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Champs Elysees
The Champs Elysees was originally an extension of the Tuileries gardens
laid out in the 17th century by Le Notre. During the Second Empire,
from 1852, it became a focus for fashionable society and theatre,
for military parades and royal processions. It is on a direct line
from the Louvre, through the Tuileries Gardens, past the Place de
Concorde, up through gardens bordered by trees and azaleas. In these
gardens are two famous theatres, Theatre de Marigny and Theatre du
Rond-Point and exclusive restaurants with pretty garden terraces,
such as ëLedoyení and ëLaurentí. From the Rond-Point the Champs Elysee
runs uphill to the Arc de Triomphe. Here along its wide granite pavements
there are many fast food eateries, shopping arcades and cinemas but
it is still considered the most beautiful avenue in the world.
Grand Palais and Petit Palais
Built for the 1900 World Fair, the former now has major exhibitions
and the later houses the fine arts museum of the City of Paris with
a collection specializing in 19th century French painters as Delacroix,
Courbet, Monet, Cezanne and Bonnard. Part of the Grand Palais also
houses a science museum, the Palais de la Decouverte.
Department Stores
Blvd. Haussmann is the home of the department stores Au Printemps,
opened in 1864, and Galeries Lafayette, opened in 1894. Galeries
Lafayette has a magnificent stained glass dome. It carries all
the great fashion names, and has great (free) fashion shows each
week. It is always very busy so best to go in the morning. There
is a a nice self-service restaurant on the 6th floor with views
over the Opera. Au Printemps also has a weekly fashion show which
is held in the 6th floor tea salon beneath a Belle Epoque blue
stained-glass rotunda.
La Madeleine
The building of the Madeleine Church, named for Mary Magdalene, began
in 1763 but was not finished until 1842. The famous Maxim's restaurant
is nearby on the rue Royale and on the square of the Madeleine are
two famous specialty food stores; Fauchon and Hediard's.
Parc Monceau
This is one of the prettiest parks in Paris with its lovely flower
gardens and architectual follies - a pyramid, a covered bridge, an
East Asian pagoda, Dutch windmills and Roman ruins.
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