Eiffel Tower-shaped toothbrushes at Pylones
[This is a continuation of my Paris posts on our recent trip at the end of May]
The French word for the English verb ‘to remember’ is se souvenir, from which we get ‘souvenir’ with the meaning of something that is kept as a reminder of a place, person or event.
If your penchant is for French branded luxury goods (e.g. anything under the LVMH umbrella), Paris is where you will probably find the widest range. This would make for a very expensive souvenir, so for something more modest here are some suggestions.
PHOTOGRAPHS
Paris is a city with beautiful historic monuments in every arrondissement. There are museums, street markets, flowers stalls abound (see end of post) and of course, you can photograph every boulangerie and patisserie you come across. It would be easy to then make a digital or physical photobook with the photos.
HOUSEHOLD ITEMS
There are French brands where the items are still fabriqué en France. At home I have: tablecloths from Le Jacquard Francais, a Maestro pepper mill and electric wine saver from Peugeot, serving plates from Gien and an oyster knife from Opinel. I use a lot of Le Creuset and Staub cast iron pots but due to its weight I would not recommend you carry this home, as they are available for sale in most countries these days. Please note that some non-cast iron items will now be made outside France.
PYLONES
There used to be branches of Pylones in London but they no longer operate here. Their colourful items will brighten any dull day, and most are light enough to bring home even in hand luggage. They carry a nice line of Paris-themed household items. I bought a foldable umbrella and a cleaning cloth for my spectacles.
MARKETS
On Saturdays there is a bric-a-brac market around the Marché couvert des Enfants Rouges (39 rue de Bretagne, 75003 Paris), similar to the Portobello Market in London. We had a lovely wander looking at the stuff that people throw out. One man’s junk is another man’s vintage bargain.
Maybe you won’t buy anything from one of the many local street markets in Paris, but the small shops surrounding the markets are often interesting. Along the rue des Filles-du-Calvaire, 75003 Paris, we popped into Dejima Store (number 7) which has artisan goods made in Japan. Next door at number 5 I revisited my childhood at Paper Tigre, a store full of stationary. The Studio Arhoj pen pots and ceramic figurines were a bonus. For some reason, all Asian children love stationary and it follows them into their adulthood.
This is the conclusion of my Paris posts. The trip was memorable and un-stressful enough that I would consider another trip. Meanwhile, we have been visiting some National Trust houses here in England, there is a family weekend away to the Cotswolds/ Oxfordshire this weekend and a trip to Berlin mid-July. Here are some photos of flower shops we came across during our walks in Paris, as a thank you for reading thus far.
PS:
A few words about luxury brands. I was in my late teens when these brands came to my attention and I have had 40 years to think about this. I have put my thoughts at the end of this post so as not to interfere with what I wanted to write about shopping in Paris.
Thought Number 1: No one should ever dictate how you should spend your hard-earned money (or for many, your parents’ hard-earned money). Buy something you will really love and treasure forever. Never buy anything in vogue at the moment, as fashions change and you will not be able to keep up with latest trends. If you need to buy one luxury fashion item, then make it the ‘house design’ i.e. the easily recognisable and never-out-of-date handbag/ pair of shoes/ classic suit.
Thought Number 2: Never buy an imitation of a luxury item. This is different to, say, a different brand of cast iron casserole pot than Le Creuset. There exists such pots which look very similar to the classic LC pot, but I doubt very much it will function as well or last as long. Any item you buy (I am using a handbag as an example here) is in some way an extension of yourself. When you buy an imitation handbag, you are effectively saying that the glamorous life you present is a sham. I apologise that there is no kinder way of saying this.
The other reason why you should never buy a copy of a luxury item is this: there are times when we will want to share a fundamental truth with someone we value and love. We might, for example, say to our children that it is bad to gamble, tell lies, cheat, steal. If we are minded to share our faith, we might say that we truly believe that as sinful humans we need a bridge between us and a holy God. How can people believe that what we say is the truth and not something passing off as the truth, if we buy fake goods to pass off as the genuine article?
Thought Number 3: If you are fortunate enough to have a luxury item that gets damaged, have the sense to let it go and not look back. My first very expensive handbag was from Gucci and I used it a lot in my first term at university. That Christmas, I made a shopping trip to Harrods to buy a Christmas tree and some decorations. Foolishly, I took a very crowded tube back to my halls of residence. With my hands full, I was targeted by a thief who made a long and clean cut with a penknife through one side of my bag and stole my Fendi purse. The purse was later returned by a kind stranger, devoid of cash. The Gucci bag went into the bin and I have never (really, never) bought another luxury handbag.