The Paris Traveler

 
 Le Bon Marché, considered the world’s first department store, offering “the good market” or “the good deal” was founded in 1838 by Aristide Boucicaut.  It is touted as the first “space” dedicated specifically to shopping and was the first to incorporate iron work (thanks to Gustave Eiffel) to create an open space while using less masonry.   Today, it offers few “good deals” as it is filled with beautiful haute couture clothing lines and accessories that will make your credit card statement wince in pain when you get back from your trip.  But it is four floors of pure indulgence …read more

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The title sounds like some big heavy weight fight being held in some casino in Las Vegas, but really it is a much gentler battle between–notebooks!  Back to school shopping is a big deal in our house.  We all love buying new pens, pencils, folders and notebooks.  A new semester starting this past week meant new classes and gear for those courses.  Going back-to-school shopping in France was an experience us office supply geeks were clearly made for. The French take the organization of their words very seriously and you can find hundreds of stores devoted to all manner of pens, …read more

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I recently sent one of my poems (not this one) to be included in the Jack Kerouac exhibit that will be taking place on the 23rd of September in Paris at the Cabaret Pirate in front of the BNF (Bibliothèque Nationale de France), which got me to thinking….  How could I have not seen that my poem, This Is Paris To Me, fits in perfectly with my blog! 
                                                                                     THIS IS PARIS TO ME
Cobble stone streets; and chic cafés.
Strolling down the Champs Elysées.
Going into the Madeleine,
or riding the Bateaux Mouches on the Seine.
That is what you must do and see,
but this …read more

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The Travel Channel at b5media has another theme day. Our mission:  write your best article on, or about, the best of something.  Well when you’re talking about Paris, trying to pick the best of anything is like asking a parent, “Which child do you love best?”
Impossible to answer, right?! As any well-adjusted parent will tell you, they “love all their children equally.” If push comes to shove, they might say one is better at sports, while another is better at music, but all in all, their children (in their eyes) are the greatest!  Who’s to argue?!
Well this assignment is very similar. Can you …read more

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As everyone knows, Paris is the center of the gastronomic world, but not just for its wonderful restaurants, top culinary schools, or open air markets, but also for some of the best food emporiums you can find. Many of these places cannot be categorized simply as a grocery store or a bakery; food museums come to mind as a more accurate term for what can only be described as a gourmet’s paradise!
Here’s a list, in no particular order, of some of the best places to shop for groceries or desserts while in Paris. It’s a feast for the eyes as …read more

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