An UnBEETable Adventure 11: (Window-) Shopping

MUD—it is the term the Twins use to describe the condition when our financial statuses are well, less than desirable. The term originated from "I'm so broke I eat dirt," and then, "I'm a mud-eater." Even 'Mud' has evolved. A situation even worse than 'Mud' is 'Tae'. Tae = Poop. During times of absolute belt-cinching, 'Tae' becomes 'Diarrhea'. A bit graphic, I know... But for us, it aptly describes the feeling of when spending becomes a distant airy fantasy.

These terms can be used in the following ways:

1. "Ugh, I'm so Mud right now!"

or 

2. "Twin, I even had to use my Diarrhea money..."

To add insult to injury, the Twins, and the Beets in general, love to shop. Not necessarily to spend, but we like to see what's out there, to be inspired, to find new trinkets and images and textures and scents.  However, even window-shopping/exploring can be a bit dicey. Imagine the agony of seeing something you really like, and then realizing you're Mud.

While in Europe, the Beets still did quite a bit of (window-) shopping. Here are some of the things we saw.

Let's get some shoes!

—at a shoe store in Madrid. More like Mud-rid. There were so many cool designs, but hello, MUD.

NERJA

Cool Rucksacks!!!

Rucksack at about 45 Euros each. Let's see:

         Mud

- 45 Euros

  Diarrhea

No rucksack...

Peg: Midday at the Oasis.

The following photos were taken from the Artisan Ceramic shop that Beets and I adventured to find.

Despite the hour-and-a-half search for this shop, and putting aside the products that Beets and I planned to take back home, we were unable to return to check and see if they shipped to Manila. =( However, this may have been a blessing in disguise: Mud status not threatened.

FRIGILIANA

More Boutiques:

Look at this stuff, isn't it neat?

... gadgets and gizmos aplenty ...

... woozits and whatsits galore ...

—and a wine shop too!

Now, off to—

PARIS

Let me preface this section by saying that most of the shopping done in the City of Lights is strictly of the window variety.

And off we go!

First stop:

Hermès

I'm not sure who the guy on the horse (another guy on another horse...) is meant to be, but it's cool!

The seating areas inside the store were pretty snazzy too.

Waiting for some water and espressos!

We not only enjoyed the complimentary coffees and glasses of water that was offered at the store, but we also enjoyed and appreciated the items for sale by rubbing our faces against the luxurious materials when nobody was looking—well, we would've done the same even if someone saw.

Passing by Lanvin

Mason Pearson Brushes.

Vintage watches and trinkets. <3

Chillin' and chattin' in Chanel.

During our tour of Paris, Beets also showed us Coco Chanel's home and very first store.

"Ah! Perfumes!!!" - Beets.

Beets' feet on scent-ly streets.

How cool is this window display?!

During that first day in Paris, we also stepped into a store that I really like: Colette. Upon ascending to the store's second floor, I saw a lady in a really cool-looking coat. It is at this point that I took this picture:

With my finger barely off of my phone's camera trigger, the store manager, a bird-like blonde woman, came swooping down on me, telling me off for taking pictures. Apparently, photos weren't allowed in Colette's. 'Tis a shame because Colette's is cool. So many words could describe the boutique cum showroom. Urban. Hip. Chic. All those words apply, but the one word that aptly and fully describes Colette's is COOL.

Aaah, Louis Vuitton, the site of the counterfeiter incident.

I LOVE this.

At some point after Louis V, both my phone and camera batteries surrendered. I have to mention one last store, though: Louboutin's. Beets took us to Christian Louboutin's boutique and told us the history of the little alley. I really wish either my phone or camera was working because there are shoes there that really are a work of art. Spikes and studs, feathers and frills, tassels and pom poms.

*********

Despite being Mud throughout most of this UnBeetable Adventure, I really didn't mind going window-shopping anyway. All the cool things I saw, and where I saw them are safely locked away in my vault (I have the memory of an elephant!).

We came across a curious sight one day. It was some graffiti on a wall in Paris. I will never know what the spray-painter's intentions were for splashing this message, but I'm guessing it has to do with the frustration of being Mud. Here it is:

Ha!

And finally, next up—Chapter 12: Epilogue.

The Final Chapter.

<3