| Good news! I have more great Parisian hot spots | | | | women. Beauty products and foodstuffs are on |
| yet for the readers of Read on, I believe you | | | | the ground floor, along with many shops selling |
| won't be disappointed. | | | | indoor and outdoor house accessories and a host |
| Monastica - craftsmanship steeped in tradition | | | | of other things: old style photos albums with |
| This is a fantastic place where you can get your | | | | pictures of Paris, pillows with your own black and |
| hands on authentic French handmade products, | | | | white photo printed on them, dinner sets, wine |
| crafts and souvenirs steeped in tradition -- and do | | | | bottle boxes, lights, linens, art, etc. You can also |
| a good deed at the same time. If you wander at | | | | shop for gorgeous rustic pieces of heavy wooden |
| the tip of the St Louis Island, you'll discover on | | | | furniture and wrought-iron (and typically Parisian) |
| Rue du Pont Louis-Philippe a boutique called | | | | benches. These items are of course unlikely to fit |
| Monastica, owned and run by the nuns of "Les | | | | into your suitcase, but they are rather nice to |
| Fraternités de Jérusalem" (The | | | | look at anyways. |
| Brotherhoods of Jerusalem), a religious order | | | | Prices are all over the place, but there's plenty of |
| originally founded in 1975 at the Church Saint | | | | affordable stuff for bargain hunters. |
| Gervais in Paris, which has now spread out | | | | Le Grand Comptoir is located at 116 rue du Bac, |
| internationally. | | | | 75007 Paris, and can be accessed from the |
| Most products sold by the shop are made by the | | | | 'Sevres-Babylone' metro station. Their phone |
| Order, the rest by lay craftsmen, but all profits | | | | number is: 33 (0)1 4049 0095. |
| go to the Order. Their products are typically | | | | Free concerts in an awesome setting! |
| French: stoneware crockery, jams, biscuits, | | | | Free music anyone? While in Paris you can attend |
| chocolate, marzipan, Provence honey, perfumes, | | | | free concerts twice a week at Saint-Merri Church |
| hygiene and beauty products, fine Catalan house | | | | in downtown rue Saint-Martin. This church dates |
| linen, statues, decorations, etc. Their Catalan linen | | | | back to 1550. Its architecture has been inspired |
| is particularly valued, and they have an incredibly | | | | by Notre-Dame's, and in fact it is known as |
| wide array of soaps. | | | | 'Notre-Dame la petite' (the little Notre-Dame). It is |
| You can lay your hands on country jams for | | | | chock-a-block with impressive stained-glass |
| around € 5, essential oils from | | | | windows, frescos, bas-reliefs, sculptures, |
| € 4 to € 8, post cards for | | | | tapestries and paintings, not to mention its |
| € 0.80, soaps for € 2.75. Prices | | | | beautiful musical center-piece, an awesome organ |
| are very moderate. | | | | with a long and distinguished history. |
| Should you want to buy gifts, your purchases can | | | | Concerts last around an hour and start on |
| be beautifully gift-wrapped. The nuns speak English | | | | Saturdays at 9:00 pm and on Sundays at 4:00 |
| too. | | | | pm. Although the musical genre is predominately |
| Once again, the address is 11, rue du Pont | | | | classical, they do play jazz from time to time, and |
| Louis-Philippe, 75004 Paris. You can reach them at: | | | | even rarer kinds of music: classical Indian, Chinese, |
| 33 (0)1 4887 8513 and 33 (0)8 7455 6685. | | | | Armenian, and medieval music. Donations are |
| Loose yourself at Le Grand Comptoir | | | | appreciated but entirely at your discretion. |
| If you find yourself in the 7th district, take some | | | | On the first and third Sundays of every month |
| time to stop by 116 Rue du Bac and check out | | | | the Church offers a guided visit of the building |
| the Grand Comptoir (the Big Counter), a luminous | | | | after the concert. |
| and refined shopping place filled with a motley of | | | | The Saint-Merri Church is situated at 78 rue |
| weird and wonderful Parisian items. | | | | Saint-Martin, 75004 Paris. The phone number is: 33 |
| The entrance courtyard is lined with a variety of | | | | (0)1 4271 9393. The two closest metro stations |
| cow pictures in tribute to "Vach'art", the French | | | | are: Hotel de Ville (take exit Rue du Renard); and |
| version of CowParade, a movement that started | | | | Chatelet (take exit Place Sainte Opportune). |
| in Zurich in 1998 and now spans the entire globe | | | | Don't miss my next issue of |
| (and for cow fans, you'll find some miniatures for | | | | Paris-Eiffel-Tower-News newsletter, with yet |
| sale inside). | | | | more discoveries of hot spots, shopping gems |
| The top level of the Grand Comptoir offers a full | | | | and the best in authentic Parisian eateries. |
| array of ready-to-wear clothes for men and | | | | |