Librairie Jousseaume,

Librairie Jousseaume, Galerie Viviennesafe for ladies to meet and enjoy a little retailtherapy even (!) without male company. Today,some 20 of them are still operating, andwhere better to while away an hour or two,however inclement the weather? Top of thelist for elegance is Galerie Vivienne, opened in1823, it was originally built to attract shoppersvisiting the nearby Palais Royal. It still oozesexclusivity: mosaic flooring, elegant pillars andarchways, polished wood shopfronts gleamingin the light of the chandeliers. Despite the plushsurroundings there are a couple of cafés whereyou can enjoy a not-too-expensive pit stop.The art ofshoppingin PARISAaah, le shopping! It’s always adelight in Paris, but especially inwinter as a welcome escape fromchilly streets or for a Christmassyramble once the lights are in fullsparkle. But where best to head for?Marian Jones shares her favouritestores and shopping experiences.Galeries LafayetteAmong the most browsable shops are LucienLegrand, Filles et Fils, a wine shop first openedin 1880, and the Librairie Jousseaume, achaotically intriguing bookshop which openedin 1826. Inside are overflowing shelves andpiled-high tables and outside you’ll find boxesof second-hand books, including some inEnglish, to rifle through. The window-display ofL’Aparté, an artful array of fabric flowers andknick-knacks, may catch your eye, or perhapsyou will be attracted by the giant woodenbears outside the toyshop Si tu veux, whereyou can find charmingly old-fashioned toysand sets of bricks to build a mini-Eiffel Tower.The covered passagesWeather-proof shopping in Paris? They hadthat covered in the 19th century, when over100 arcades were built to provide somewhereGalerie VivienneAlso ripe for exploring are three arcades in arow in the Grands Boulevards area near theOpéra, which you can wander through oneafter another. Amid the cafés of the Passagedes Panoramas you’ll find a quirky row ofold-fashioned stamp shops and a specialist60 | The Good Life France The Good Life France | 61