Paris. Just saying the name of the city conjures up a picture in your mind. There are so many famous attractions to visit, the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, the Champs Elysees, the Arc de Triomphe, boat trips on the River Seine, the Louvre and it’s huge glass pyramid, Centre Pompidou, the Tuileries Garden to name a few.
But how many of you would think about the places below when thinking about the City of Love?
- The Moulin Rouge
- Sex shops
- Live sex shows
- Libertine clubs….
If you’ve visited Paris you’ll no doubt, have been to all the top tourist attractions, but how many of us have indulged in the ones on the list above?
It’s always fun to take a wander down Boulevard de Clichy in Pigalle, which offers up a plethora of sex shops, live sex shows, lap dances, table dances, erotic cinemas and so much more. During the day it is fairly innocuous, but come night time and the neon lights offer a different view. Cat calls and whistles fill the air as men try and lure you in to watch the cornucupia of sexy shows and splash the cash, whether that’s tucking it into dancers panties or paying over the odds for your drinks. It is loud and brash and gaudy, but is it really sexy?
Well I guess that depends on how you define sexy. It’s certainly titillating, its definitely rude and naughty. It’s absolutely pornographic and more than likely men centered. But it is sensual, erotic, does it tease? Does it leave your cheeks flushed and imagination in overdrive?
While there is absolutely nothing wrong with popping into an erotic cinema to watch a porno, or giggling over the huge array of sex toys in the (incredible) Sexodrome store, how about something a little more artistic? A little more traditional, a little more…. Paris?
The Moulin Rouge has had its time, enter Theatre ChoChotte – Instagram @lechochotte
Tucked away down a back road on the south of the river, this tiny club delivers intimacy, eroticism and the art of strip tease. In a room no bigger than your average lounge, half filled with velvet sofas and comfy chairs, the sumptuous decor includes fairy lights, velvet drapes and walls painted with pictures of naked girls. The atmosphere is electric, the air heavy with anticipation. The show is non stop, on rotation from midday to midnight, each girl has a 15 minute slot and there is a very saucy finisher. These girls are artists, incredible dancers who can work the room as well as the pole. It’s interactive, it’s intoxicating and it’s very, very different from anything you might have seen before.
Who can you expect to bump into while you’re there? It’s full of locals, popping in on their way home from the office, stopping by before dinner on a night out, or simply whiling away the afternoon in secret. Couples and singles are all welcome. It’s easy, laid back and yet edgy and enticing. There’s no bar and no food, and it’s simplicity just works, but once you buy a ticket you can come and go freely for the full 12 hours if you wish.
So if you find yourself in Paris, at a loose end, take a break from the cafes, descend into the basement of the club and do something you’ve never done before. Don’t forget to let me know how it goes.
Kisses, Lexie xx