Out & About Winter 2019

LOCAL VIEW

JONATHAN HOPSON

A trip to Paris earlier this year, has inspired JONATHAN HOPSON to recommend a visit to the city as a very special present for a loved one

F or those on a quest for a romantic gift with a difference, a trip to Paris this Christmas could well fit the bill. Art lovers will be well catered for with a special exhibition, Degas at the Opera , showing until January 19, 2020, at the strikingly beautiful Musée d’Orsay on the Left Bank. Degas was a frequent visitor at the old Paris Opera House and is famous for his pictures that capture the precision of dancers’ movements. Many of these pictures feature in the exhibition including Dance Class . The Louvre is staging a Leonardo da Vinci exhibition until February 24, 2020. The culmination of 10 years work, this exhibition brings together many of Da Vinci’s masterpieces and includes 22 of his drawings. Less well-known than the Notre Dame, but well worth a visit, is Saint Eustache church in the heart of Paris. Anna Maria Mozart, mother to Wolfgang Amadeus, is buried here, as is the baroque composer Jean Philippe Rameau. Paris is not just home to some of the most famous fashion

designers and the glitziest shopping streets, it also offers many opportunities to pick up second-hand fashion bargains. For fashionistas with a penchant for searching out keen bargains, try Hippy Market shop on Rue du Temple, just around the corner from the Pompidou Centre. On a family visit to Paris earlier this year, we were able to buy second-hand branded shirts for €20, leather jackets for €40 and my personal favourite, a leather portfolio case for only €30.

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1 . Dance Class 2. Musée d’Orsay 3. The Louvre 4. Notre Dame 5. Pompidou Centre

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O&A WINTER 2019