EuroVirgo Travel Diary: Colette, Fauchon & Chanel!

Paris!

Mardi

Upon sticking our heads out the window at 7am, Nubby & I quickly came to the conclusion that a higher power was indeed looking out for us, & that we had been truly blessed by the weather! We had been expecting our time in Paris to be absolutely freezing cold, kind of like New York had been, but we were so pleasantly surprised! Monday had been warm enough to go without sleeves (!), & Tuesday was g- to the lorious.

Paris!

Nubby said she wanted to see some of the major Parisian sights on Tuesday, so while she got ready, I got busy with Google Maps & plotted us a course of action. The plan? Our hotel to Colette to Fauchon to Avenue des Champs-Élysées to Arc de Triomphe to Tour Eiffel.

Finally, we were dressed (a little less extravagant than the days previously!). We headed out the door to the closest Métro (Saint-Sébastien-Froissart), & began our journey!

Rue Saint-Honoré was a great place to start our day. I have mentioned before (multiple times, actually!) that in France, their word for “window-shopping” is lèche-vitrines, which, translated, means “window-licking”. A good stroll around Paris will wake you up to why they call it this. The window dressing in Paris is amazing. The shops are beautiful–more like an experience than a rallying cry to shop! Shop! Shop! They really elevate the art of merchandising there. It is incredible & extremely bewitching!

Paris!
On rue Saint-Honoré! Wearing: Black knit hat Lip sweater by Markus Lupfer Leather skirt by Ted Baker Bird by Juicy Couture faux fur coat Black stockings Frye motorcycle boots Rebecca Minkoff handbag!

Paris!

Paris!

Paris!

Paris!
I want my house to look like this…

Paris!

The main reason we wanted to hit up rue Saint-Honoré was so we could visit the infamous Colette. I had tried to visit last time I was in Paris, but it was closed! (I seem to remember consoling myself with a gigantic ice-cream sundae, instead!) This time, blissfully, it was open.

We walked around excitedly, oohing & aahing over the things we saw. Colette is interesting–it’s almost like a curated gallery of clothing than a “store” as we know it. Yes, it is very expensive, but it’s definitely inspiring.

I ended up buying a clear turquoise toothbrush (it’s really cool… I promise), & Nubby debated whether she should get €23 nailpolish. Wise girl that she is, she resisted the temptation!

As we were heading back, I saw a sign which said rue Cambon, & immediately recognised it as the site of the original Chanel store. So I dragged Nubby up the street & we posed underneath the Chanel sign, while a grumpy security guard gave us the eyeball!

I had my fingers crossed that we would see fellow Virgo Kaiser Karl, but it was not to be. (I like to think that he was at home, composing a symphony while reading a book, instead.)

Paris!

Paris!

Then it was on to Fauchon, a shop which sells food–but not as we know it. Inside, it is an orgiastic romp of colour & typography, with immaculately-decorated cakes & impeccably-presented sushi.

I don’t think I can do it justice by writing about it. Really, in the same way that the French have elevated the art of window-dressing, Fauchon has elevated the world of fast food. My pictures aren’t that great, but Luxirare took amazing photos when she was there. (Click that link!)

The best part about Fauchon, at least to me, is surely the fact that their colour-scheme is black & pink. Man, it was FANTASTIC! I wanted to buy everything! Remarkably, I was able to contain myself, & ended up with a magenta heart-shaped tin (j’adooooooore) & a small bar of chocolate, with the best wrapper design ever. Ever ever!

After we perused their incredible range of items, we went across the road to their other location, where you could buy food to eat there. Nubby ordered a cafe au lait & realised that not all French coffee will knock you on your ass, while I drank a tomato juice which was… sweet? (Weird.)

Fauchon was seriously amazing. A must-see!

Paris!

Paris!Rosebud tea!

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Upstairs, in their golden dining room.

Paris!

We headed to the Avenue des Champs-Élysées after that. The Champs-Elysees is the avenue which leads up to the Arc de Triomphe, one of the most popular tourist attractions in Paris, if not the world.

It was a very weird experience! Walking along the Champs-Élysées is like being in any major shopping street in America. There’s a Disney store, a Gap, an H&M, a Sephora… it’s the same ol’, same ol’. As much as we like to shop, we felt a bit disillusioned–shopping at your old mall favourites is not what you come to France for! I’m sure there were no real Parisians along that stretch of road, kind of like Times Square in NYC.

The Avenue very long, about two miles in fact, & you can see the Arc de Triomphe at the end. Initially it looks tiny, but as you get closer, it starts to loom over you, & you forget all about the rampant consumerism on either side of you, & become transfixed & boggled by the immense size of the thing.

This is not to even mention the psychotic traffic which whirls around it at breakneck speed, 24 hours a day!

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Can you see the teeny-tiny heads of people standing up the top?!

Paris!

Next, we made our way to the Eiffel Tower. It’s so beautiful & iconic, so of course we couldn’t help but put on our mouse ears & take some photos in front of it!

By this point it was starting to get a bit chilly, & as much as we wanted to stay for the light-show (I love the light-show), we just couldn’t face it.

Paris!

Paris!

We took the Métro back to our hotel instead, & for dinner, we trotted across the road for French onion soup (well, you know, they just call it onion soup!) & a big ol’ plate of cheese. Mmm, stinky!

Man repellers? Sure. Happy? Definitely.

Paris!