Le Grand Magasin

Choosing between Montmartre on a cloudy day or a little shopping, I felt called to Opera to take a look inside Le Printemps.

The Opera House



On my way to Le Printemps, I spied Galeries Lafayette, a big department store on boulevard Haussman.




The building is beautiful. Stained glass dome with balconies on each level jutting out.


People were in a shopping frenzy. The ground floor of cosmetics and jewelry was filled with groups trying perfumes, make-up and jewels along with tourists (ahem) busily taking photographs of the dome. To my luck, I found the shoe department and the Mui Mui and Marc Jacobs shoes. Just looking, of course.

What is interesting about the layout of the store is that high end designer brands sit just a few feet away from lower level brands so one second you are looking at 35 euro sandals and then just across the aisle you will find a pair of the most gorgeously detailed nude Alaia flats for 535 euros. Another fun point of interest the floor entirely dedicated to Seduction. Lovely.

Galeries Lafayette was much to absorb and when I left it was sprinkling. Le Printemps will be saved for another day soon.