Chablis: Wine and Market Shopping

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Chickens of Burgundy, France

What can I say?  The French love cock.

Vezelay: Mary Magdalene's Favorite Crepes

The town and abbey of Vezelay is a Unesco World Heritage site.

For such a small commune, Vezelay had several charming shops. The first had a surprisingly large selection of homeware collections. Each more colorful than the next.

I found artful printed frocks, sculted shawls and unique necklaces at a boutique halfway up the main street. The mature woman running the shop had an obvious love for her work. She meticulously packaged my purchase in turquoise tissue, fanning out a second sheet across the top of the back. She curled brown ribbons off the handles of the chartreuse shopping bag, finishing her creation with a spritz of perfume.

Lunch was at a lovely local eatery. Delicious crepes for all. Mine was a crispy savory dish with bechamel, mushrooms and ham.

The focal point of Vezelay is the Basilica of St. Mary Magdalene. A pilgrimage church, the Benedictine and Cluniac monastery reportedly holds the remains of Mary Magdalene in the lower crypt. The afternoon we visited, Hubby, our Host and I were treated to a beautiful service; sung and chanted by the monks and nuns of the abbey.

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Druyes Les Belles Fontaines: Secret Medieval Splendour

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Paris: Oui Gastronomie

Is it my imagination? Or is all food just prettier here?

Every corner held several gorgeous patisseries. The delicate pastries, croissants and macarons displayed like jewels. Beyond beauty, the flavors of fresh almonds and butter that was used came through brilliantly on the tongue.

Hubby and I came across a tiny little deli run by an older Italian couple. It looked like it had been there for over 100 years. They barely spoke French, let along English. However they saw our hungry faces and brought out a platter of their best cured meats and antipasto. They chose a great house wine and Hubby and I left in a cloud of culinary bliss.

The International food court at the Carousel de Louvre used to be my hideaway in college. It was (and still is) and chic example of contemporary design and multi-cultural gourmet offerings. The food and presentation was upscale, but still at reasonable food court prices. The location is perfect for tourists as it offers a low-key dining option in between museums. Hubby was shocked at "McCafe". When Paris does McDonald's it is unrecognizable. The cafe portion of McDonald's offers delicate macarons (under 1E) tortes, cappucinos. Ronald the clown and golden arches were nowhere in sight.

Our last evening, we visited a restaurant called le Dome Du Marais. Perfect for apres-shopping in the Marais district, this was an eatery recommended by a neighbor. The elegant interior and uniformed waiters looked intimidating at first. I assumed this place would be pricey.

Both Hubby and I started off with freshly baked gougeres, a foie gras terrine with mushrooms and a braised lamb dish. For dessert, I had a huge cheese plate, Hubby had a superb strawberry tart with sorbet. It came to a very reasonable 25E per person as their prix-fixe offering that night.

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Paris: Shopping!

No one disputes Paris as a pilgrimage-worthy shopping destination. However, with 36 hours there, where do you put your priorities?

Place Vendome had all of the elegant established-label stores you could want. Chanel, Celine, Dior. There were also some mind-boggling antiques shops. Pieces one would only found in a museum were displayed in quantity, ready for purchase if you were so inclined. This is also the area of the Tuileries and Hotel Costes.

Colette was the contemporary, fun shop in this area. It carried the hottest young designers in Europe and the United States, (Alexander Wang, Gareth Pugh, McQueen...) It had uber-stylish tech gadgets and amusing art books as well.

The Marais District is the place to go for independent boutiques and avant-garde designers. Whatever you were looking for, there was a unique little shop that probably catered to it. I loved how retailers put much care in creating an individual personality to their storefronts. Inside, shopkeepers had meticulously curated collections of goods.

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Paris: Decorative Arts and Design

Having only about 36 hours in Paris, Hubby and I had to pick and choose what culture to take in. The Louvre was one I had visited several times in previous trips to Paris. That didn't mean that we could not bask in the glowing light of the Carousel de Louvre. The inverted pyramid now famous from The Da Vinci Code book/movie. The majestic gardens outside were also worth a stroll.

As a designer, the Musee Les Arts Decoratifs had always been a favorite during my Parsons Paris school term. There was a terrific Contempory Fashion exhibit showcasing many of the famous Haute Couture pieces that inspired me to work in fashion. The larger exhibit was of animal motifs. It showed different classes of animals, (birds, beasts, imaginary, animated, etc.) and how they influenced everything from furniture, graphics, clothing to industrial design. This was a child-friendly exhibit as well, (though clearly Hubby and I ignored that point).

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