PARISIAN DELIGHTS

If you are in Paris then you should follow my guide and see the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame and the Arc de Triomphe and I couldn't recommend the Marais enough nor my favourite picnic spot at Sacre Coeur (all mentioned in my last blog post), but it's the quirky off the beaten track treasures that make exploring a city all the more exciting.

When I am lucky enough to visit 'gay Paris' - which is not often enough - I make sure I head to Deyrolle, an intriguing shop that isn't mentioned in the tourist guides. Since 1831 Deyrolle has been the home of taxidermy, entomology and cabinets of curiosities.  From the entrance on the street the shop presents gorgeous gardening/botanical books, one can buy beautifully made gardening equipment and a few carefully selected pieces of furniture but this is nothing compared to the surprise that is awaiting you at the top of the spiral staircase.

There is nothing macabre or sinister about the animals that are on display here, there is a scientific beauty and it is all displayed to enchant the viewer. It's a shop like no other I have been in, its main attraction never changes and yet I am drawn back whenever I am in the city just to absorb the beauty and the wonder that it has on offer.

Across the river and another great shop to visit is E. Dehillerin, whether you are a foodie or not this shop is exciting to explore. From the tiniest to the biggest and all that's inbetween they have every cooking implement in every size all beautifully displayed in individual compartments.

It is a warren of narrow corridors, lined with towering wooden cabinets containing a multitude of culinary tools that you didn't even know you needed but simply just have to have. This shop is an education.

And on this visit I found a new favourite, Fleux, a wonderfully eclectic shop selling quirky designs for the home. I loved these brown paper lampshades, slightly over budget pour moi - €109 - but the kind of shop where I would love to sell our own products. 

These are three of our favourite Parisian delights and Paris has so many beautiful brocantes and boutiques to please your eye. As always we would love to hear your comments on any other places to visit that aren't in the guide book...