Skip to main content

Galerie Vivienne, Paris


  Paris, oh la la, Paris.  There is no place like it in the world; I feel so alive, so blissfully happy when I'm in Paris.  

While it's lovely when we have concrete plans for the day, like going to a museum, a gallery, or shopping for something specific, some of my favorite times in Paris are when we just wonder through the streets and make wonderful discoveries.  Years ago, after strolling through the beautiful Palais Royal gardens, we passed an ornate set of wrought iron doors, we ventured inside and found ourselves in one of those covered passages.  Once upon a time there were hundreds of these wonderful shopping arcades scattered throughout Paris, now only a couple of dozens remain.



Galerie Vivienne, the prettiest of all the passages, originally named Marchoux, was built in 1823.  The name was changed to Galerie Vivienne shortly after the passage opened in 1826.  This shopping arcade was very popular with the upper class since it afforded an opportunity of shopping away from the elements, and the filth that once covered the streets.  Most of these Parisian passages had a special room near the entrance where the shoes of the patrons were scraped clean of You Know What.  Gross.


Baron Haussmann's reconstructions of Paris have contributed to the decline of Galerie Vivienne.  Most of the high-end shops that once occupied this space began to move to Place de la Madeleine, and Champs Elysses, wide avenues with grand buildings.  This once very popular arcade was not able to compete in attracting shoppers.


After years of neglect, it was restored in the 1960's and in 1974 Galerie Vivienne was classified a historical monument.  In 1986 Jean-Paul Gaultier gave G.V. a breath of fresh air by choosing it as the location for his flagship store.  



One is almost transported in time when entering this beautiful passage.  The mosaic-tiled floors, the perfectly manicured potted plants, arched doorways, reliefs on the walls, columns, and wrought iron fixtures, create a very romantic and nostalgic mood.




The light that comes through the stunning glass roof, creates changing moods, depending on the weather and the time of day.  



Galerie Vivienne is home to a few clothing shops, a wonderful book store, toy shop, a cafe and a restaurant.


Catherine Andre is my personal favorite.  I have been buying her beautiful knit pieces for years and now have a wonderful collection of sweaters, dresses, and scarves.


Each shop is beautiful and befitting its location.




This bookstore is perfect for finding that rare edition, a contemporary book, or a beautiful postcard. The owner is super helpful and pleasant.





Galerie Vivienne can be entered on:
4 rue des Petits Champs
6 rue Vivienne
5 rue de la Banque

Open Monday - Saturday 8:30 - 8:30
closed Sunday

Joanna

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Bordier Butter - The Best Butter in France

France is in the midst of a butter shortage!  Due to a decrease in milk production and a substantial demand for French pastries all over the world (mainly China and the Middle East), the price of butter has increased by 60% in one year.  The French are stocking up and thus creating shortages.  French newspapers are publishing articles titled "A guide to cooking without butter".  So, with hopes that the shortages are temporary, here is my ode to the best butter in the world.  I'm not kidding.  The. Best. Butter. In. The. World. Mr. Bordier, a grandson and a son of cheese mongers, became a butter artisan in 1985.  He acquired a creamery originally founded in 1927.  The supreme taste of the Bordier butter was first recognized by a chef from the Plaza Athenee while vacationing in Brittany, a beautiful region in northwestern France. Bordier is the lone butter master to still use the old method of kneading the butter according to the 19th century t...
3 comments
Read more

Grandma's Kitchen, Hangzhou

In need of some traditional cooking, we made our way to Grandma's Home/Grandma's Kitchen. We were prepared for a long wait since this is a very popular restaurant, but got lucky and only waited for 15 minutes.  It was after 8pm, maybe that was the reason.  There is a computer at the entrance where one can register for a table.  We just gave our name to the girl inside the lobby, she in turn handed us a paper with our number on it.  As we waited outside, we kept our eyes glued to the screen in the lobby showing the ticket numbers.  When our number came up, the lobby girl gave us the number of our table and we took the elevator to the 8th floor. The numbers are on the edge of each table. I really liked the design of the restaurant.  It was creative in the use of old jars with words scribbled on them, chalk like drawings on the walls and bamboo beams creating a roof above us.    The menu was in Chinese but we...
1 comment
Read more

Indian Accent, NYC

Often when a question arises as to what to eat for dinner, I think of Indian food.  I am a very happy gal with chicken makhani, basmati rice, an onion kulcha or a nan laid out in front of me.  I have heard some very good things about Indian Accent, a relatively new restaurant in midtown Manhattan, adjacent to the Parker Hotel. The décor here is unlike most Indian restaurants I have visited; no boldly colored fabrics, beautiful tapestries, intricately carved wood, or lanterns.  Indian Accent restaurant looks like something that Daniel Boulud would envision.  There are about fifteen wooden tables and a few small booths, fabric covered modern chairs, a lit bar with glass shelves and golden accents throughout, and large glass vases filled with flowering branches. The menu is complicated, however, our terrific waiter took his time and explained each dish and even made some wonderful suggestions.  Actually, everyone at the restaurant was really professiona...
1 comment
Read more