PARIS - France 2014 - page 206

lick some windows are: Place de la Madeleine to Place de l'Opéra, Sèvres-Babylone to St.
Sulpice, the Marais, and Rue des Martyrs. Most places are closed on Sunday.
Place de la Madeleine to Place de l'Opéra
The ritzy streets connecting several high-priced squares—Place de la Madeleine, Place de
la Concorde, Place Vendôme, and Place de l'Opéra—form a miracle mile of gourmet food
shops, glittering jewelry stores, four-star hotels, exclusive clothing boutiques, and people
who spend more on clothes in one day than I do all year.
Start at Place de la Madeleine (Mo: Madeline). In the northeast corner at #24 is the
black-and-white awning of Fauchon. Founded on this location in 1886, this bastion of
over-the-top edibles became famous around the world, catering to the refined tastes of the
rich and famous. In the northwest corner of the square, at #21, is Hédiard. Its small red
containers—of mustards, jams, coffee, candies, and tea—make great souvenirs.
Step inside tiny La Maison des Truffe (#19) to get a whiff of the product—truffles,
those prized edible mushrooms. Ponder how something so ugly, smelly, and deformed can
cost so much. The venerable Mariage Frères (#17) shop demonstrates how good tea can
smell and how beautifully it can be displayed. At Caviar Kaspia (#16) you can add Irani-
an caviar, eel, and vodka to your truffle collection.
Continue along, past Marquise de Sévígné chocolates (#11) and the sparkling Bac-
carat crystal (also #11) to the intersection with Boulevard Malesherbes. When the street
officially opened in 1863, it ushered in the Golden Age of this neighborhood. Cross
the three crosswalks traversing Boulevard Malesherbes. Straight ahead is Patrick Roger
Chocolates (#3), famous for its chocolates, and even more so for M. Roger's huge, whim-
sical, 150-pound chocolate sculptures of animals and fanciful creatures.
Turn right down broad Rue Royale. There's Ralph Lauren, Chanel, and Gucci. At
RueSt.Honoré,turnleftandcrossRueRoyale,pausinginthemiddleforagreatviewboth
ways. Check out Ladurée (#16) for an out-of-this-world pastry break in the busy 19th-
century tea salon, or to just pick up some world-famous macarons.
Continue east for three long blocks down Rue St. Honoré. The street is a parade of
chic boutiques—L'Oréal cosmetics, Jimmy Choo shoes, and Hugo Boss. Turn left on Rue
de Castiglione to reach Place Vendôme. This octagonal square is très elegant—enclosed
by symmetrical Mansart buildings around a 150-foot column. On the left side is the ori-
ginal Hôtel Ritz, opened in 1898. The square is also known for its upper-crust jewelry
stores—Van Cleef & Arpels, Dior, Chanel, Cartier, and others.
Leave Place Vendôme by continuing straight, up Rue de la Paix —strolling by still
more jewelry, high-priced watches, and crystal—and enter Place de l'Opéra . Here you'll
findtheOpéraGarnierandtheFragonardPerfumeMuseum.Ifyou'renotshoppedoutyet,