, to the best in real Parisian eateries. About the Author: Phil Chavanne shares lots of useful advices and travel information on Paris with the help of his Paris experts team. Click here to find about French food and Paris hotels now.

By Phil Chavanne In this issue I have yet more Parisian shopping bargains and discoveries in store for the readers of paris-eiffel-tower-news.com: fine crystal and some wine-tasting sessions from one of the most reputed Parisian wine cellars, and more! Wine tasting at Galerie Vivienne If you like your wine, you won't want to miss this French 1950s-style period wine shop. With its wood paneling and charming window displays, it opens up onto the Galerie Vivienne, one of the most stunning indoor arcades in Paris. There lie the wine cellars of 'Legrand filles et fils' (Legrand daughters & sons), some of the most highly reputed in Paris. These cellars have been lovingly and expertly stocked by three generations of the Legrand family ever since the end of the World War I. Sadly enough, these cellars are not open to the general public. The shop offers however a warm family atmosphere. Wine prices range from 5 to 10,000 euros a bottle, with a wide selection in the 5-15 euros price bracket. You won't go hungry either, as the shop also carries a range of delicacies to bring out the flavor of the wine. Worthy of note, the shop offers wine tasting and lessons! For 60 euros you can attend an introductory wine tasting session every Monday from 8 to 10 pm. Seating is limited, so book beforehand by phone or by e-mail. The shop also features a wine tasting corner, open from 12:00 noon to 6:00 pm, where you can choose a wine and get a plate of accompanying delicacies specially selected to bring out the taste of your wine. The cost is 5.25 euros a glass and 15-30 euros a plate. You can also order desserts. The shop has two entrances: No. 1 Rue de la Banque, and No. 12 Galerie Vivienne, 75002 Paris. For wine tasting reservations, call: 33 (0)1 4260 0712 or email: info[at]caves-legrand.com. Monastica – craftsmanship steeped in tradition This is a fantastic place where you can get your hands on authentic French handmade products, crafts and souvenirs steeped in tradition –- and do a good deed at the same time. If you wander at the tip of the St Louis Island, you'll discover on Rue du Pont Louis-Philippe a boutique called Monastica, owned and run by the nuns of "Les Fraternités de Jérusalem" (The Brotherhoods of Jerusalem), a religious order originally founded in 1975 at the Church Saint Gervais in Paris, which has now spread out internationally. Most products sold by the shop are made by the Order, the rest by lay craftsmen, but all profits go to the Order. Their products are typically French: stoneware crockery, jams, biscuits, chocolate, marzipan, Provence honey, perfumes, hygiene and beauty products, fine Catalan house linen, statues, decorations, etc. Their Catalan linen is particularly valued, and they have an incredibly wide array of soaps. You can lay your hands on country jams for around 5 euros, essential oils from 4 to 8 euros, post cards for 0.80 euros, soaps for 2.75 euros. Prices are very moderate. Should you want to buy gifts, your purchases can be beautifully gift-wrapped. The nuns speak English too. Once again, the address is 11, rue du Pont Louis-Philippe, 75004 Paris. You can reach them at: 33 (0)1 4887 8513 and 33 (0)8 7455 6685. Rue de Paradis – A crystal paradise? Another thing that will strike you as you visit Rue de Paradis will be the number of shops offering world-renowned Limoges porcelain, plates, and dinner sets, as well as fine crystal products, from glasses and wine decanters to chandeliers. Crystal is a type of glass which contains a small percentage of lead to lend it more clarity and sparkle than ordinary glass. Crystal is usually cut to enhance its reflective qualities, making it a very pretty, highly valued (and more costly) type of glassware. Most shops on Paradis street sell "Cristal de Baccarat", an expensive and prestigious brand of crystal with a long and distinguished history dating back to the early 1800s, and known for supplying royalty with its production. Those of you who don't want to fork out a load of money, there is a shop at No. 52 named 'Décor et Cristal' which carries a different type of crystal. Their source is from a factory in Eastern France, the 'Cristallerie des Vosges du Nord'. Although not Baccarat crystal, theirs is still high-quality, and--I was told by the sales assistant--even dishwasher safe! Prices are great too: some models of crystal glasses retail at 6 euros a piece instead of the usual 30 euros. Products are offered at 20 to 60% discounts. Décor et Cristal is located at No. 52 rue de Paradis, 75010 Paris. Their phone number is: 33 (0)1 4824 5733. Don't miss my next issue of Paris-Eiffel-Tower-News newsletter, with yet more discoveries of hot spots, shopping gems and the best in authentic Parisian eateries. About the Author: An experienced traveler and a long-term specialist of Paris, Phil Chavanne gives scores of very useful advices and tips on Paris, Paris hotels and restaurants at Paris-Eiffel-Tower-News.com, a free guide to the French capital.

