A Day of Shopping and Eating in Paris. Does It Get Any Better?

After my day of totally being a grown-up (going to a photography exhibit and the opera) I was excited to meet up with my Paris friend and shopping buddy for a day of frivolity.  Although she lives a 30 minute walk away from me, the 52 bus goes right by both our apartments, and that is where we met Wednesday morning.  She texted me as the bus approached my stop, and I hopped on sat down next to her at the back of the bus.  You know- where all the trouble-makers sit.  From my apartment, the 52 heads down Rue Fauberg Saint Honore, right toward all the fancy shops where we love to browse but never buy.  Like Hermes, for instance, where we got off the bus.  Of course I wanted to check out the windows, which were done in fabulous spring colors, with luxurious swaths of fabric draped around interesting paintings of animals.  The glare on the windows was bad, but here is what I got for you.

J’adore l’orange!

Wow. Do they even make a Birkin bigger than this one?

I wish I had gotten more pics, despite the glare.  If I can take more today I will do it.  Because I love you guys.  And you deserve more Hermes.

We were both very excited about our lunch destination, which was a tiny hamburger spot near Palais Royale.  It is called Blend and caused quite the media buzz when it opened a year ago.  Good burgers are hard to find in these parts, and those of us who were raised on good burgers really grieve the void.  Blend is just what Paris needs- a good burger at a reasonable price with a place to sit down and eat it.

The buns are made on site and were a slightly sweet brioche.  The burger was very juicy and just the right size for my taste.  The fries (regular and sweet potato) were perfectly salted and delicious.  The burger, fries, and a soft drink rang in at 14 euros (about $17).  Obviously, Blend has lots of fans, because the line was out the door (in the rain) when we left.  Here is a nice blog post written about Blend when it first opened, if you want to hear more about burger love in Paris.

Fortified, we were ready to head back out into the rain and to our favorite dish shop in Paris, Astier de Villatte.  I am sure I have rhapsodized  about this little treasure trove before, but in case you missed it, here is a taste of what it looks like.

These dishes are hand-made in Paris of black clay covered in a white glaze.  Many of the finishes have a rough, uneven look that I love.  Here is the little treasure I brought home on Wednesday.

If you would like to see more photos and information about this wonderful store, go here.

From here we went to a very interesting exhibit on the history of fashion at the Musee des Arts Decoratifs, which is part of the Louvre.  The exhibit was composed of an impressive collection of women’s  and men’s clothing from Europe, dating from 1700 to 1915, and was beautifully curated by the  Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

That evening Mark and I ate at a wonderful restaurant in Saint-Germain called Semilla.  It was cozy without feeling cramped, and our food was delicious.

Easy to miss on the street!

I loved watching this shining kitchen in action.

looking away from the kitchen, toward the front door, over shiny bald head

exposed pipes on the ceiling

Delicious fish fillet on crispy vegetables with the glorious egg on top!

I should have taken a picture of the gorgeous grilled mushrooms with sesame oil that I had for my starter.  Next time.

All in all, not a bad day in Paris, my friends.