DECEMBER 16, 2008 3:16PM
Rate: 7
L'Opera from the roof of the real Printemps
Today Reuter’s reported that a badly mannered group left explosives in a famous Paris Department store. Since Printemps is around the corner from my old Paris apartment, I was interested in what the report said. However, only a sentence or two in I knew that someone who has not had the pleasure of all things Printemps probably wrote the report. It said the “explosives” were found in the men’s section of Printemps. Have you ever been in the Printemps L'Homme, dear Reuters’s reporter? Non? Think of it as a wayward, tired old Macy's or Dillard’s, or Lord & Taylor. Stuffy and so out of date, just walking in there gives you a time-warp deja vu. And not in a good way. Shabby, worn, updated perhaps in the 70's with ugly tile floors which were probably last cleaned in 1977, it reeks of desperation. There is hidden dust everywhere. The ceiling looks like it doesn't know whether to look retro cool, or retro embarrassed.
And some of the sales staff has been interred in there since the 50's.
Aside from bodily damage to some poor person in the 3rd floor bath in Printemps, the TNT placed there could have been a good thing for that poor old place. That is, if no one was actually in the store. The press described the TNT as very old. For all they know it too could have been in there since the 70's.
The article, clearly written by someone who 1) never has been to Printemps, and 2) forgot to get some facts checked, actually made me spit out my coffee through my nose -laughter that almost killed me. And they spelled Galleries Lafayette incorrectly too. Guess they don't shop much. In Paris.
How much effort would it have taken to look up the store? It is on the web as well as every touristy Paris site on the web. First up, the article said the TNT was found in the men's section.
Um, the men's section is called Printemps L'Homme and is a totally separate building on the corner of Caumartin behind Haussmann. It is directly next door to a beautiful old church, plain on the outside and full of fresco on the inside. It is about 15 steps to our old Paris Apartment. The photos show the sad Printemps L’Homme next to the church.
Printemps L'Homme to the left of the church
The actual Printemps that is featured in all the glossy photos is the main building where the women's things and home stuff are featured. It is made up of two beautiful buildings with architecture that will actually make you hold up traffic as you stare. The domes alone are magnificent. Here is a photo from Caumartin facing the bridge connecting the two buildings with domes. Neither of them is the men’s building!
down Rue Caumartin, the bridge & domes of the real Printemps
So, if they want to TNT the Men's building that would be fine. The best hours are after 8PM Sunday through Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, when the district empties out leaving absolutely no one to be seen anywhere. Thursday's is the late shopping night.
Just don't touch the main buildings or that Church.
view of Eiffel from roof the real Printemps
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Comments
Rossierie! lol
Making light of terrorism is so passé? We here at OS are into Oprah's weight, politicians' dogs, and the fabulous complications associated mental illness again. Keep up.
Agree with Public D. The shallow seems to be running over today. Maybe it's just the season. Or maybe we've reached the OS tipping point. At any rate, thanks for this --really nice.
could be a tipping point. the holidays alone can do that let alone other stuff.
really, though, the TNT they found could have been there for ages and ages and no one would have ever known, the building is that sad.
really, though, the TNT they found could have been there for ages and ages and no one would have ever known, the building is that sad.
Merci pour votre poste! Paris me manque beaucoups (par contre, Printemps, ne m'interesse pas jamais).
Comment ons dit "rated" on francais? ;)
Comment ons dit "rated" on francais? ;)
Merci, Cartouche. I think it might be évalué, but I could be wrong. Believe me, my French is often incorrect.
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