This is an old and famous shop near the grands magasins in the boulevard
Haussmann. I believe it originally sold articles actually made from tortoise shells
(tortue means tortoise). It changed hands a number of times and was recently left
empty for several years. Now a bakery store, part of a chain of fairly good bakeries
called Paul, has moved into the premises. The facade has been left largely untouched; I suspect
that the location is a national historical site, but I haven’t been able to locate any
information on it. In any case, the facade is a pleasure to look at.
The little loaves of bread in the window displays are shaped like tortoises, although that is
hard to see here.
