With Love From Paris...Day Three

Zut alors! I almost forgot to conclude our Paris trip...so for those of you wondering, here's what we got up to on our final day. We had stayed in the north of the city on our first night due to work commitments, but for our second night were able to choose our own hotel. Keen to get a bargain, we didn't book anything until a few days before. Of course that risky strategy could have gone terribly wrong, but we were lucky enough to find a bargain at the Hotel Chateaubriand just off the Champs Elysee. 

 

We wanted to explore some more of the Marais district, having been last year and loved it. So we dragged ourselves away from our gorgeous hotel and, after a brief stop at the Trocadero fountains for an Eiffel Tower photo opportunity, hopped on the Metro to the east of the city. 

We tracked down a store that had been recommended to us by a friend - Merci on the Boulevard Beaumarchais. It's certainly one of the coolest department stores I've ever visited, filled with contemporary clothing and homewares, and a stationery range that almost made me weep with delight. It also has a cafe serving fresh salads and juices, and includes a wall entirely lined with books (cue more weeping). Always a sucker for good packaging, I spent more money on pretty notebooks than any sensible student ought to.

We spent a happy afternoon strolling around the streets and shops of the area, stopping for a delicious lunch in the sunshine opposite the Marche des Enfants Rouges, which was sadly shut that day. The streets eventually lead you to the Centre de Pomidou, a hotspot for cafes and vintage shops.

After a stroll along the river, it was sadly time to head back to our hotel, and to bid Paris a fond farewell.
Until next time, Paris mon amour! xxx