The Place Vendome in Paris suffocates with the smell of money. Luxury brand boutiques sniff at passing tourists. And centre stage sits the Ritz Hotel, a building, a brand, but more than anything a state of mind that promises heaven.A stone’s throw away is the Place de Concorde where the malevolent Fates whiled away the Revolution knitting and watching the heads of the royal, the rich and the ideologically moderate, roll from morning until night.  A reminder that misfortune is always lurking around the corner.This grim philosophical musing is not intended as a spoiler on a glorious Bank Holiday Saturday,…

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