Shopping at Les Galeris Lafayette, Paris

If you have very limited shopping time on your Paris trip ( which is actually quite common given all there is to see), just shop at Les Galeries Lafayette on Boulevard Hausmann. Architecturally speaking, it is a delight to even those who would avoid shopping at all costs. It is a 10-storey deparmental store and you will be able to buy all those cute little Parisian mementos under one roof. You can see the detailed coving on the balconies behind me in this picture.

Reims..a tour through Champagne country

Reims is about one and a half hours drive north east of Paris. This is the land of champagne. Abhijit and I hired a car on a whim and drove out here when we were in Paris in 2005. There is a scenic route which takes you through vineyards which is spectacular. We wanted to go to Moet and Chandon in Epernay but it was closed by the time we got there. Look closely at the lable the next time you have French champagne. You will see the names 'Reims' or 'Epernay'. Both town are renowned for champagne production.

We had no idea where to go, but we had a GPS which was a godsend. The 'Mumm' Champagne House was nearest to us, and we were not disappointed. The guided tour was extensive, and even included a tasting of their Cordon Rouge champagne. Above is a picture of me next to the different sized bottles 'Mumm' is sold. Here is a picture of Abhijit with a view of the beautiful Franch countryside behind him.