Sonia Marsh - Gutsy Living

Life's too short to play it safe

  • Home
  • About Sonia
  • Blog
  • Books
    • Freeways to Flip-Flops
    • My Gutsy Story® Anthology
  • Media
    • Press Kit +Videos
    • Print Media
    • Awards-Reviews-Testimonials
    • Sonia’s Blog Tour
  • Contact

Paris, Musée du Parfum and Luxury Shopping

May 23, 2013 by Sonia Marsh 11 Comments

0
SHARES
ShareTweetGooglePinterestLinkedinMail
08-100_1154
Galleries Lafayette Department Store

Everything in Paris is a mixture of style, luxury, perfume, great food and cigarette smokers.

There is of course history in each building and the department store, Galleries Lafayette (more photos) is no exception.

10-100_1156
Galleries Lafayette, View of all the floors and the famous dome

Purchased in 1896, the beautiful glass and steel dome was designed by architect,  Georges Chedanne and his pupil Ferdinand Chanut  and finished in 1912.

Only in Paris will you find a museum that covers the history of perfume. I discovered the “Musée du Parfum” also known as the Fragonard Musée du Parfum.  This museum was created in 1983 by the Fragonard perfume company within a Napoleon III town-house (built 1860.) I was not allowed to take photos inside the museum, however, here is a photo of the orgue à parfum (perfume organ) with tiers of ingredient bottles arranged around a balance used to mix fragrances.

 

parfum

Perfume Organ Photo credit

The museum sells perfumes and is located close to the Place de L’Opéra.

As you can see, we’re wearing winter coats in May 2013.03-100_1147

Place de l’Opéra
Another view of Place de L'Opera.
Another view of Place de l’Opéra

And finally the beautiful upscale store “Printemps.” I have never seen so many Chinese tourists buying Luis Vuitton, Chanel and other  luxury goods. At the Chanel store, a rope blocked the entrance, and the women were only allowed to go in two at a time. The look of anticipation on their faces reminded me of kids waiting for their favorite ride at Disneyland. I heard it’s the same at Harrods in London.

02-100_1146
Luxury good at Printemps.

Do you like shopping at luxury stores? I don’t feel comfortable in this type of environment.

Do you have a “My Gutsy Story®” you’d like to share?

NOW is the time to submit your “My Gutsy Story®.” Please see guidelines below and contact Sonia Marsh at: sonia@soniamarsh.com for details.

We are now collecting  “MY GUTSY STORY®” Submissions
For Anthology #2

You can find all the information, and our new sponsors on the “My Gutsy Story®” contest page. (VIDEO) Submission guidelines here

 

 

Filed Under: People Tagged With: Galleries Lafayette, Musee du parfum, Paris, Printemps

Comments

  1. Sharon Lippincott says

    May 24, 2013 at 1:14 pm

    Sonia, I’m with you on feeling out of my element in those stores. At least today I can enjoy looking. That was not always the case. Nearly fifty years ago my grandmother-in-law took me to the fur floor in Wannamakers in Philadelphia, just to look. I was sure I’d be struck by lightning! Poor girls (or so I thought I was at the time) had no business in such posh surroundings, and Grandma was far from rich! I was relieved that the snooty looking sales woman decided to ignore us. Then, to my horror, Grandma didn’t seem to notice the fact that we were being royally snubbed, and greeted that painted lady with the warmest hello and sunny smile, beginning a conversation about how beautiful the furs were. Though my gut remained frozen, the woman began to thaw, but fortunately Grandma looked at her watch and realized we were due to meet the rest of the family in 90 seconds. Phew!

    Thanks for the video tour. My daughter and her girls are heading for Paris for a month in July. I’ll send the link to give the girls a preview.
    Sharon Lippincott recently posted..How Do I Start Writing My Lifestory?My Profile

    Reply
    • Sonia Marsh says

      May 24, 2013 at 2:34 pm

      Sharon,

      I’ve never heard of a store called, “Wannamakers.” What a strange name. I started taking photos and video outside the Chanel store and a man came yelling towards me in French to stop taking photos.
      I’m sure your daughter and her girls will have a wonderful time and great weather. There might be a heat wave, as it seems temperatures are becoming more extreme today. Thanks for letting me know I’m not the only one to feel uncomfortable in these super high-end luxury stores.
      Sonia Marsh recently posted..Paris, Musée du Parfum and Luxury ShoppingMy Profile

