Welcome to the largest chocolate store in the world! In 2023, the Salon du Chocolat store supplies gigantic chocolate croissants, a 5-meter tall spire topped with a chocolate puppy (LuLu), global and exotic chocolate-producing locations, 250 chocolate and pastry shops, the latest chocolate dresses and capes and competitions like: Who …
Shopping
Opening the daily newspaper, Le Parisien, the photo of a magnificent staircase in Printemps Haussmann met my eyes. After forty years, Printemps Haussmann reopened Le Grand Escalier (the Great Staircase). Get lost in the mirrors that reflect and the balustrades that twist to infinity. A major renovation project is complete. Forty …
Le croque-monsieur (croak-missyou) is THE real French sandwich. It is not just a ham and cheese sandwich made with two pieces of bread. It is toasted and it is famous. Le croque-monsieur is one particular sandwich that has made it’s way from the brasserie and bistro to the microwave in …
Thinking about the holiday shopping ahead? France is working through a vocabulary issue: what is considered essential shopping and what is non-essential? On the morning breakfast show, Télématin, Gabriel Atal, a government spokesperson, said it was unfortunate the government chose the legal form of the word, essential. In other words, deciding …
Bring France Home and Support Small Businesses
“We’re still here,” said Nathalie as she dusted the Paris dust off the shelves and products. Bring France Home is your Made in France shop on rue de Birague and online. Click on the categories at the bottom of their webpage to fill your shopping basket! The Eiffel Tower jewelry …
Making the annual pilgrimage to the Paris Home Show (Foire de Paris) is now mission accomplished. However, we are going back for more. Last year we made contact with the interior architects and chose the style for the new, smaller sofa bed (canapé lit) and chair. After numerous vacations and conferences we …
Quirky Paris Souvenir Ideas – Made in France
While wandering around BHV/Marais I noticed bits and pieces of hardware, wall paper and cleaning products made in France. Across the street at City Hall’s Paris Rendez-Vous boutique concept shop I found unusual souvenirs made in France. A while ago, I found Bring France Home near Place des Vosges that …
Suitcase? Check! Camera? Check! Walking shoes? Check! Reading material? Prepare in advance with some book ideas! Language? Brush up on that French grammar! Frantastique is my Wednesday exercise. Then when I go shopping or chat on the street, those proper verbs just slide right out … still studying though! Some …
Living in a small neighborhood of the Bastille, the hardest phrases to hear over the last year have been: “We’re closing and retiring” and “They have sold the shop for their retirement”: Holmes, the stationery store, and now à la Petite Fabrique, the chocolate factory. Holmes was transformed into an upscale …