You wouldn’t have believed the weather in Paris today.  It was a perfect Indian summer’s day.  18°C, brilliant sunshine and an azure sky. Impossible to stay indoors. I headed over to the Parc Monceau and the boulevard de Courcelles, two of my favourite haunts bordering the 8th and 17th arrondissements.

If I could afford it, I’d live in this neighbourhood, I’ve always liked it.  I was lucky enough to work in this district for two years throughout 2011 to 2012.

Insider shopping tip. This small independent boutique called Cairns Donna has clothes to die for, most of them from Italy.  55 bd Courcelles, metro Courcelles.  Heading to my most favourite park in Paris, the Parc Monceau, I figured that by 5 pm the place would be emptying of people.  Wrong!   It was packed.

I enjoyed the crowded park as much as I could then made my way to the beautiful boulevard Malesherbes and crossed it, stopping off at my favourite flower shop on the corner, Monceau Fleurs. The boulevard Malesherbes is, in my opinion, far more stylish and appealing than the Champs-Elysées. It starts off at the gorgeous place Saint Augustin and ascends upwards to the boulevard de Courcelles.  The air is somewhat rarified up here.  The entire district is off the tourist grid and very interesting.  I know, because for two years I explored every street, square, backstreet and cranny on my lunch hours.  How lucky I was to be able to visit a small museum during my lunch hour!  Here’s the Nissim de Camondo Museum (a sumptuous private house) at 63 rue de Monceau and the Cernuschi Asian art museum at 7 avenue Vélasquez (links below.)  And if anyone has read and enjoyed that fascinating book entitled The Hare with Amber Eyes by Edmund de Waal, his family house is located at 81 rue de Monceau.  Here below is the boulevard Malesherbes approaching the boulevard de Courcelles.  To explore this area, take the metro to Courcelles, Monceau or Villiers stations and walk around.

This cozy tea salon, run by a Japanese couple, serves delicious cakes and hot chocolate.  It’s directly across the road from Villiers metro station.Don’t forget to visit the popular food market street, rue de Lévis, near Villiers metro station.

http://www.lesartsdecoratifs.fr/en/museums/musee-nissim-de-camondo

http://www.cernuschi.paris.fr/en/museum/location/opening-hours/admission