Authentic Parisian Experiences

In this issue I have yet more Parisian shopping bargains and discoveries in store for the readers of paris-eiffel-tower-news.com: fine crystal and some wine-tasting sessions from one of the most reputed Parisian wine cellars, and more!

Wine tasting at Galerie Vivienne

If you like your wine, you won’t want to miss this French 1950s-style period wine shop. With its wood paneling and charming window displays, it opens up onto the Galerie Vivienne, one of the most stunning indoor arcades in Paris. There lie the wine cellars of 'Legrand filles et fils' (Legrand daughters & sons), some of the most highly reputed in Paris.

These cellars have been lovingly and expertly stocked by three generations of the Legrand family ever since the end of the World War I. Sadly enough, these cellars are not open to the general public. The shop offers however a warm family atmosphere.

Wine prices range from 5 to 10,000 euros a bottle, with a wide selection in the 5-15 euros price bracket. You won’t go hungry either, as the shop also carries a range of delicacies to bring out the flavor of the wine.

Worthy of note, the shop offers wine tasting and lessons! For 60 euros you can attend an introductory wine tasting session every Monday from 8 to 10 pm. Seating is limited, so book beforehand by phone or by e-mail.

The shop also features a wine tasting corner, open from 12:00 noon to 6:00 pm, where you can choose a wine and get a plate of accompanying delicacies specially selected to bring out the taste of your wine. The cost is 5.25 euros a glass and 15-30 euros a plate. You can also order desserts.

The shop has two entrances: No. 1 Rue de la Banque, and No. 12 Galerie Vivienne, 75002 Paris. For wine tasting reservations, call: 33 (0)1 4260 0712 or email: info[at]caves-legrand.com.

Monastica – craftsmanship steeped in tradition

This is a fantastic place where you can get your hands on authentic French handmade products, crafts and souvenirs steeped in tradition –- and do a good deed at the same time. If you wander at the tip of the St Louis Island, you'll discover on Rue du Pont Louis-Philippe a boutique called Monastica, owned and run by the nuns of "Les Fraternités de Jérusalem" (The Brotherhoods of Jerusalem), a religious order originally founded in 1975 at the Church Saint Gervais in Paris, which has now spread out internationally.

Most products sold by the shop are made by the Order, the rest by lay craftsmen, but all profits go to the Order. Their products are typically French: stoneware crockery, jams, biscuits, chocolate, marzipan, Provence honey, perfumes, hygiene and beauty products, fine Catalan house linen, statues, decorations, etc. Their Catalan linen is particularly valued, and they have an incredibly wide array of soaps.

You can lay your hands on country jams for around € 5, essential oils from € 4 to € 8, post cards for € 0.80, soaps for € 2.75. Prices are very moderate.

Should you want to buy gifts, your purchases can be beautifully gift-wrapped. The nuns speak English too.

Once again, the address is 11, rue du Pont Louis-Philippe, 75004 Paris. You can reach them at: 33 (0)1 4887 8513 and 33 (0)8 7455 6685.

Rue de Paradis – A crystal paradise?

Another thing that will strike you as you visit Rue de Paradis will be the number of shops offering world-renowned Limoges porcelain, plates, and dinner sets, as well as fine crystal products, from glasses and wine decanters to chandeliers.

Crystal is a type of glass which contains a small percentage of lead to lend it more clarity and sparkle than ordinary glass. Crystal is usually cut to enhance its reflective qualities, making it a very pretty, highly valued (and more costly) type of glassware.

Most shops on Paradis street sell "Cristal de Baccarat", an expensive and prestigious brand of crystal with a long and distinguished history dating back to the early 1800s, and known for supplying royalty with its production.

Those of you who don’t want to fork out a load of money, there is a shop at No. 52 named 'Décor et Cristal' which carries a different type of crystal. Their source is from a factory in Eastern France, the 'Cristallerie des Vosges du Nord'. Although not Baccarat crystal, theirs is still high-quality, and--I was told by the sales assistant--even dishwasher safe!

Prices are great too: some models of crystal glasses retail at 6 euros a piece instead of the usual 30 euros. Products are offered at 20 to 60% discounts.

Décor et Cristal is located at No. 52 rue de Paradis, 75010 Paris. Their phone number is: 33 (0)1 4824 5733.

Don't miss my next issue of Paris-Eiffel-Tower-News newsletter, with yet more discoveries of hot spots, shopping gems and the best in authentic Parisian eateries.

Article Source: http://www.travelarticles.org

About the Author:
An experienced traveler and a long-term specialist of Paris, Phil Chavanne gives scores of very useful advices and tips on Paris, Paris hotels and restaurants at Paris-Eiffel-Tower-News.com, a free guide to the French capital.