Asides

Top Five Flower Shops in Paris

Paris counts more flower shops than days in the year and the flower arranging has more and more success all over the country. As you may know, on the 1st of May it is a tradition in France to offer a sprig of lily of the valley as a lucky charm. And if by chance your sprig counts 13 bells, the luck will be even more outstanding! I take advantage of this time of year to introduce you to five of my favourite flower shops in Paris, all located in the very heart of the city.

The most intimist: odorantes
Odorantes Paris – flowers and parrots
Odorantes Flower Shop Paris
Odorantes Paris – Inside the flower shop

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Walking on the Ile Saint Louis: A Unique Atmosphere in Paris!

The Ile Saint Louis is my favourite place in Paris where to go and walk when I need to relax and recharge my batteries. The Island is a mix of fine harmonious architecture and of magnificent views on both right and left banks and on the Seine. It offers a peaceful timeless atmosphere and contrasts a lot with its neighbour the Ile de la Cité which is much more crowded with people, cars and visitors.

I am used to enter the Island coming from the left bank, through the ‘Pont de la Tournelle’ which is recognizable by its 15 meters high column with a statue of Sainte Geneviève on top of it. I like to walk around the Ile Saint Louis on the ‘Quais’ before getting into it and strolling in its main street, the Rue Saint Louis en l’Ile.

Ile saint louis Paris-Pont de la tournelle
Ile saint louis Paris-Pont de la tournelle

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Shopping in Paris: New Shoe Department at Le Bon Marché

Last month Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche in Paris opened a new shoe department called ‘L’espace Souliers’ which is a wonder of architecture, light and colours. It is located on the second floor of the department store and is really worth the visit, whether you plan to buy a new pair of shoes or not… and whether you can or cannot buy yourselves a new pair of shoes there as most of them are rather expensive: luxury shoes, designers’ shoes,… all for women.

le bon marche paris-espace souliers-francesco russo
Le Bon Marché Paris – Espace Souliers – Francesco Russo

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