PARIS
After a disappointing Lunch in the "great" Paris Bistro Brasserie Balzar we took a taxi and strolled around the arcades of Le Jardin du Palais-Royal the highlight of which was the fabulous new, very new Marc Jacobs Boutique - did you know that he is also creative director for Louis Vuitton? Next stop, Colette, the very crowded hip Parisian boutique in Rue St-Honore where style, fashion, design, art and food reign supreme. Our favorite item was the exclusive handbag by Anya Hindmarch called The Bespoke Ebury, which is custom made, embossed inside is a secret personalized message in your own handwriting, as well as, the owner's name and a unique number, the waiting list is three months! Next stop, we stumbled upon a fashion shoot: "A lady in white with a whip listens to her lover's plea. " The 17th century buildings are the backdrop for this fantasy fashion shoot in Place Vendome which is mostly famous for its jewelers or "les Diamantaires". This unique address is among the world's most prestigious and is also the home to The Ritz Hotel where we were bound for tea in The Bar Vendome. This was just what we needed to warm us up from the Siberian weather. It was so cozy to sit in the red velvet armchairs, look out onto the garden and try and imagine what the other guests, in very causal attire, did or came from, that it was difficult to move on from the comfort and the elegance and go out again. We took the indoor passageway to the rue Cambon, the "short cut", that for thirty years was the route that Coco Chanel took everyday on her way home to the Ritz, but, unfortunately now the entrance is closed. So out into the cold again and the long way round until we finally arrived, frozen, at the original Chanel boutique at 31 rue Cambon. This was the second disappointment of the day as sadly the decor is exactly like London, New York and Milan and the only tell tale sign that we are in Paris is the wrought iron staircase. Please note that - I hate global shopping, as there is nothing new to discover!