Galeries Lafayette

With me both sore after Versailles and busier with class, I was glad of another easy day. Jo Ann had left word with Tina that I was expected at the Chanel counter of Galeries Lafayette, shopping for to do. Galeries Lafayette is the most iconic of the three (with Printemps and Samaritaine) famous department stores in Paris, and Jo Ann had been the sole interested party as I kept bringing it up on the list.

At 2, Tina and I arrived and quickly located Chanel. Thirty minutes later, we managed to meet up – naturally Chanel has two perfume counters in the Galeries. Why we didn’t think of that I don’t know. We proceeded to shop for clothes for Jo Ann, and if that doesn’t sound like fun to you then you don’t know shopping. Our conversation was dominated, yes, by complaints about the temperature in shops and how we would propose to fix the problem, but then that’s the kind of people we are. And there was some discussion of the lift, how to get in it, how to summon it (pressing the button helps, we found, after ten minutes) and how to survive a breakneck basement lift plunge. I had scientific data on hand.

The highlight was the beautiful Art Nouveau inspired interior. And yes, that, and not the shopping, was what put it firmly at the top of my list. At least I’m consistent.