Forget the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre. I could see those any time.  My business trip to Paris was full of meetings and conference calls, taxis and turnstiles. I had very little time for myself so when the opportunity presented I headed over to the French answer to Rodeo Drive, 5th Avenue, and the Magnificent Mile.  The Avenue des Champs Elysees is Paris’ prestigious shopping area and considered the most beautiful avenue in the world.

The lights, the sounds, the diversity of people strolling along with shopping bags and eating warm chestnuts rivaled the first time I walked in Times Square. Only this was my very own mile of runaway.  This is no sweatpants and ponytail crowd. The women were beautiful, the men wear gorgeous and the fashion…impeccable. 

I started at the southeast end of the avenue in the Adidas Store and Virgin megastore.  The perfect place to grab a soccer jersey and the French language version of  “The Princess and the Frog”. Exhausting myself in BelAir Fashion, Monprix, and Karin’B worked up an appetite so I stopped at La Paiva for a small sandwich.

Afterwards, I headed further north to the beautiful Arc de Triomphe where love blooms in Paris springtime. Since I wasn’t looking for love, I headed back south on the avenue to my Holy Grail of handbags, Louis Vuitton. The Euro is a bit stronger than the dollar now so I sashayed the store with my New Jersey LV bag in tow.  I admit I must have looked at every single item in the 6000 square foot store. When I stepped through the large glass doors back onto the street I realized something. I fell in love with Paris on the Champs Elysees.