Shopping
Wednesday, 1/7/09
Les Galleries Lafayette:
This was the first day of the "Soldes" - the huge sales that occur twice a year in Paris, and last a few weeks. Most stores take about 40 or 50% off nearly everything they have. We decided this was a good chance for us to go shopping. We started by going to Le Printemps, a major French department store. Then we split up. I went to the Galeries Lafayette because I had heard of the name. It is a large mall with many floors, and it is famous for its architecture. The building is round with a wide space in the center; beautiful balconies look out over the interior expanse on every flood.
I slowly spiraled up, glancing at all the clothing. There were incredible numbers of people shopping! I had never before seen so many people in a store; the dense crowds made it hard to move around. Unlike usual malls, which are composed of separate stores, here there were sections dedicated to different brands, such as Zara, Kooka, Esprit, etc., but they were all combined in one big space. I walked around Galeries Lafayette for hours, but the enticing clothes were far too expensive, even with the sales. Eventually, when it was almost time to go back to the hotel, I decided that I had to buy something to justify my last few hours, and soon I spotted a nice shirt that I bought for 39 euros. I spent a lot of time trying to find something pleasant and affordable in France, but the clothing there is too expensive. However, it is possible to find pretty boots and shoes for much more reasonable prices; Melissa bought boots for 7 euros, and I bought a pair for 14. De bonnes affaires!
A.G.