Paris Day Three: MOAFM

If you know me, you know I’m a sucker for a good yard sale. So when we hear that Paris holds the Mother Of All Flea Markets, it’s up early and Uber-ho to Puces St Ouen.  It’s in an iffy neighborhood and it’s enormous.  The size of my home town.  It’s broken up into distinct sections.  On the outer rim are the amateurs, people just selling their extra stuff on blankets on the ground.  They’re swarmed by the professionals trying to score early bargains to resell on their tables later in the day.  Push in and see the pros with semi-permanent stalls selling the usual array of used goods.  Further in, it’s the new clothing sellers, with booth after boot selling nearly identical flea market urban clothing, sneakers and coats.  Seems to go on for miles because it does.  At the core are the antique dealers.  Small permanent shops of corrugated metal, each with their own specialty.  Mandy’s favorite is the narrow, block long glass front shop selling wildly extravagant vintage clothing.  We’re not talking thrift store, we’re talking 1930s Dior, 1830s dressing gowns and 1750s ball gowns actually worn in the King’s court.   My favorite is the statuary merchant, selling everything from tabletop bronzes to a ten foot tall copper elephant to enormous ornate fountains. 

We leave sadly empty handed (Mandy says that I’m not allowed to ship the pachyderm home) and head to Montmarte.  This steep section of the city is home to tightly packed shops and is dense with cafes and brasseries.  We seek out an insanely small creperie based on an internet recommendation.  It’s called Creperie Brocelinade, but there’s no name on the store because they can only fit the word “Crepe” across the front.  Three dollhouse sized tables out front and two more inside.  We get one savory and one sweet, and they are the best we have had here.  (Do not miss the chestnut crème!)  It’s only about a quarter mile to St Sacre Coeur, the church overlooking the city, but it’s at least 200 steps to climb.  There’s a tram, but that’s just not our style.  We get to the church, and pay our 6 euros for the privilege of climbing another 300 steps, claustrophobic spiral steps no less, to the top of the tower.  Spectacular 360 degree view, and we twist our way back down.  At the top of the peak just outside the church is the iconic square with dozens of street artists doing charcoal and pencil portraits, pastel caricatures and acrylic street scenes.  It’s energetic and mobbed, just like in the movies.  We work our way back down in search of the house Van Gogh lived in while he was in Paris.  It’s remarkably non-descript, now just some dude’s apartment with a plaque next to the front door.  We take pictures anyway.

An Uber later, we land in Tuileries Gardens, an expansive park in the middle of the city.  Groves of trees, huge manicured gardens exploding with well-planned color and giant round fountains at each end.  Plenty of reclined metal chairs around the fountains for visitors to lie back and just soak it all in which we do.  One end is the L’Ornagiere Museum.  After WWII, Monet commissioned two long oval rooms to be built, and in each he did a large format series four panoramic water scenes.  I’m guessing the largest of these is 60’ long.  He gave this installation as a gift to the people of the city as a peaceful place to come and think and consider nature and heal.  You don’t need to be an art expert to appreciate the calming power of these works, and we spend time doing just that.

Home base, nap, shower.  Into Marais section for dinner at L’Arnge.  More spectacular food in tiny restaurant with great service from a friendly staff.  Seated quickly on a busy night (again without a reservation) between a British couple and a German mother and daughter.  We strike up a multi-lingual conversation during which we only speak English.  At one point the conversation among this unlikely group is literally happening around me as I savor my house made fois gras appy.  Mandy and I cross feed on scrumptious lamb shank and melty veal while we six discuss travel, politics, food, art, work and cars.  We friend each other from our phones to stay in touch.  See, this diplomacy thing is a breeze.  Just add red wine.