Shop Till You Drop In Paris

Good news! I have more great Parisian hot spots yet for the readers of Paris-Eiffel-Tower-News.com. Read on, I believe you won't be disappointed.
Free concerts in an awesome setting!

Free music anyone? While in Paris you can attend free concerts twice a week at Saint-Merri Church in downtown rue Saint-Martin. This church dates back to 1550. Its architecture has been inspired by Notre-Dame's, and in fact it is known as 'Notre-Dame la petite' (the little Notre-Dame). It is chock-a-block with impressive stained-glass windows, frescos, bas-reliefs, sculptures, tapestries and paintings, not to mention its beautiful musical center-piece, an awesome organ with a long and distinguished history.

Concerts last around an hour and start on Saturdays at 9:00 pm and on Sundays at 4:00 pm. Although the musical genre is predominately classical, they do play jazz from time to time, and even rarer kinds of music: classical Indian, Chinese, Armenian, and medieval music. Donations are appreciated but entirely at your discretion.

On the first and third Sundays of every month the Church offers a guided visit of the building after the concert.

The Saint-Merri Church is situated at 78 rue Saint-Martin, 75004 Paris. The phone number is: 33 (0)1 4271 9393. The two closest metro stations are: Hotel de Ville (take exit Rue du Renard); and Chatelet (take exit Place Sainte Opportune).
Wine tasting at Galerie Vivienne

If you like your wine, you won’t want to miss this French 1950s-style period wine shop. With its wood paneling and charming window displays, it opens up onto the Galerie Vivienne, one of the most stunning indoor arcades in Paris. There lie the wine cellars of 'Legrand filles et fils' (Legrand daughters & sons), some of the most highly reputed in Paris.

These cellars have been lovingly and expertly stocked by three generations of the Legrand family ever since the end of the World War I. Sadly enough, these cellars are not open to the general public. The shop offers however a warm family atmosphere.

Wine prices range from 5 to 10,000 euros a bottle, with a wide selection in the 5-15 euros price bracket. You won’t go hungry either, as the shop also carries a range of delicacies to bring out the flavor of the wine.

Worthy of note, the shop offers wine tasting and lessons! For 60 euros you can attend an introductory wine tasting session every Monday from 8 to 10 pm. Seating is limited, so book beforehand by phone or by e-mail.

The shop also features a wine tasting corner, open from 12:00 noon to 6:00 pm, where you can choose a wine and get a plate of accompanying delicacies specially selected to bring out the taste of your wine. The cost is 5.25 euros a glass and 15-30 euros a plate. You can also order desserts.

The shop has two entrances: No. 1 Rue de la Banque, and No. 12 Galerie Vivienne, 75002 Paris. For wine tasting reservations, call: 33 (0)1 4260 0712 or email: info[at]caves-legrand.com.
Monastica – craftsmanship steeped in tradition

This is a fantastic place where you can get your hands on authentic French handmade products, crafts and souvenirs steeped in tradition –- and do a good deed at the same time. If you wander at the tip of the St Louis Island, you'll discover on Rue du Pont Louis-Philippe a boutique called Monastica, owned and run by the nuns of "Les Fraternités de Jérusalem" (The Brotherhoods of Jerusalem), a religious order originally founded in 1975 at the Church Saint Gervais in Paris, which has now spread out internationally.

Most products sold by the shop are made by the Order, the rest by lay craftsmen, but all profits go to the Order. Their products are typically French: stoneware crockery, jams, biscuits, chocolate, marzipan, Provence honey, perfumes, hygiene and beauty products, fine Catalan house linen, statues, decorations, etc. Their Catalan linen is particularly valued, and they have an incredibly wide array of soaps.

You can lay your hands on country jams for around € 5, essential oils from € 4 to € 8, post cards for € 0.80, soaps for € 2.75. Prices are very moderate.

Should you want to buy gifts, your purchases can be beautifully gift-wrapped. The nuns speak English too.

Once again, the address is 11, rue du Pont Louis-Philippe, 75004 Paris. You can reach them at: 33 (0)1 4887 8513 and 33 (0)8 7455 6685.
Don't miss my next issue of Paris-Eiffel-Tower-News newsletter, with yet more discoveries of hot spots, shopping gems and the best in authentic Parisian eateries.

After many years spent in Paris, Phil Chavanne knows the city in and out and gives English-speaking travelers scores of advices and information bits on how best to visit the French capital at Paris-Eiffel-Tower-News.