This neighborhood is all about the Louvre Museum. You might as well go in (not right now: reserve first! Since the Big Cooties started they usually require a reservation to ensure entry) and bask in the opulence of its stunning works of art – some, at least, as there are approximately 400,000 of them. Head over to Cédric Grolet’s pâtisserie takeaway for an after-Louvre treat, to the Tuileries Garden for some greenery or to Rue de Rivoli for taking it all in. Don’t be tempted by the souvenir shops under the arcades, they’re all ‘made in China’ trinkets. For souvenir shopping, go north to the Second instead, to the Empreintes ‘Made in France’ shop. And don’t miss the beautiful La Samaritaine department store: Its years-long renovation has put it back on the map as a prime shopping epicenter. The main bonus is that you get to gaze at a fabulous Art Nouveau ceiling in all its flowery glory for ~free~
