‘GALERIE VIVIENNE’
At the time of their construction, the early19th century Parisian shopping arcades or streets (known as ‘galeries’ or ‘passages’) represented a new traffic-free area for commerce, workshops and apartments. More than 200 of these covered shopping streets once criss-crossed Paris, providing much needed shelter from the rain. They fell into disuse but were dramatically revamped in the 1970s, and today, north of Palais Royal and the old Les Halles district, a handful remains to remind us where shopping malls got their inspiration. But, they now house an eclectic mixture of small shops selling anything from designer jewelry, to fancy clothes, to gourmet foods, to rare books. They have high, vaulted roofs of wrought-iron and glass, and some have passages at right angles.
A long ‘galerie’ is the Passage du Grand Cerf (Passage of the Great Stag), an elegant arcade near the Montorgueil street market, the last vestiges of the once-thriving Les Halles Market.
The guidebooks say one of the most charming is the Galerie Vivienne (off rue Vivienne or the rue des Petits Champs), so I determine to find it.
It’s easy to find, just behind Palais Royal and the Bank of France and I’m delighted to find the name spelled “Vivienne”, as my name is, rather than the ‘Vivian’ that all Americans try to give me.
It is a beautiful galerie, with its sculpted pillars and mosaic floor—in days past, each shop had its name written in mosaics at its entrance. There’s an excellent tearoom (A Priori Thé), which is always busy, and a restaurant, Bistrot Vivienne. When we have visitors, I’ll have to take them there, to eat at my namesake!
Galerie Colbert is right next door, with Le Grand Colbert, an elegant but mostly affordable restaurant with good cuisine.
It’s fun prowling around these old galleries, a piece of more recent shopping history.
(PS Look under France: Paris Life for more entries)
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>>rather than the ‘Vivian’ that all Americans try to give me.<<
I suppose pointing out that Vivian is a man’s name (like my cousin) does no good?
No, doesn’t seem to help!