-
Ultramod Mercerie (Buttons, Threads, Ribbons)
Thread your way back in time – the Mercerie – Silk Thread Ultramod – The Mercerie And Hat Shop A quest for silk embroidery thread leads me to a haberdashery on a narrow Paris street. The only name visible at this address behind the green façade is “Mercerie“. The mercerie on the rue de Choiseul sits a few doors north of the Passage Choiseul entrance along rue Saint-Augustin. Unlike the first chapter setting in Emile Zola’s novel, Thérèse Raquin, this display window lacks the dust and dinginess. The interior is lit with brilliant colors of the past and present. The roses are freshened weekly. Ultramod lacks the depressing spirit of Zola’s main character. If…
-
Inside Look at Paris Department Stores Tips and Visits
10% off all of the timeReceiving a 10% discount card at three of Paris’ department stores (grands magasins) is easy. Ask at the store about this discount. This discount is immediate and different from the value added tax refund. Only two limitations are attached: 1) the date on the card and 2) the red dot (point rouge). Visit the store’s customer service desk (information or accueil). This discount is separate from your duty free discount that you validate at the airport. Guided Tour Behind the Scenes at Printemps Haussmann Guided Heritage Tours – Galeries Lafayette Paris Haussmann The cards for Printemps and Galeries Lafayette are valid for one year (January to December). Le Bon…
-
La Samaritaine Department Store Facelift
The department store Samaritaine with its restaurant view over the Seine, Pont Neuf and the statue of Henri IV, closed June 2005. Its reopening is scheduled (maybe) for the end of 2013. Work is scheduled to begin at the end of 2011. As of June 29, 2010 it became a stronghold of occupation of the group CIP-IDF representing those in need of housing, the unemployed, theatrical artists and the needy. When the doors reopen, the Samaritaine of the “grand magasin” variety such as le Bon Marché, Les Galeries Lafayette, Le Printemps, founded in 1869 will exist no longer. The insides will be multi-purpose: grocery store, apartments, day care center, commerce…