Paris Holiday Shopping
If you are lucky enough to be doing your holiday shopping Paris, your loved ones back home are probably expecting something at the very least French, if not entirely Parisian. Pass up the Eiffel Tower statuettes and Mona Lisa mousepads and avoid the mad throngs at the megastores on the Champs Elysees for one of the following unique shopping experiences.
Maille has been producing vinegars and mustards for over 250 years. It's true that the company is now owned by a large corporation and that you can find its products in supermarkets throughout the country, but this doesn't mean that you should deny yourself the pleasure of a visit to the world's most elegant mustard shop on the place de la Madeleine. Spice up your Christmas ham with a little ceramic pot of the stuff, pumped to order in the store.
6, place de la Madeleine 75008
When you're finished with your mustard, wash out that cute little pot and bring it to
Les Abeilles in the 13th arrondissement to be filled with something sweet. Les Abeilles is devoted to all things honey - including the acacia or chestnut honey on tap - and is the only boutique in the Parisian region to carry beekeeping equipment. While the queen bee on your list may not be about to set up her own hive, she is sure to appreciate one of the speciality honeys such as lavender or almond, or one of the honey-based delicacies, like the seasonally appropriate honey gingerbread.
1 , rue de la Butte-aux-Cailles 75013
Keep their hands warm during marathon carolling sessions with a pair of gloves from the impossibly glamorous
Maison Fabre. The Fabre family has been making beautiful leather gloves since 1924 and recently opened its first Parisian boutique in the lovely Galerie de Valois near the Palais Royale.
128-129 Galerie de Valois - Jardins du Palais Royal 75001
If your recipients are more likely to hibernate during the cold weather, chose a gift to beautify their nest with beautiful, handmade housewares and decorative objects from
Le petit atelier de paris in the Marais. This studio within a boutique was opened by two designers in 2005 to sell the clean, modern yet whimsical items designed and produced in the studio.
31, Rue Montmorency 75003
To ensure that your gifts are holy as well as handmade, try
Artisanat Monastique. Located in a convent near Denfert-Rochereau, this store is one of eight in France that offers products made in over 250 monasteries throughout the country. The goodies include chocolates, cookies, liquors, candles, soaps, lace and woolen shawls. With proper notice they'll even monogram your bed linens.
68bis Avenue Denfert Rochereau 75014
When all else fails, look at the renowned Parisian taxidermist,
Deyrolle. It's a pretty safe bet that yours will be the only stuffed leopard under the tree this year. For giftees whose tastes run more towards the living, the antique biological teaching posters make lovely decorative gifts - just make sure you steer clear of the ones featuring the human digestive system.
46 rue de Bac 75007