      Reply
  2. Kathleen Pooler says

    May 24, 2013 at 1:20 pm

    Sonia, Thank you for this walking tour of Paris with all its opulence and grandeur. You are like a roving reporter and we are the beneficiaries of your all your adventures. Enjoy the rest of your journey 🙂

    Reply
    • Sonia Marsh says

      May 24, 2013 at 2:35 pm

      Kathy,
      I’m looking forward to hearing about your trip to Italy later this year.
      Thanks for stopping by.
      Sonia Marsh recently posted..Paris, Musée du Parfum and Luxury ShoppingMy Profile

      Reply
  3. David Prosser says

    May 24, 2013 at 3:42 pm

    It sounds as though you’re still having a wonderful time Sonia. Good ! I don’t think you’ll find Harrod’s just allowing two people in at a time, it’s much too busy for that.
    xx Hugs xx
    David Prosser recently posted..The Social Set and Friendships.My Profile

    Reply
    • Sonia Marsh says

      June 1, 2013 at 2:00 pm

      David,

      They only allow two people at a time into Chanel, from the tour bus of Chinese/Japanese tourists as I heard they buy so many luxury items and return to China to sell it. Not sure if that’s the real reason.
      Sonia Marsh recently posted..Travel: The Difference between Sightseeing and Sight ThinkingMy Profile

      Reply
  4. Lady Fi says

    May 28, 2013 at 1:06 am

    My daughter and I visited both stores when we were there. We looked but, of course, couldn’t afford to buy. My 11-yr-old declared that these posh places weren’t for her! She prefers simpler places as do I.

    We did, however, have a fabulous meal in the Japanese restaurant at the top of the Galleries Lafayette!
    Lady Fi recently posted..Radiant sparksMy Profile

    Reply
    • Sonia Marsh says

      June 1, 2013 at 2:01 pm

      LadyFi,

      I missed the Japanese restaurant at the top of Galleries Lafayette, but I did eat in a traditional French restaurant.
      Sonia Marsh recently posted..Travel: The Difference between Sightseeing and Sight ThinkingMy Profile

      Reply
  5. Lois Joy Hofmann says

    May 30, 2013 at 8:43 am

    Sonia,
    I don’t like to ship luxury stores in the U.S., as a rule. But Galleries Lafayette in Paris–that’s different! I LOVE that store; what an experience!
    Have a wonderful trip,
    Lois

    Reply
  6. Sonia Marsh says

    June 1, 2013 at 2:02 pm

    I actually prefer the feel inside Galleries Lafayette. A bit less pretentious than Printemps.
    Sonia Marsh recently posted..Travel: The Difference between Sightseeing and Sight ThinkingMy Profile

    Reply
  7. น้ำหอม says

    November 12, 2013 at 5:00 pm

    hello there and thank you for your info – I’ve definitely picked up anything new from right here.
    I did however expertise some technical points using this web site, since I experienced to reload the
    web site lots of times previous to I could get it to load correctly.
    I had been wondering if your web host is OK? Not that
    I am complaining, but sluggish loading instances times will often affect
    your placement in google and can damage your high quality score if
    ads and marketing with Adwords. Anyway I’m adding
    this RSS to my email and can look out for a lot more of your respective intriguing content.
    Ensure that you update this again soon.
    น้ำหอม recently posted..น้ำหอมMy Profile

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. You can also subscribe without commenting.

CommentLuv badgeShow more posts

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Sign up for my Gutsy Updates

Welcome to My New Life

Welcome to My New Life

Do you feel trapped?
Let me Help You Rediscover Your Freedom.
I divorced at 58, and now belong to myself.
If I can do it, so can you!
Let me help you find your purpose and become your own best friend.

Click the cover to buy on Amazon

Recent Posts

  • Single Woman Cruising Solo
  • What Does Self-Love Mean to You?
  • Is Divorce a Gift or a Curse?

Also Available At:

Latest from the blog

  • Single Woman Cruising Solo
  • What Does Self-Love Mean to You?
  • Is Divorce a Gift or a Curse?
  • The Benefits of Traveling Solo
  • Who wants to join me on the Paul Gauguin in Tahiti and Bora Bora?

Top Posts

  • Stop People Pleasing, Start Setting Boundaries
  • Attractive Authors Get More Publicity--Why?
  • Authors: Beware of This Scam
  • How Much Does A Safari Cost?
  • How To Get Your Book Into Costco

Copyright © 2025 · Beautiful Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in