Everyone will memorize something personal about Paris. I thought it would be a rich idea to start writing a brand new series of articles in which I would offer each time a motley of ideas: obscure sites to see, off-the-wall museums to visit, quaint shops to shop at, and other things to do (for free or for money) in Paris. Starting now! Here is another article in this series. Organ Music Anyone? Notre Dame Cathedral is not just an awesome medieval work of art. Every Sunday at 4:30 PM the official organ player of the Cathedral sits at his keyboard, and fills the enormous structure with sounds from outer space. Anyone who attended these concerts will tell you that religious music takes a whole new meaning in this sanctified place. Goosebumps guaranteed. Notre Dame Cathedral is located on the Cite Island, at the Cite metro station. There is more about it on my Paris guide paris-eiffel-tower-news.com. Get Me a Couscous for Free At the “Les Fontaines” bar, the owner opens his kitchen and serves free couscous to all on Fridays and Saturdays. You are only required to order one drink per person, which is anyway desirable when you stuff yourself with semolina. “Les Fontaines” sits at 153 rue Saint-Maur, in the 11th district. The closest metro stations are “Belleville” and “Rue Saint-Maur”. British and Celt Rock in Paris In 30 years from now, people will talk about the Guinness Rock Tavern as this mythic British bar where to listen to live rock music while downing a Guinness Stout. A new band every night will entertain you from 10:00 pm to 5:00 am. I am still so thankful I didn’t live right above the place! Take the subway to the “Chatelet” station, and walk northwards to 31 bis rue des Lombards. That’s the place where it’s loud. The Green Miles That’s something so peculiar you won’t want to miss it. On top of the remnants of what used to be an inner railroad line, the City authorities have developed a 3-mile walkway which links the Bastille square to the Vincennes Woods, along the Daumesnil Avenue. Halfway between Bastille and Vincennes, the Reuilly Gardens offer a nice halt. There is no such walkway in any city I have ever visited. Access it from the “Bastille” subway station. You can see a few views of it at paris-eiffel-tower-news.com Where Queen Marie-Antoinette Spent her Last Night Queen Marie-Antoinette was beheaded during the French revolution in 1793. It is said her hair turned entirely white during the night before her execution. She was held captive at the Conciergerie Museum, a royal palace built on the Cite Island in the early 13th century. The medieval atmosphere penetrates your very soul along a visit which will lead you through the castle and its infamous cells. Free admission, and you keep your head on your shoulders. The address is 2 boulevard du Palais, on the Cite Island. The nearest metro station is “Cite”. Each of these Parisian spots will spice up your trip to Paris. I often recommend the subscribers of Paris-Eiffel-Tower-News.com to get out of their comfort zone to soak in uncommon sights and bring them back home. Paris is best visited in a free-spirited way, outside the 'channels' built by travel guides. Not that the circuits they offer are uninteresting. But having lived some 25+ years in the French capital, I personally believe (and my friend photographer Angel Sanguinetti is of the same opinion) that there is a lot more to Paris than just the regular course served by reference guides. I urge you to try and dare new things. It will be more rewarding, and you will be in a position to recommend your own friends new best ways to discover Paris! About the Author: Phil Chavanne is the Senior Editor of Paris Eiffel Tower News, a city guide offering scores of information and useful advices for free at Paris-Eiffel-Tower-News.