Day 7
Palais Garnier – Paris Opera
Being the last day, it should be a little different, because if until now we were running from place to place to see as much as we could, why not take the seventh day to enjoy the city, no rushes, no destination and no stress!
I propose to you a gastronomical or shopping day, as you wish (you can always do both)!
For the most consumerist, if your goal is to consume the luxury Paris has to offer (and what a luxury!), forget the Avenue Champs-Elysées, like I said before, and go to the Avenue Montaigne, or to the Faubourg St Honoré, and there you’ll find the highest concentration possible of glamour and elegance you ever saw, the art of well serving and meet the necessities of the clients is flawless. If you prefer closed spaces, and not the streets, you can also go to the Printemps, the Bon Marché or the Galeries La Fayette.
The gastronomic street Marché Montorgueil
For those seeking gastronomy, Paris is The city! From the boulangeries, pâtisseries, the famous cafés to the haute French cuisine restaurants. Forget those typical tourist places that nothing have to do with the true French gastronomy.
There are memorable spaces, the boulangeries/pâtisseries like Pierre Hermé,my God, enjoy the Ispahan croissant or the Désiré dessert, the first time I ate it I’m quite sure I even levitated, the Jacques Genin and its amazing chocolate (unfortunately it doesn’t produce daily its éclairs anymore, by far the best I ever ate, and that which is considered the best lemon tart in Paris is only made by order), the Hugo & Victor, Ladurée and its famous macaroons, the Un Dimanche à Paris with its heavenly hot chocolate and its excellent pastry works of art, the L’éclair de Genie (more recent and already with the fame of having the best éclairs in Paris, I tend to agree!) (see more), among many others.
The cafés are also a spotlight of the city of light, with their beautiful rooms and amazing terraces, and there are two considered as maximum exponent, the Café de Flore at Blvd St-Germain, open since the 20’s it served as meeting point for artists like Salvador Dalí and Albert Camus, also Jean Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir, it maintains the Art Décor decoration and is still an highlight of the city, frequented by filmmakers and French literati. Not less famous is that which for years competed with the Café de Flore, the Les Deux Magots also open since the 20’s and also frequented by personalities like Hemingway, Oscar Wilde or Picasso.
In terms of restaurants, I don’t even know what to tell you, the ideal is for you to read our articles about our gastronomical experiences in Paris. (see here)
La Grand Cascade (*Michelin)
No doubt these places I described are some of the mandatory spots in this wonderful city, however, they’re not he only ones, there is so much beauty, so much glamour and so much life in Paris that simply walking around the the streets and observing everything around us is enough to make those moments last forever.
So… You are completely ready to travel to Paris! Enjoy this amazing city, all the corners, all its light and all of its life!
Be happy, because its impossible not to be happy in this monumental city!
This article is the last one in a series of 7. (Day 1) (Day 2) (Day 3) (Day 4) (Day 5) (Day 6) (Paris Tips)
Text: Cíntia Oliveira | Photos: Flavors & Senses.