I’m often asked for shopping tips by those off to Paris, especially since many people know I spent about 35 years in the fashion industry. Where I like to explore isn’t the usual suspects such as St Germain des Pres or the big department stores (although I don’t ignore those). Instead, one of the first neighourhoods I head to for some fashion retail therapy is the 3rd arrondissement, the Haut (Upper) Marais.
If you’re heading to Paris this year, you’ll make the most of your stay by checking out well in advance what exhibitions will be on. The French are great exhibition goers, and if there’s something important at one of the many venues in the city, you can bet your life the locals will be there in droves. Add large numbers of visitors and it’s easy to see why whole weeks, if not an entire season, can be sold out before you even hit town.
We have often been asked about the best way to get out and about to explore Paris and all the many attractions in the vicinity suitable for a day’s excursion.
Paris has a terrific transport pass, a smart card called the Navigo Découverte—simply referred to as a “Navigo”—similar to London’s Oyster card, Sydney’s Opal or Hong Kong’s Octopus.
However, there are a couple of points of difference with these cards and a Navigo.
I dream of designing a magnificent vessel for Paris that symbolises France’s profound cultural vocation.
With these words, the famous architect, Frank Gehry, creator of Bilbao’s Guggenheim Museum (1997), gave his blessing to the opening in October 2014 of his masterpiece, the Fondation Louis Vuitton, Paris.
We were lucky enough to be in Paris that week and joined perhaps 10,000 others for its first open weekend.
Those who think of Paris as simply a collection of historic monuments, or a city with food and fashion around every corner, are in danger of missing the many fabulous exhibitions that are held at various times of the year.
This is a city filled with major museums and galleries that you must return to time and time again.
