Deyrolle, Paris

This was the best part of my trip. Deyrolle (a "Cabinet of Curiosities") is a company specialising in taxidermy (they also have a fair bit of botanical and entomological stuff, including posters, gardening equipment, mounting supplies, etc.) Their store is on the Rue du Bac on Paris's Left Bank, and has become a beloved local icon, rescued from fire, a tourist favourite and a museum/shop where you can marvel at the expertly preserved creatures... and buy one, if you can smuggle it home through quarantine. Deyrolle sells and exports to buyers all over the world, so if you're looking for a life-size bison, a segmented lobster or a glass-eyed woodland menagerie to grace your coffee table, they can help. I realized that what I really want in my dream home is a boudoir-retreat full of tropical plants and with a stuffed squirrel, forest mouse or a little brown bunny on my dressing table.