My sister-in-law appreciates the finer things in life as much as I do, so of course I had to take her across the river to Saint Germain. We had a great time peering in shop windows and occasionally even going inside the stores for a closer look. I even took her to the discount pharmacy, where I warned her that she had to push, search, and purchase as quickly as possible. She had done her homework and read up on French beauty products to try, so we were in and out before any homicidal tendencies bubbled to the surface. Fortunately it’s still cool here, so the inside temperature wasn’t 85 degrees, as it can get in there during the summer.
The morning was gorgeous.
I showed her my favorite bus stop.
We made our way to the Luxembourg Gardens and ate leftover sandwiches in the sunshine.
The beekeepers were busy harvesting honey from the bee boxes.
Next I showed her a design wonder of the Left Bank. This Hermes store, opened at 17 rue de Sevres in November of 2011, completely blows me away. The entrance is a discreet doorway into what appears to be a handsome apartment building. When inside the space opens up into an old swimming pool from 1935. The old mosaic tile and wrought iron has been preserved, and large contemporary structures made of ash add style and warmth to what was potentially a cold, vast space.
My pictures do not do it justice, but this article describes the design and has great photographs.
I took her to the Bon Marche and the little park that sits just in front of it.
Of course, the afternoon would not have been complete without a flower cone from Amarino gelato.
Tired, happy, and carrying large plastic bottles of make-up remover from the pharmacy, we boarded our bus and went back home.
Mais Oui Paris 