PARIS

E. Collin (published by À Paris: Chez Ledoyen): Plan Routier de La Ville de Paris; Paris, 1823

This tour would take you through the streets of the Élysée-Saint Honoré district: the neighborhood where aristocrats (ex nobles) and entrepreneurs used to meander in the 1800s; and where couturiers plus jewelers have their ateliers and salons today. The area is characterized by: neoclassical architecture, French gardens and luxury shops. During the 1700s the nobility moved outside Le Marais into the western suburbs of Paris, building their new mansions in the Faubourg Saint Germain district plus the street Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré (the president of France lives in one of these mansions) — and the artisans who did their clothes and furniture fallowed them. The wine production of the Loire Valley plus the fur, sugar and coffee trade made the nobles of France very rich; and they in turned made a new merchant class that produced their clothes and furniture just as rich as them: the Bourgeoisie. By the end of the 1700s the liberal ideas of French philosophers were common within these nouveau riche who ended up financing the French Revolution against the nobility in 1789. Ironically after the ancien regime a dictator took over France in 1804, Napoleon Bonaparte; and thanks to him France went through a slow process of industrialization fueled by the Napoleonic Wars from 1803-1815. He order the creation of the first shopping street of the world Rue de Rivoli: a straight street with symmetrical buildings featuring arcades where people could walk and watch prefabricated products on window displays without getting dirty — and just like that the French sports of people watching and window shopping had commence. Commoners started opening up their own businesses creating the first wave of entrepreneurs who ended up glamorizing Paris with their enterprises. Many of the artisans that worked for the monarchy set up their own ateliers with some becoming quite successful. French products like: Guerlain fragrances, Louis Vuitton trunks, Hermes harnesses, Jeanne Hallée lingerie, Lalique glassware and Van Cleef & Arpels jewels became known within the nobles of Europe and the American industrialist, who started the tradition of going on shopping sprees to the “city of lights”. Rue Saint Honore became known for its perfumeries and malletiers, Place Vendôme attracted the jewelers and watchmakers while Les Champs-Elysées got invaded by cafes and restaurants. In just 2 centuries this cohort of society went from being the underdogs of the Louises and Napoleons to become the establishment and the aristocracy of France that rules today. The tour suggest a morning run around French gardens plus brunch at a chic cafe; window shopping, art galleries plus the opera house in the afternoon; and to end the day a snack at cafe Dior plus a ballet show.

Stops:

1 French Gardens morning run

2 Brunch at Café Ruc

3 Window shopping at Rue Saint-Honoré

4 Coffee break at the Ritz & jewelries at Place Vendôme

5 Palais Garnier

6 Art Galleries plus Auction Houses

7 Dior Cafe (Avenue Montaigne)

8 Opera show at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées

Louis-Léopold Boilly: A Carnival Scene; Paris 1832

Eduard Manet: Le Balcon; Paris, 1869