Oh what an adventure we had today. Two train rides out to the northern most point in the city led us to the biggest open air flea market in the world. Les Puces de Paris St. Ouen is 7 acres of amazing junk & treasures (mostly treasures) broken out into several different markets each with its own vibe. We of course got there early because my early bird pal couldn't wait to get there. The neighborhood was sketch - you definitely felt outside the city center. We had to walk through a ton of street vendors selling knock-off sneakers and rasta wear. Once we found the flea we knew we were in for a treat. We had our first adventure in the bathrooms. To get to the ladies "room" you had to go through the men's room - weird and didn't make any sense at all. We waited until the coast was clear and then had each other guard the door so the gents didn't walk in on us. The real adventure came when we saw the actual toilet. It was one of those old old fashioned models where you have to squat and go. Kind of like a bidet without the refreshing shower. I haven't had to use one of these since I was a kid in Japan, Well, at least this one flushed.
Once the stalls started opening we wandered and wandered. And then it started to rain. Not just a little rain but a huge downpour. We are weather-proof Seattle girls but even this rain had us ducking for cover every chance we could get. I even had to buy a hat and gloves from one of the tacky knock-off vendors out on the perimeter. The first market we went to was my favorite as it had things we could actually carry and fit into a suitcase. Gorgeous linens, kitchen ware, paintings etc. One stand had the most outrageous and odd stuff - old doll heads; old timey cardboard prescription boxes and the like. It was the funkier vintage French version of Archie McPhee's. So many tiny things to look at! I of course purchased a few things that nobody needs but I for some reason had to have. Other odd treasures I purchased include a funky white metal "J" and "N" that will go in the house somewhere. I know Jen hates my obsession with our initials but I'm thinking she'll cut me a little slack since these are from sixties era signage. I also purchased the most amazing 4" X 6"pink framed diorama depicting guess what? That's right, a miniature photo studio where the photographer AND model are both plastic kittens. How could I possibly resist such a treasure?
After wandering around in the rain for a good 3+ hours we had to go inside to thaw out. We found a very crowded cafe (always a good sign) and settled in for lunch. The cafe was so warm and friendly - full of locals that all seemed to know each other. It was the perfect break we needed in order to carry on.
Oh, and did I mention that Larisa had a pichet (little pitcher) of wine? So...she was a little tipsy for the next part of our adventure.
We wandered a bit more but the cold got the best of us and decided to head home. Well, we ended up lost in a maze of bong and gun vendors (not joking) in the torrential rain and we could not find our way to the train. We eventually ran into some security guards who were very helpful and pointed us in the right direction.
Coming home was a warm relief and after changing out of our soaked gear we settled into a rousing game of "words with friends". Here's what it looks like - both of us in the same room on our iPhones playing a Scrabble knock-off online. The only conversation during this time is "Your Turn" or "Go". We must be crazy to be in the gorgeous city playing this silly game on our phones but it is addicting. As the CTO of the apartment, Reese swears that this game will not cost us roaming charges. We have given ourselves inflated titles while we are here - I am COO because I know how everything in this place works. She is in charge of the electronics and hence the CTO title.
We decided to stay in for dinner tonight and had big warm bowls of French onion soup (just called onion soup here). So perfect for the cold day. After dinner the rain let up and we were feeling antsy after all that Words with Friends and headed out for a walk. We headed to the Left Bank past Notre Dame and through St. Michel to Les Deux Magots cafe. This place has one of the best desserts ever which is tarte tatin with creme fraiche. Jen and I came to this place a few times the last time we were here just for this crazy delicious dessert. It was nice to be able to show Larisa some of the major sites along the way and sets us up well for tomorrow's adventures. More to come.
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