Musée d'Orsay & The Marais

My sister and I were up bright and early for breakfast at Besnier's, which you might recognise from me raving about it in previous blog-posts. There were more delights to discover in the local area, with the promise of a restful morning in the Musee d'Orsay.

We weren't meant to take photographs, but I satisfied myself with the idea that we didn't take any of the art, and that we spent our due money on postcards of our favourites from Vallotton, Odilon Redon and François Pompon!

View from the roof!

My sister's absolute favourite is the bear statue in the Cafe du Ours. Coming to see it has become a bit of an annual tradition, and I love this photo!

Some of my favourites from Redon, Monet and Caillebotte.

After a lovely, free, calm and very cultured evening in the 7th, we headed over to The Marais to 'Le Loir dans La Theiere', another favourite of mine. If you're planning on experiencing the dreamy slices of cake in this cosy, bobo tea-room then make sure you turn up at around 3pm. It gets so busy that there is a strict lunch-service followed by afternoon tea, and we were turned away to wander around Le Marais until the sweet treats were brought out. But, oh boy, was it worth the wait!

 

Time to get cultural again in my next blog tomorrow at La Maison de la Photographie!

 À Bientôt ! 

x

Cute Shop Crawl

On Thursday, my Mum arrived in Paris to spend a few days with me. As I walked round to the station to fetch her, the clear blue skies, rustling trees and crunch of leaves underfoot promised that it would be a perfect autumn day. Once home, we set about making a restorative cup of tea and throwing together some brunch: fresh fruits, mini French pastries and marmalade toast to add a zing of Britishness to affairs!

Please excuse the messy room!

Next on my agenda was a "cute shop crawl". A few weeks ago, I discovered the adorable Rue du Bac, lined with enticing window displays and culminating in the "Harrods" of Paris, "Le Bon Marche". This is a secret to be jealously guarded, but when Mum came to stay I happily let her in on it. We spent a contented hour or so discovering cute gifts or knick-knacks and then tutting at the extortionate prices. As a rule, multiply the price you think it's worth by 4 and you'll be nearing Parisian prices!

Inside Le Bon Marché with its iconic staircases

Getting festive in the Christmas department

Le Bon Marche is an oasis of calm and wealth - too expensive to shop at, but the Papeterie department and delicatessen are worth a visit, and Mum and I did stretch the bank balance to accommodate 4 little macarons in chocolate, peanut, coffee and praline which we nibbled on a bench in the park outside.

The park at Sevres-Babylone

Hear about the rest of our trip tomorrow - including a visit to St. Sulpice, a stroll in the Luxembourg gardens and the amazing discovery of an affordable vintage store (finally!)

À Bientôt ! 

x