Mes amies à Paris!

We had some special visitors from Italy over the weekend - mon amie proche, Luisa and her man, Francesco. We had a great few days together exploring Paris and meandering through some amazing fresh food markets. It all flew by too quickly so now I am in the process of organising my next visit to Italia! Just a few quick pictures today, of our weekend under the beautiful blue autumn skies. Bisous x

A stroll through Les Jardins du Luxembourg

Blue autumn skies

Good friends! Francesco, Lu et Moi

The Seine

Love locks on the Seine - someone loves them self!

Market nuts & lentils

Fresh produce

Great colours at the butcher stall

Yum! Spices galore at the outdoor markets!

A day in Montmartre

Scott and I spent our weekend wandering the bohemian streets of Montmartre - one of my favourite neighbourhoods of Paris. It's the original rag-trade district, which makes for fantastic fabric shopping and fascinating people watching. It's a wonderfully eclectic area, jam packed with atelier studios, bio-organic stores and graffiti strewn streets. After a quick climb to check the view from the Sacre Coeur, we battled our way back through the crowds and out onto the quiet, winding streets below. The hills and the narrow bends were a nice change from Paris' usual wide flat boulevards and with nowhere particular to be, we simply followed our noses and explored. I really love the streets in this area, I could walk them all day - the colourful doors, gentle hills and quiet footpaths, it's my kinda Paris. Bisous x

Le Puces de Saint Ouen

Oh yes, Le Puces de Saint Ouen - the biggest and most famous flea markets in Paris and the world (le puces literally means 'the fleas'). Scott and I took a trip out there on the weekend to see what all the fuss is about. Fuss? Mon dieu! The place is incredible and seriously huge, we spent hours there and really only scratched the surface. It's located just outside the northern periphery of Paris, near metro Porte de Clignancourt. From there, it's a short walk further north and before you know it, you're in the thick of traders and markets and wonderful vintage fleas! It's a place where antique collectors, designers and shop owners from around the world come in search of unique vintage furniture and accessories. There are several of these markets around Paris, but Saint Ouen is by far the largest, so I will need to return several times in order to do it justice. Here are some quick photos I took during our visit, as well as a detailed map and directions on how to get there, which may come in handy during your next Parisian visit. Bisous x

shoe lasts & letterpress. how great.

I really should have bought this chair

my lonely purchase. he needs a friend

It's difficult to find any clear or detailed instructions on how to get to these famous flea markets, so if you are ever interested in visiting Le Puces de Saint Ouen, just follow my lead - 

Le Puces de Saint Ouen - Rue des Rosiers, 93400 Paris.

1. Take metro line '4' to the last northern stop 'Porte de Clignancourt'

2. When you get out, orientate yourself - you should see a McDonalds directly across the road

3. Cross the road and spot the sign that says 'Le Puces' with a direction arrow

4. Follow the direction of the arrow north up the main road 'Av. de la Porte de Clignancourt'

5. Pass under the overpass / bridge, which has round circles on it

6. On your left, you will see Rue des Rosiers. Voila, the start of the fleas!

Remember to take cash or a cheque book, as there are only two ATMs and they get mighty busy!

map from metro Porte de Clignancourt to Rue des Rosiers

Market haul

I did a little bit of market trawling yesterday and found some fantastic textile / flea markets in the 18th arrondissement, called Marché Saint Pierre (and the surrounding streets). I spent a good couple of hours wandering the stalls, finding it trés difficult to narrow my choices to just 2 or 3 pieces. In the end I came away with a pretty good haul, at bargain prices! and am already looking forward to my next market discovery in this incredible city. I thought I'd do a little update on the house preparations, including some of my market buys and other bits and pieces, which are starting to find their way out of all the boxes! Lots of love, from the city of love. Bisous x

textile & rug haul. loveeee

new day bed - not quite complete, but getting there. home made cushions required

mirror image of the day bed and new rug

texture. texture. texture

beautiful wedding gifts finding their way out of the boxes

flea market finds

sneak peak at the reclaimed timber coat rack. more pics when it's good and ready

Les rues de Paris

We woke up early yesterday morning to enjoy a run through the quiet streets of Paris. We took a few different turns to normal and were pleasantly surprised to find many 'joggers' and cyclists out for their morning sessions along the Seine. Scott carried on for a few too many km's, so I headed home to get ready for our lazy saturday. We headed out again late morning, bought a couple of ah-maze-ing croissants, which seemed to evaporate before our eyes! and then stopped in at our favourite cafe for an indulgently expensive (but so very good) latte. On our way home, we wandered through the local food markets, which sell beautiful organic produce and everything under the sun. The markets are so colourful and have an abundance of stalls, selling bread, butter, meat, veges, pastries, flowers, herbs and spices, a million cheeses! and wonderfully fresh seafood. Délicieux! Here are some photos from our day out and about en Paris. Bisous x

morning stroll to coffee

cafe coutume

le marche

pomme de terre

 

queueing for frommage