Evidently, I have become a wee bit obsessed with blogging. Or at the very least a wee bit obsessed with procrastinating. Either way, it's getting in the way of all real work, and yesterday I had to literally sprint in my heels to my marketing class because it took me so long to finish my paper because I spent all that time starting this blog instead. Priorities, they are a foreign concept to me.
Anyway, in my marketing project group there is a lovely girl named Julie, she's from France, Lyon, I believe. I could creep her facebook to be sure, but it's not really that relevant. The point is, her brother lives in Paris and she has given me a list of places we must visit when we're in gay Paris for the weekend! I'm listing it all here so I don't lose the pages, and I've also taken the liberty of adding other places I wish to visit too. Think of it as a sort of Parisian bucket list, when the time comes I will document each of these places and share them here!
Paris according to Julie:
The best area to party in bars: La Bastille on Pigalle.
The best graveyard: Pere Lachaise (is it strange that this is not that strange to me?)
The best crumble in Paris: Chez Prosper at Place de la Nation.
Julie also recommends:
Monmartre: typical, romantic Paris. Apparently I must eat crepes and do all stereotypical French things here. Also it's on top of a hill. Must remember to pack flats.
St. Paul: The gay area of Paris, need I say more?
Jardin de Luxembourg: A garden based on the Pitti Palace in Florence
Paris according to my research:
Shopping! Of course the majority of my research has to do with clothes...
Mamz'Elle Swing, vintage store specializing in the 30's and 40's. (35 bis rue du Roi de Sicil)
Princess Tam Tam, okay, who doesn't love Princess Tam Tam lingerie? This is a must visit for me. (19, rue Vieille du temple)
Tome Dom, bookstore (81, rue Saint-Dominique)
Shine, boutique that carries some of my favorite designers including Luella, Marc by Marc Jacobs, See By Chloe (15 Rue de Poitou)
Yukiko, vintage high end designer clothes (97, rue Vieille-du-Temple)
Paul and Joe, do I really have to describe this? I adore everything Paul and Joe. (46 rue Etienne Marcel)
Repetto, flats are necessities, and if they have those adorable cap toe denim flats? Well I'd be parting with 250 faster than they can find my size. (22, Rue de la Paix)
Le Bon Marche, the first department store in the world! (24 Rue de Sèvres)
Colette, basically heaven. (213 rue saint honoré)
Obviously a trip to Paris would not be complete without a wander down rue du Faubourg Saint-honore, I may not be able to afford Chanel and Lanvin but it doesn't make it any less fun to look! Also a can't miss: 31 Rue Cambon, Coco Chanel's apartment! Now I don't have $3000 to spare, which is what it costs to set up a tour and actually get inside, but I would still love to see it from the outside. 31 Rue Cambon isn't where Chanel slept actually, she kept the apartment for work purposes and actually kept a permanent suite at the Paris Ritz just down the street at Place Vendome, which Mademoiselle Chanel was rumored to have designed the bottle of her signature perfume to match.
Food! I am just a well dressed fat kid at heart.
Mama Shelter, from what I hear: really good brunch, and even cuter servers. Hellooo. (109 Rue de Bagnolet)
Le Water Bar de Colette (213 rue saint honoré)
Ladurée, of course. Paris wouldn't be Paris if I don't have macarons in that signature macaron box. (Various locations, but I want to go to 21 rue Bonaparte)
Pierre Hermé, you can't hit up one famous macaron without the other, it just wouldn't be right. (4, rue Cambon)
Berthillon, their ice cream is the stuff of legends, and I can't pass up normal ice cream anyway. (29-31 rue saint Louis en l’ile)
Mamie Gateau, french pastries, my biggest weakness after shoes. (66 rue du Cherche-Midi)
Tetrel Gaston, candy candy candy candy candy! (44 rue des petits champs)
Café de Flore, classic tourist destination. They say Simone de Beauvoir used to come here! (At the corner of Boulevard Saint-Germaine and Rue St. Benoit)
Les Deux Abeilles, tea room. (189, rue de l'Université)
Call me Bubble, a champagne tasting room with tapas! (54 rue Custine)
Rosa Bonheur, a super pink outdoor cafe (2 avenue de la Cascade)
Miscellaneous
Obviously I need to vist the Louvre, Eiffel tower, Notre Dame etc, but aside from the cheesy touristy places there are tons of other places I want to hit up!
Marché Saint Pierre, the kingdom of fabric. I think I am more excited for this than I am for macarons!
Fat Galerie (1 Rue Dupetit-Thouars)
Espace Culturel Louis Vuitton (60 rue de Bassano)
Musée Carnavale (23, rue de Sevigné)
Musée du Grand Palais, they currently have a Monet exhibit, hopefully it'll still be there in May! (Avenue Winston Churchill)
Musée Bourdelle, the Madame Gres haute couture exhibit (18, rue Antoine Bourdelle)
I know we'll never get to all those places in one weekend, but I can always save the ones we don't get around to for another trip. This list has been really fun/excruciatingly taxing to research! I found most of these places here, and from various Parisian girl fashion blogs, including the ever so wonderful Garance Dore and her useful city guides.