Best of: Miscellaneous and Hidden Favorites

This is a random, not-very-well-thought-out list of all my favorites that I couldn't fit anywhere else (and are often a bit off the beaten track). Anyone up for a Paris scavenger hunt?

1. Deyrolles – I am little obsessed with this store. Don’t ask me why. Maybe I just like getting in touch with my inner science geek (who knew I had one?). This taxidermy store on Rue du Bac dates back to the 1900s, and the interior reflects that Belle Époque sensibility. Sadly, many of their best pieces got cleared out a few months back, but they should fill up again. Note to animal lovers: most of the animals used are from zoos, and all died of disease or old age.

Dinner, anyone?

Papillons

2. Shakespeare & Co. – The original, and the best, English bookstore in Paris, host of many illustrious writers and set of the opening scene of one of my all-time favorite movies, Before Sunset. For me, this shop is defined by its countless personal touches. The perfect place to get lost in for an hour (or two, or six).

The pilgrim has arrived!

Shakespeare and Company

Translation: “We need places like this to remind ourselves
to what extent Paris is a city of art and of openness.”

3. Markets – There is no Paris experience I love quite so much as walking through a street market. My absolute favorite markets are the Raspail marché biologique, every Sunday on Blvd Raspail in the 6^th arrondissement, and the Saturday Edgar Quinnet market, on Rue Edgar Quinnet in the 14th. Give yourself time to wander through, ogle the food products, buy a scarf or two, and try some of the free samples. I always exit feeling like time temporarily stopped.

Halloween at the market!

4. Rue Île Saint-Louis – The main—well, only—road on the second island in Paris, right past Île de la Cité, is lined with restaurants, boutiques, and food places. There are very few cars, and if you feel like you slipped into a far older section of Paris, you have. Don’t miss Berthillon, the best ice cream place in Paris!

5. The Marais – Possibly my favorite section of Paris (so many to choose from!), the Marais is a collection of old, cobblestone streets and beautiful historic buildings. The entire neighborhood is packed with restaurants, shops, and art galleries. It is also home of Rue des Rosiers, the most famous Jewish section of Paris, and has a growing young gay population and nightlife.

Garden of the Carnavalet Museum
in the Marais

6. Père Lachaise – The largest and most famous cemetery in Paris, Père Lachaise in the 20^th arrondissement may seem a strange destination. But it’s reputed to be the most visited cemetery in the world. Admirers of Balzac, Chopin, Jim Morrison, Proust, Molière, Gertrude Stein, and Oscar Wilde flock here to wander through the cemetery’s twisty paths to find their gravesites. Always an experience, and a short metro ride from Belleville, Paris’ Chinatown.