After the tea place, we walked to Rue de Buci, a street packed with gourmet specialty food shops. As if the sweet treats we just had were not enough, we were drawn to an Italian candy shop and bought some Italian candies. (I still keep the candy wraps cuz they’re too beautiful to discard!) As soon as we paid for our candies, a woman in the shop said to us,
“Are you from Canada?”
“Yes we are,” with a bit of surprise written all over our faces, “how…how do you know?”
“Well…yah, I just can tell,” that woman said.
It turned out that woman is from Canada as well. What an interesting incidence: three Canadians met in an Italian shop in Paris.
Among the shops down the street, we found a Taschen bookstore full of photography and art books. It’s rare to see a publisher opening their own bookstore that only carries their books. Maybe there are other bookstores like this, but at least I don’t see one in Vancouver. Specialty – that’s what we lack of in North America.
Our next stop: St. Germain des Prés. St. Germain des Prés is the oldest church in Paris. Like the fate of many other churches, the original St. Germain church was destroyed and rebuilt again in the 11th century. We sat down on the chairs inside the church, immersing ourselves in the peacefulness for a few moments. The church’s backyard has a statue by Picasso, which is a tribute to his friend, the poet Apollinaire. I’m not familiar with the poet, but it was a bonus for us to see a different kind of work from Picasso.
At the corner of Rue Jacob and Rue Bonaparte, there is a charming store Ladurée that sells macaroons. Macaroons are not my most favourite desserts, but they definitely have the colourful look that I’m always attracted to. “It is Paris anyways, and we are here!” I gave myself yet another excuse that I had to take some with me. I forgot how many macaroons I bought, but I’m sure I was so overwhelmed by the display and decoration inside the shop. I think I had a pink one, a brown, a green, and a purple…
The buildings around Rue des Beaux Arts and Rue Visconti are very classic, most of which are painted in white. There are several studios and galleries as well around the district. We found one in a lovely courtyard but was too shy to pay a visit. Many great artists had lived here before, including Manet and Picasso. We made our special homage to #5, rue Bonaparte, where Manet was born. I wondered who lives there now. Do they know that Manet was born under the same roof?
❋ Map: from City Walks Deck: Paris by Chronicle Books
【Paris, je t’aime】13. Arc de Triomphe
Take a romantic walk on Av. des Champs Élesées and get a French kiss at Arc de Triomphe. It’s the perfect way to end the night.