Mrs. Figby must be home by now. I already miss her. I missed her about one hour after she left, when I got off the metro near Au Bon Marche and realised that in fact, I really don't like department stores, they overwhelm me. We had dicussed that the day before, but there I was, alone in Paris and I just didn't know where to start. I walked out and sat down for yet another cafe creme, because it seemed like the only thing I could manage to do now that I foudn myself alone.
Then I started walking in the general direction of some attraction or other and suddenly found myself on a tiny back street, filled with adorable little parisian shops. First I found the most adroabel headband and chinese-type fans for the girls at a store called Papa Pique et Maman Coud (I'll deal with links when I get home and am not surfing the net on a hotel TV). And without even trying, I ended up right in Du Pareil Au Meme, a kids store we had hoped to visit together but hadn't been in the areas we visited. There is was. I must apologize to Mr. Figby for not finding one with her, she would have bought Apples an entire new wardrobe in there! I got the girls each a top and a skirt, with a pajama or two, but it was very heard to keep it at that, I wanted to buy everything.
On my way out it really hit me: Not only am I not a *label* girl, but I really do like boutiques and shops way more than department stores and malls. So I readjusted my thinking and resolved to spend the day like a Parisian Gal might. I started walking along the long avenue leading to Tour Montparnasse and finallly hit my stride shopping-wise! I bought cute dresses for less than 40E a piece (and Mrs. Figby would have been proud, they were both in shades of grey! Grey is my new neutral). I asked the shop keepers where else I would find such little shops and they recommended I head to the streets behind the Louvres and Les Halles, so after a quick visit of Tour Montparnasse and the attached "mall", I hopped on the metro and headed over there. Boy! It was so hard to hold myself back. Instead of bringing home 2 or 3 fancy pieces (well, there is that one Gerard Durel jacket..... google him, I'll provide you a link later) I am coming home with tons of cute little pieces and a killer pair of burnt orange satin and suede ballet flats that match the jacket to a tee!
Once I decided that I had in fact shopped enough and had positively spoiled my girls rotten, I checked my guide book for the first time since breakfast and grabbed a french onion soup at Au Pied du Cochon. Their speciality is pig's feet, which I watched everyone around me eat... kinda gross.... I did have to make a final stop at Le Printemps. Mortimer's Dad deserved a much bigger present than what I had already purchased, so I went back but didn't even bother going through it. I entered from the basement of the men's building, headed for the right counter and headed back out. I was done.
I came back to the hotel (Line 8/Lilac towards Balard) one last time.... and marveled at how adept I had become at traveling the complicated lines of the metro. After a quick email home, I decided it would be wise to go through all the bills (for customs) and pack while I still had time to go back to the store if things didn't fit in the suitcase. While it is absolutely full now, I did not need to worry and all the best goodies fit in the carry-on, so that if the suitcase gets delayed, at least the girls will get spoiled right away.
To end my trip, I kept going with my Parisian Gal for a day theme and explored the rest of the surrounding neighbourhood, with a litttle help from Google and the owner of the hotel.... I found a movie theater that only plays 3 movies. It's ancient, from the turn of the century, with red velvet chairs and only one screening of each movie, no previews. I grabbed a quick dinner a local Brasserie (not to be confused with brasierre), but it was hard to read my book with all the yelling and screaming at the soccer match. I had 30 min to kill before my movie, so I found Square St-Lambert and read my book on a bench, watching a Chinese father with his 5 children play some confusing hybrid game of frisbee and baseball. (it was so amazing to watch a Chinese father of so many children.)
Finally, I joined 6 people in the theater for The Other Boylen Girl (I'm totally obsessed with The Tudors right now) and got a free, tiny, old fashioned paper bag of popcorn from the 80+ year old man running the projector. When it was over, I walked back by myself, amazed at how absolutely quiet the little streets of the 15e arondissement were. Sure, when I got to major intersections there were people at cafes and people getting in and out of the metro, but turn on a side street and you couldn't even hear a single car.
I'm all tucked in now, ready to go to sleep and head home in the morning. The only thing I'll have time for is one more breakfast at a nearbuy cafe. I asked for an early wakeup call, so I might walk a bit further and try something with a view of the Eiffel Tower, just one last time.
Tomorrow night, I'll be home. I missed my girls and Mortimer's Dad so much. He's had to deal with power failures at home and at work, unruly staff, a broken pool filter, family health issues and 2 crazy kids who miss me and are taking it out on him...... I owe him BIG time. Thanks for letting me do this honey!
Have a safe trip home. Thank you so much for sharing your experiences with us. It felt like I was there with you.
Posted by: Amyesq | June 13, 2008 at 07:59 PM
OMG! I am absolutely frothing at the mouth from the descriptions of the Parisian boutiques! My jealousy is unbearable! Aaggghhhh!
And guess what movie I was watching on the airplane on the way home while I was evening time in Paris? "The Other Boleyn Girl." I'm totally serious.
Have a safe trip home!
Posted by: Mrs Figby | June 13, 2008 at 08:47 PM
Uh...that should be "while IT was evening time in Paris." Sorry.
Posted by: Mrs Figby | June 13, 2008 at 08:47 PM
I know it had to have been a pain to blog while in Paris, but thanks for taking us along with you!
Posted by: Katie J | June 15, 2008 at 06:33 PM
A lot of the filming for The Other Boleyn Girl was done at the manor where my sister lives(in the gatehouse). Many a morning she woke to the site of Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johannsen (sp?) having a cigarette outside her kitchen window. Surreal. And my BiL is in it as an extra somewhere. Which is pretty funny when you know my BiL.
You sound like a Paris Professional - you found some adorable little places it seems!
Posted by: Jo | June 16, 2008 at 02:42 PM