3 Autumn treats in Paris

3 Autumn treats in Paris Cosy up in Paris as the weather cools and the days grow shorter, autumn is the perfect time to visit says Janine Marsh as she shares three of her favourite indoor havens. Shakespeare & Co. Browse with a book On a rainy day, a sojourn in a Paris library or bookshop is the perfect way to while away a few hours… Discover the spirit of Haute Couture at La Galerie Dior “Fashion designers offer one of the last refuges of the marvellous. They are, in a way, the masters of dreams...” - Christian Dior, Dior by Dior, 1958. A stone’s throw from the Champs-Elysées, Galerie Dior is housed in an elegant building at 30 Avenue Montaigne, once the glamorous headquarters of Christian Dior’s fashion empire. Dedicated to the story of Dior’s life and rise to fame, it’s a breath-taking tribute to one of the most famous designers of France, with a stunning two-story diorama of miniature haute-couture designs including 452 dresses by Dior’s seven official couturiers from Dior’s 1947 “New Look” fashion show to the present day. The objects took more than 100,000 hours to create with 3D printing. Discover a display of dazzling Dior couture through the decades from bejewelled bags, gloves, hats, shoes, fabulous frocks galore, cases of gorgeous things presented in an ethereal and informative way. You’ll see designs at the earliest stage, plain white outfits but oh so classy, and watch a Dior couture creator in action. Mrs Harris (goes to Paris) would swoon with delight. It really is a fascinating exhibition. Open daily (except Tuesday) - book your tickets in advance to avoid queuing. There are loads of one-of-a-kind bookshops in Paris and many have coffee shops, tea salons and at the Belle Hortense, even a wine bar (31 Rue Vieille du Temple). Halle Saint-Pierre at the foot of the Basilica of Sacre Coeur, is a ‘concept space’ that sells books, puts on exhibitions, has a museum of contemporary art, and a café that’s popular with the locals. The ever-popular-with-visitors Shakespeare & Co. in the shadow of the Cathedral of Notre- Dame is a legendary landmark. Smith & Son (formerly WH Smith) in rue de Rivoli is the biggest English bookshop in Paris and has a lovely little café. Or pop to a library of which there are many you can visit for free in the city (check opening times in advance). The National Library of France (Bibliothèque Nationale de France, AKA BnF, has a collection of books and artefacts from antiquity to present day stored in four sites in Paris including the fabulous BnF Richelieu not far from the Opera Garnier, which is a must-visit for its extraordinary Oval reading room which contains more than 20,000 books bnf.fr/en/oval-room). BnF Richelieu Oval reading room Bibliothèque Mazarine is the oldest library in Paris, opened to scholars in 1643 and founded by Cardinal Mazarin, prime minister of King Louis XIV. It has an enormous collection of rare and precious books confiscated from the aristocracy during the French Revolution. You can visit the beautiful reading room and exhibitions. 32 | The Good Life France The Good Life France | 33