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What
is more French than gourmet food? So, why not start your gift
search in the gourmet supermarkets in Paris, one of the best being
La Grande Epicerie de Paris
at 38 rue de Sèvres, just next to the department store
Le Bon Marché (Metro Sèvres-Babylone). Parisians
love their salon de thés, especially Marriage Frères,
which makes their own exotic tea blends found, pre-packaged, in
La Grande Epicerie. You can also find delicious herbal tea blends
such as pear-vanilla (poire-vanille), plus packages of ground
coffee, tins of French candy and biscuits, and even the French
specialty marrons glacés or candied chestnuts. While there,
you can also enjoy the abundant food displays which are splendid.
What
about giving chocolate as a gift? There are small artisanal
or hand-made-chocolate stores all over Paris. One I really like
is about as centrally located as you could wish. It's called
Charles Chocolatier, 15
rue Montorgeuil (Metro/RER Les Halles). If you're on a budget,
you can purchase hand-made, elegant chocolate bars (tablettes)
for under 3 euros. I really like Charles Chocolatier because
they make chocolat à l'ancienne. This means pure dark
chocolate made from cocoa, cocoa butter and flavorings. Yum!
Another
idea for a "French" gift is a beeswax candle in the
shape of a teddy bear, cow or rooster found in La
Maison du Miel, 24 rue Vignon (Metro Madeleine or
Havre Caumartin). As the name suggests, this store specializes
in honey and honey derivatives. Although a jar of honey may
not be the ideal gift to transport in your suitcase, they also
sell honey nougat, cake and candy. Plus they have a special
cake called pain d'épice that is a sort of French gingerbread.
Another
inexpensive gift is scented soap. Along with bathsalts, they
can be found in just about any parapharmacie in Paris. Parapharmacies
carry all sorts of beauty and health care items, and the perfumed
soap comes in a variety of scents such as hazelnut, almond and
water lily. They are packaged in vibrant colors, making very
attractive gifts. One parapharmacie I can recommend is Parapharmacie
du Forum des Halles, 305 Porte Lescot (Metro/RER
Les Halles). The Forum des Halles is a large underground shopping
center; just find the FNAC electronics store, and the parapharmacie
is right next door.