Paris Plans
As a follow up to my Paris accommodation article that gave three simple steps to the perfect night in Paris, here are three simple steps to enjoying the perfect day in the capital of Love.
First stop and probably the most exciting is ‘La Maison du Chocolat’, doted around in various locations around Paris. This boutique was established in 1977 by master chocolatier Robert Linxe. He now has departments in New York, London and Tokyo, but Paris remains to be the mothership for his chocolate wonderland. The so called ‘mothership’ is accessible via the ‘Charles de Gaulles Etoile’ meto stop. More than just a chocolate shop, ‘La Maison du Chocolat’ offers the widest range of chocolate in all shapes and sizes; flavours vary from classic caramel to Mirabelle plum liquor. Linxe recommends that the best way to enjoy his beautiful creations is to cut the chocolate in half and let every piece melt slowly in your mouth, which means stopping yourself from shamelessly eating it all in one go; a very hard task I must say!
The next stop for the perfect day is the Saxe-Breteuil market, situated by the Eiffel Tower, Segur metro. This market which lies in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower, on a typical picturesque boulevard, is open every Saturday and Thursday morning and is deemed to be the best and most certainly most beautiful market in Paris. The market traders come from all over France, showing off their specialized produce; flowers, fish, meat, dairy products and crafts. The market has a unique buzz about it and is full of locals and banter between the stall owners and shoppers. It is the only place in Paris where you can find the freshest produce from almost every major region in the country. The market is bigger on Saturdays so make sure to keep this day free.
The third and final step to completing your perfect day in Paris is the cinema! You’re probably thinking that going to the cinema in Paris is a waste of valuable ‘culture time’! However, I am not suggesting that you go to any multi-screen cinema in the local shopping centre; ‘La Pagode’ is one of the best kept cultural secrets of Paris. Built at the beginning of the century by the owner of the French department store ‘Bon March’ for his wife, with the original purpose of being a ball room, this original Japanese building was converted into a cinema in the thirties when the couple suddenly divorced. The building has seen a variety of problems and changes but when the cinema was threatened to be turned into a restaurant in the nineties, the Ministry of Culture decided to list the building to ensure that it always stays a cinema. Nowadays the cinema is a real cult gem in the world of film. It only shows ‘classy films’ such as foreign, cult and independently released motions. It is also common for the cinema to hold venue to retrospectives for big-time directors such as Woody Allen and Alfred Hitchcock. The building is set in a residential area of Paris surrounded by Paris accommodation, Paris apartment, set away from the hustle and bustle of the city and all the Paris hotels, and is surrounded by beautiful gardens that are open for your delight. The interior and exterior architecture will keep you occupies as you relax on the comfy recliners, waiting for the film to start.