Two of my favorite pastimes—shopping and eating—merged perfectly today. I rose early and took off for Bon Marché Department Store, Paris’s famous Left Bank emporium, for the first day of the semi-annual sales. There, at every entrance of this 19th century retail colossus, were men and women in black suits, holding big baskets filled with packets of chocolate chip cookies. As customers arrived, the welcomers smiled and handed each a package with two chocolate chippers inside. This imaginative custom is extended to early-bird shoppers, and I didn’t want to miss it. What a Parisian way to open the winter sales season!
This year the store extended its gustatory generosity to its upper floors as well. By the time I had made all my rounds, I had collected three gifts, totaling six delicious cookies, enough to keep me nourished as I shopped. I left the store with four cookies, two fabulous tops, and a pair of charcoal wool pants!
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