DATELINE: Paris (4)

More sun today so more wandering around outdoors.  First stop was Dehillerin, the sine qua non of cookware stores over at Les Halles.

This marvelous store covers three addresses.  Two levels crammed with the most wonderful cookware and kitchen gadgets imaginable.  Makes William Sonoma look like a 5-and-10¢ store!

Need copper?

Need strainers?

Down the street I discovered a market selling these beautiful scarves, grouped by colors.

I could have bought one of every color.    As I have said before everybody had a garden, no matter where they live.

Then on down the street was the Church of Saint Eustache.

Back home for an early lunch so I could go out and do some other shopping.  There is a huge department store, BHV (Bazar Hôtel de Ville) that's about 2 blocks from here.  Eight floors of everything you could possibly want/need, except food (you have to go to the food hall at the Bon Marché for that).  It has a bricolage (hardware) department that would make the Home Depot drool.  I had my list, got almost everything, came home determined to go back and look at all that great stuff again.  Mr. C is definitely NOT a shopper so I get to go by myself and take my time.  But let me say this:  the Parisians ~ and her visitors ~ are the shopping-ist people I've ever seen.  Swarms of them in every store and on the streets, carrying bags and packages from stores all over the city.  It's truly amazing.

We've definitely decided to cut the trip short by almost a week and will be heading back on Thursday, November 7.  So only 6 more days to see everything I haven't seen already!

As for Halloween in Paris, I saw one person in a costume on the Down escalator in the Les Halles Metro station as I was going Up, although in Paris, especially during Fashion Week, it's hard to say whether this is costume or couture.  Otherwise I don't think it's a big deal here.  I've seen no costumes in store windows or adverts for candy or treats.  Maybe this is one bad habit the French have not imported!