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Your summer holidays in Paris
Paris is the place to be this summer 2012 for outdoor fun!
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Follow the route up and down, up your desire.
No need for a passport if you want to discover new cultures: the whole world meets in Paris ! Welcome in exotic surroundings, without the jet-lag!
Little India
Take a passage to India ! From Faubourg-Saint-Denis to Brady, smell heavy incenses and curries, and feel dazzled by colourful saris and golden Ganeshes!
The neighbourhood of Gare du Nord, fifteen years ago, was just a down and boring area. And then, the Pakistanis came, with the Tamils and the Sri-Lankans. As a result, the area is now known as « Little India », or more exactly Little Jaffna. It offers a whole array of shops dedicated to the different communities: barbers, cash-and-carries or Bollywood imports...
The street of Faubourg-Saint-Denis is really good for silk fabrics: choose your sari and ask for a lesson on how to fold it at Arass de Charme, or just keep it as a panel. For curios, check Nair Saab: all deities are on display, from a wooden Ganesh to a golden Shiva and cheerful plasters.
Top your visit with a thali (a full meal for Tamil-Nadu) or a Masala Dosa (a pancake filled with a veggie curry), at Indiran Sishni. And if you love spices and chutneys, the historical Vs.Co Cash & Carry, one of the very first dedicated shops to have opened in the area, is good for your eyes, your stomach, and your budget !
You can find delicate garlands at Hibiscus Flowers, and bring one to the Ganesh Temple. It welcomes cheerful celebrations three times a day, opened to the public. In September, the Temple organizes a procession for the benevolent sacred elephant with dancers, drum and flute players and colourful floats : 20 000 people gather in the district for this unique event, and you'll feel like you're trapped in Delhi or Bombay !
Pakistani culture is historically strong alongside the Passage Brady (a covered gallery linking rue du Faubourg-Saint-Martin and rue du Faubourg-Saint-Denis, near Métro Château d'Eau). A good reference well worth a visit is the Velan Store Grocery, selling all kind of exotic products like basmati, herbal teas and spices, but also delicate glass bracelets, incenses, cotton skirts, saris and massage oils.
For a touch of literature, you should visit Ambikâ, the only Parisian bookshop dedicated to the Indian culture, in the XXth district. And if you dream to live in the Taj-Mahal, don't miss Le Bateau de Safran, a few tube stations away: from old colonial furniture to decorative objects and fabrics, this well-kept secret tucked away in a cul-de-sac is a delight.
The new Paris Ile-de-France suggests you some routes to visit Paris according to your desires: culture, architecture, fashion, shopping, jazz, nightlife … or according to the places you want to see : Belleville, Ménilmontant , Montmartre , The Marais , The Latin Quarter , Rive gauche , Concorde , La Défense , Versailles , Louvre , Eiffel Tower, Champs Elysées , Notre Dame … Organize your week-end or family trip with your children in Paris , France.