An antique animal skeleton and the best "escargot" pastry? Anyone?
CNNGo TV this month wanders through the different arrondissments of Paris. From inner Paris' secret spots to a playful anitique store far from the center -- here's our guide to another side of the romantic city.
Du Pain et des Idées
Redefining "escargot."Du Pain Et Des Idées ("Some bread and some ideas") is reputed to be the best bakery in Paris.
The boulangerie extraordinaire's founder Christophe Vasseur left a successful career in the fashion industry to study baking.
You will spot the shop easily -- it's the one with a constant long queue outside. The house specialty is named "escargot" -- delicious swirls of cream cheese, pistachio and pastry that are an affectionate nod to the shape of the city.
34 rue Yves Toudic, www.dupainetdesidees.com
Guitare Collection
For serious music lovers.Guitare Collection in Pigalle area is a stone's throw from the famous cabaret Le Moulin Rouge.
It’s like a rock 'n' roll treasure trove. Hundreds of acoustic and electric guitars fill the store -- everything from Fenders, Gibsons, the odd ukulele and a special section reserved for the sublime.
If you can take the time to speak with the manager, you’ll find out each guitar's story. Some have even been touched by guitar greats like Dave Gilmore and Eric Clapton.
2 rue de Douai, 75 009, Paris, www.guitarecollection
Quintessence Playground
A playground for alternative collectors.Venture to the edges of the city and things start to get interesting.
Located in Les Puces, the huge flea markets, Quintessence Playground is an antiquities store with many baroque, strange artworks, and design collectibles.
You can find everything from a boxing ring to animal skeleton sculptures here.
3 Rue Paul Bert, 93400, St Ouen, quintessenceplayground
The Rue Dénoyez
An open space that welcomes graffiti.Belleville was a suburban village -- and later quite a large town -- outside of Paris right up until 1860.
It’s now a district shared by around 180 different nationalities, making it the most multi-cultural part of Paris.
Rue Dénoyez, the street where the caberet venues of Edith Piaf and Maurice Chevalier once stood, is now famous for street art. It's like an open-air gallery today, a place where graffiti is not only tolerated but encouraged.
Bellville, 20th arrondisment, Paris
Deyrolle
Stuffed -- and they didn't eat a thing. One of the most unusual places in Paris, Deyrolle is a palace of natural wonders -- animals frozen in time.
Since it was founded in the 1800s, Deyrolle has survived taxidermy’s fall from fashion and an accidental blaze that gutted the store five years ago.
Today all the animals on display are donated or gathered with the modern ethical sensibility.
The collection continues to attract tourists, artists and the curious. It was the location for director Woody Allen’s film “Midnight in Paris."
46, Rue du Bac, 75007, Paris (St Germain) www.deyrolle.fr