Affordable shopping in Paris
MANILA, Philippines - Paris offers many things beyond the labels on rue Saint Honoré, Boulevard Champs Elysée, Avenue Montagne or even Galleries Lafayette. There are many owner/designer-manned boutiques where shoppers find things that are unique, artsy, and in good taste.
Merci, a two-story building on rue Beaumarchais, is an interesting mix of well-curated products, from furniture and home décor to stationery, men’s and women’s clothing. It also has a bookstore and coffee shop. Every item for sale is a useful conversation piece.
In the Latin Quarters Pays de Poche sells artisanal items done by the owner, Emilio Lamaison’s artist friends — bracelets, necklaces, earrings ceramic plates, wall décor. He sources them from all over Europe.
Habsa, an attractive lady from Senegal, has just launched her brand of silver jewelry, called Sawtay, Paris on rue Dragon. She has been to Cebu and stayed there for three weeks, so she was delighted to be visited by someone from the Philippines.
Bocoray, owned by Bogie Caoili, a Pinoy we can truly be proud of, is a boutique that carries fragrances and beautiful Orientalia for his French customers.
Passages are 18th century private roads which have been turned into locations for restaurants, art galleries and boutiques. It is said that these roads were covered with a roof, so that the ladies can shop without getting wet. The passage on rue de Petit Champs is the longest passage (190 meters).
While the Epicerie de Bon Marché is a fabulous food experience, there are many marchés (outdoor markets) in Paris that give one a feel of what locals do. The Marché d’Aligre, which is open daily except Mondays, attracts hundreds of people who shop for vegetables, fruits, and flowers. The display of in-season produce is a feast for the eyes and the palate. At about noontime, the prices of the produce go down! Since the market closes at 1p.m., the stall owners want to get rid of what is left of their inventory. Roast pig, roast chicken, fresh meat and seafood, aside from cheese, butter, paté, are available inside the old market building. Aligre also has a flea market, where one can buy scarves and hats, plates, silverware, old books.
The market on Place Maubert (open on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays) is also quite complete in its offerings. The stalls carry honey, jam, nougat, duck confit, foie gras and nuts. Since this is not a permanent market, it is interesting to see that stalls are installed every evening and are cleaned up by 3 p.m. Rue Montorgueil, near Les Halles, is a street where one can purchase everything that he needs for a meal or a picnic, — fish or meat, vegetables, fruit, and wine — just by walking through it.
The flower market on rue de Fleurs is such a delight to smell and look at.
Shopping in Paris is an immersion into the French’s creative juices and genetic chic. One must really have a strong will power not to be tempted to buy.
