Joanna James
Souvenirs shouldn't just be unique to the country you travelled to, they should also hold the very essence of it. So forget the generics, here's a list of Parisian souvenirs you should take home.
Sweets are undeniably a core part of what makes France, France. You can never go wrong with taking home feather-light macaroons in their brilliant pastel shades from Pierre Hermé or Ladurée, or, rich, creamy chocolates from legendary chocolatiers like Maison du Chocolat or Charles Chocolatier, or even, dainty, enticing candy and golden caramels from À la Mère de Famille, the oldest confectioner in Paris. Because the country is quite famous for its sweets, most France tour packages include visits to Parisian sweet shops, especially to the more world-renowned ones!
Paris, the city of light and the city of love, is, naturally, rather good at making candles. You can buy candles to match every imaginable occasion from the shop opened by Claude Trudon, the world's oldest candle maker, in 1643. Diptyque, a luxury candle maker and perfumer in Paris sells intoxicatingly scented candles and perfumed wax items from travel sized perfumes and scented wax balls to keep in sock drawers to porcelain jars that hold 50 different types of candles inspired by the fragrances of French flowers.
Nothing really says 'vintage' like Paris. Old-world Parisian collectables make fantastic souvenirs and there's plenty to be found in the retro boutiques housed within glass-roofed shopping arcades (or passages couverts, as they are locally known). The boutiques have everything from antiquarian books and vintage posters and stamps to postcards and autographs. Moreover, Paris Rendez-Vous sells delightful toy sailing boats – replicas from Jardin du Luxembourg in the 1920s – along with charming housewares like ginormous breakfast tea cups and water carafes.
French fashion stands unrivalled across the globe, so why not take a little back with you? French accessory shops are found galore throughout Paris, so you'll come across a few worthwhile outlets on your sight-seeing tours and travels that you can stop at for a quick look around. Some recommended stores, where you are sure to find plenty of French accessories are Collette, Gab & Jo and Merci. You can even ask your taxi or Easy Go Shuttle driver to make a quick stop at one of these stores on your way to the airport! A particularly fun and unique souvenir to get, if you have the time, is a hand-painted Kasia Dietz tote – the bag designer offers workshops where you can paint your own tote.
Books filled with the Paris' historic art and culture make excellent souvenirs as well. Centre Pompidou, Foundation Louis Vuitton, The Louvre and Palais de Tokyo all sell beautiful coffee table, pictorial art books at their museum bookshops that are worth every euro. Papier Tigre also has a wonderful range of cute paper products including notebooks and calendars all embossed with the tag 'Fabriqué en France avec joie et amour' which translates to 'made in France with joy and love'.
Romance is best served at a charming little Parisian café, and the best way to hold onto that magic for a little longer is to take back some French coffee and tea. One of the best places to buy some tea caddies is Mariage Frères, a historic Parisian tea house dating back to 1854, which offers 500 varieties of tea! You can taste the different types before purchasing them and the house even holds a tasting workshop every Saturday morning. Paris holds numerous trendy roasteries, for instance, Coutume and Belleville Brûlerie, where you can get your coffee fix!
A true believer that the pen is a mighty weapon, ventures into reaching the minds of every reader with the earnest hope of leaving an indelible stream of thought.
A travel writer who has a pas...
