Monday, October 13, 2014

PARIS - Shopping - Maison Sajou, Des Fils et une Aguille, Le Bonheur des Dames, Shakespeare and Company..... Finding some Dim Sum

Gentle Friends, I left Bordeaux on an early afternoon flight getting into CDG Airport and eventually arriving in Paris via the RDR Train with plenty of time to do some fun stuff.  I checked into my hotel, dropped my bags off and got going.......

 ......  my first stop was Maison Sajou.  I knew of all the great things they carried from the web site - but the store is so worth a trip to see everything up close!!

It's a corner store and an odd shape - sort of "L" shaped - and just packed full of goodies......  such kind ladies running the place......in fact Frederique, Owner/and designer of Maison Sajou was helping me and I was so into the stuff I didn't realize until I asked to take some pictures....




...... so much great stuff to see - and there was a sewing class going on while I was there - they were making a needle roll - of at least it looked like one - 

... a close up of the scissor case - with those wonderful scissors Maison Sajou has - and some of the great thread winders.....  and.......

....... my little stash haul from my visit...  I picked up two great thread winders made of really heavy plastic and a package of paper ones of a bicyclist - and I couldn't leave without the chart.  It's taken from historic printed cotton from the Musee de la Toile de Jouy - an there were a wonderful set of pillows in but colour variations made up in the store.....  I also visited....

.... Des Fils et une Aguille - as I did last year, and Elodie, owner, was on duty and just a lovely as i had remembered from my visit last year....( you can click HERE to read what I wrote)....  I did pick up a couple of things...

...... a cute chart and the Sheep from Just Pins....  I went then to .....

..... Bonheure des Dames - both of these shots I found on the Internet as I forgot to take pictures...  a nice store, but everything and I mean everything is pre-kitted up and prepackaged - so all I could find was...


..... some really great fabric for finishing.......

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I was dragging a bit so I headed over to the Left bank and some snackeroos.....  I wanted to stop at Odette, a really great little shop that specializes in delicious choux, little puff pastries filled with creme!!



... so I order a tea and picked some treats - from l to r -  Citron (lemon), Caramel and my favorite Fruits de Bois (fruit of the wood - berry)

... and so I sat there enjoying my choux and tea with this view................
 
...... Notre Dame......


...... literally around the corner is a great bookshop founded in 1919 by Sylvia Beach...


... and although I have really tried to not buy books when I travel -  I usually break that rule....and I picked this book up about the Diamond Necklace Affair - perfect for a trip to France!!

I went back to the Hotel and took a much needed shower and headed out again for dinner.  I read a Blog called "Living the Sweet Life in Paris" by David Lebovitz, once a pastry chef here in the Bay area now residing in Paris.  He spoke of a great place to get Chinese food........ so I headed there!


....it was a long Metro ride across the city with changing trains 3 times...... but so worth the trip....
...... when I walked in I was totally spotted as "not French" and was given this menu... I do love dim sum so that's what I ordered

..... I am never sure what any of these are called but know them on sight.... this one I think is called - Goutie and is crunchy and filled with beef and lemon grass ...

..... these are called Siu Mai and are shrimp filled with a saffron coloured pastry....

.... and these called Har Gow and are also filled with shrimp - as you can see I had one of my favorite Chinese beers to wash it down - Tsingtao!
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It was a super day and at the end of it I fell into bed - check back tomorrow for more Paris stuff!!

Take care,
edgar

9 comments:

  1. Oh I so enjoyed this trip!AriadnefromGreece!

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  2. Oh! How wonderful!
    Sajou is divine! I have looked at them online, but the whole character of the shop is so lovely! Thank you for sharing these wonderful photos and descriptions! I'm so overdue for another trip to Paris...and I want to go to all the places you mentioned!!!
    And those fabrics are too cute!!!! (sweet little kitty fabric!! Love it!)
    And the food..what can I say!
    Thanks again for letting us experience this with you!!

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  3. I'm back! I knew catching up would be so much fun and I wasn't disappointed. I'm not much of a shopper when I travel either but I would have made Sajou an exception! I so want to go there one day.

    The food was even better this time.....Sui Mai and Har Gow looked delicious. I'm still not on board with the foie gras though. Oh, that chocolate nut cake! I would have had another piece to go for later in that sweet "attic" room.

    I love the "usual/expected" travel pictures but, for me, it's the pictures that you take ie, where/what you ate, where you stayed, the shops and your comments that make it seem like I was traveling with you.

    Thank you for another lovely day.

    Paula

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  4. Another wonderful day in Paris, you lucky guy! I'm so enjoying these beautiful pictures, and reading of your travels.
    Take care
    Lancy

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  5. Ok, I want to go to all those places. Especially Maison Sajou! The goutie (sp?) looks so different from what I'm used to. Love siu mai too! LOVE dim sum! We had some in Boston this past weekend! I'm so glad you showed your Paris shopping and eating!

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  6. Have you seen this hotel? http://www.sylviabeachhotel.com/node/15

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  7. Parigi e' unica! Ci sono stata molte volte ma non mi stanco mai di progettare un nuovo viaggio.
    Matilde

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