Petite Mexicaine à Paris
Beyond the notoriety of the Eiffel Tower, the capital of France is famous for its boulevards which hold treasured arts, cafes and designer boutiques. For a city so grand and intimate, an individual perspective is always refreshing and welcomed to seek out its hidden treasures. Maja Lujan, a “petite mexicaine a Paris”, takes us on her city guide to Paris.
A PLACE TO READ AND CHILL
One of my favourite places is the garden of Palais Royal. The landscape with a vast array of trees allows you to fully experience the passing of each season which I think is marvellous and poetic. I like the benches that have extracts of literature from the French writer Colette. The comfortable chairs and the tranquility of the fountain makes the garden perfect for reading.
Also, I like that everyone around the fountain makes some kind of a special reading group. Even if we don’t speak to one another, we keep company just by being next to each other.
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WHERE TO WINE AND DINE
I like the Proust Salon of the Ritz. This is because I think of Proust and I imagine him being there. I like the decoration, the colours, the lights, and the smell of it. The service is remarkable because it is always welcoming and never intimidating. For me the Ritz is the most beautiful hotel in Paris that lets you peek into the luxury capital of the world.
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FOR THE LOVE OF ART
I love the Musée d’Orsay because I love the Impressionists. I love this generation of painters who captured the day to day life in the country and city, and the transition to modern society in France. Most importantly I love to see the details in how they captured fashion for women. My advice is to look out for the work of the marvellous female painter Berthe Morisot who fought to be recognised as an artist in that time.
I also love Le Musée de L’Orangerie, and I go there to look at the incredible arts of Claude Monet. I find it truly moving how Monet could capture light and its effect on nature. My favourite one is a painting of his garden in Giverny. I also feel he is the master painter of Impressionist skies of French spring and summer.
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TAKE A WALK
Walking near the River Seine on a Sunday morning is something I really like to do no matter what season. However my favourite spot is by Pont Alexandre because I find it to be the most beautiful bridge, and it holds a sentimental value for me.
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EXPERIENCE FRENCH SAVOIR FAIRE
Another place that I truly like to explore in Paris is the CHANEL flagship store on Rue Cambon. It represents a professional and spiritual second home for me, and I also consider it the House that holds a magnificent story of perseverance: that of Mademoiselle Chanel. It is the place that keeps the secrets of French Savoir- Faire and Haute Couture preserved by the Premières d’Atelier, Petit Mains and Creative Director that were formed by the late myth that is Karl Lagerfeld.
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ABOUT MAJA LUJAN: She is a Luxury Marketing strategist currently working at Chanel in Paris.