As my time in Paris nears it's end (this Wednesday is my last day - insert tears), I could not leave the city without visiting the very infamous Grand Magasins (The super duper malls of Paris). There are two malls, Au Printemps and Galleries Lafayette and they are adjacent to each other.
I started off at Printemps because that is where the metro dropped me off :) Now call me crazy, but is there really a need for Malls this big? Evidently in Paris there is because every department, every floor I went to was super busy! Printemps has 3 different buildings (home store, men's store, women's and a floor dedicated to women's shoes) and a cafe on the rooftop which has the most amazing views of the city. It rivaled the views from the Arc of Triomphe.
I will sum up my shopping experience at Printemps in one sentence. There was nothing there I could afford :) -- It is a very high end mall with all the designer brands and very expensive unknown (at least to me ) brands as well. The highlights of this mall were my lunch and dessert. I had the best chicken, carrot and cabbage salad ever and then I had heard that I had to try the macaroons from Laduree's patisserie. I tried the pistachio (obscenely delicious) and if anyone goest to Paris, this is a MUST do treat! They are pricey but well worth every penny! It was a great window shopping experience and nothing like seeing very fashionable women walking with their Hermes bags and casually shopping at Chloes or Alexander MQueen's. (Ok I will confess that I did make one purchase for my mother which was the only thing I could afford).
I then made my way to the Galeries Lafayette and although quite high end as well, there was a floor of a more affordable nature, however I could not find anything I could not leave there without. There were a lot of things I wanted, but I already have to leave clothes behind to replace with stuff I have bought. The most impressive thing about this mall was it's decor and ostentatious design. It is quite striking and I hope you get the jest from my pics. Unfortunately I could net get a good shot of the dome which is spectacular! My camera is not equipped :( -- As with many things in Paris, walking these malls require a plan and time. I spent almost 5 hours there today and I didn't even begin to make a dent in either.
I could only tell the tourist by the pics they were taking, me being one of them :)
Trust me when I say it was extremely tiring walking these grand magasins and then I walked around the area a bit which had familiar shops like the Gap, Zara's, Sephora's and I'm not sure if we still have Mango in LA but they are quite popular here in Paris. Then I stopped for a cafe au lait (so french) and made my way home. Even though I have walked hundreds of miles here, I have also gotten pretty good at the metros.
I'm not quite sure what to do with my last day tomorrow. I am quite saddened to be leaving as I have gotten used to my tiny apartment, my neighborhood and the city buzz or lack thereof sometimes. I will mostly miss walking down the Seine river towards Notre Dame with it's amazing views. This has been an incredible trip and one I will never forget. I LOVE Paris and hope that the next time I visit there will be someone with me to share in all it's splendor and beauty!!
A Bientot mes amis!!
Avec L'amour de Paris
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| Can they get any bigger? :) |
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| The three departments at Printemps are connected by these walkways |
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| View from rooftop at Printemps |
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| Amazing!! |
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| The Opera House |
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| Inside Galeries Lafayette |
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| Not quite sure what this is but loved the building |
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