If you haven't stayed in Paris for a while, you might not know that the long-term subway passes are called Navigo cards. They cannot just be bought at simple ticket machines and they require a passport-style photograph. Seeing that I'm here for the entire month of June, getting such a pass is not just wise...it's a necessity, that at approximately 65 euros, is actually a money saver.
Probably one of the coolest aspects of it is how it works. You merely have to hit your card on top of a purple pad at any subway turnstile to be let in.
That being said, the second day of my program seemed to be the ideal time to get such a pass. No such luck though. Normally, the subway station that my living quarters are closest to would sell these passes. However, it is under construction this month and Navigos were not available. Such a problem/purchase would have to be solved later.
But on we went to the Bon Marché and my Navigo card would have to wait another day. The words "bon marché" can be translated as "good deal." One of the funniest anecdotes that my survival French teacher made in our class was that the products sold at the Bon Marché are almost anything but a bon marché. Like the Galeries Lafayette, the Bon Marché is one of the most prominent department stores in Paris, and is often considered to be the first department store in the world. Founded by Aristide Boucicaut in 1838, it progressively grew into what it is today throughout the rest of the 19th century. Gustade Eiffel (whose work you might recognize...a.k.a. the Eiffel Tower) was a consultant on the project.
Located on Rue de Sevres in the 6th arrondisement, Le Bon Marché consists of a clothing/accessories/cosmetics store and La Grande Épicerie (a very high end food store). The two are on opposite sides of Rue du Bac, but are connected by an elevated pathway.
The Two Buildings of Le Bon Marché (Click to Enlarge)
In the clothing store you can find everything from Alexander McQueen to Repetto shoes. Not to mention beautiful displays (such as cars in wicker). The window displays here are also very interesting as they normally show off only one or two items within a gorgeous yet simple scene.
Most of the merchandise there was far out of my price range, but it is still worth a visit if you are in Paris and care about fashion. Although it might be wise to note that the salespeople are not very fond of you touching the clothes in the store.
Inside the Store
One of the Displays
Walking around such a big store eventually makes one hungry, so I walked around with a few friends and ended up at a cute café/brasserie named Le Parisien. The Croque Madame there was very good and everything was decently priced. It had a nice atmosphere that is only minimally showed off by my photograph and our waiter was very kind. Overall, a very good find.
After dinner, two friends and I walked around a little more in search of Cafe de Flore...but this magical café deserves to have a post in and of itself. So you'll have to wait just a bit longer to find out about my times there.
Inside Le Parisien
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