It's just so easy to visit Nôtre Dame at 8 am before it starts heaving with tourist crowds. Metro to Porte de Vanves for the local flea market. It looks deserted exiting the station and I fear I've gone to the wrong place. viewing cars lined up in the distance I make way hesitantly to discover the puces stretching into the distance and gathering numbers of people. Bric-a-brac, decorative items, crystal and glassware, silver, small furnishings, prints, junk; you could find almost anything here including small candlesticks from €10-€150. It's quite a lot of fun looking through everything and trying some haggling Paris style. Limiting purchases is the difficult thing though a few brass candlesticks (that are 'ancien' and 'original 16th or 17th century') are the pick of the day. The metro then takes me to the renowned marché aux puces de Cligniancourt. Fortunately I'm not dressed like a homey-gangsta (apologies if they are not the correct terms) so am not accosted to buy a new wardrobe of Gucci, LV and Prada leather and accessories. The outdoor/lane way 'antique market' is just sad. So much stuff, some of it is amazing, some totally ott and much rubbish, largely outrageously overpriced. All the vendors ate having lunch together. I suppose there's nothing much else to do when no one's shopping. Heading back to the station I stumble across another outdoor area which is funky and has great pieces; the vendors are convivial and while there are some chandeliers and gorgeous sunburst mirrors I would love to have, the logistics of getting that stuff back to Australia was too painful a concept so left with some vintage jam pots. The brass candlesticks which I bought the other side of town for €10? They were asking €60 at Cligniancourt. "Outrageous!"It was Trinity Sunday eve. I suppose I should have attempted the journey to La Trinité but the sudden downpours and increasingly leaking umbrella made me decide otherwise. I instead went to the local church on Ile St Louis. It is a breathtakingly beautiful church - so elegant, vast yet intimate with gorgeous chandeliers and organ. I can just barely follow certain phrases through the sermon though it is clear the old priest loved God dearly and enriches the experience. Dinner near St Michel... tourist trap alleys with set menus from €10 (yes indeed). Nothing seems really that appealing here. I settle for a restaurant where the elegant lady owner throws in a glass of the house wine. Frogs legs, rump steak and crème brulé €15 I think it was. Definitely got what I paid for; or maybe not even. Edible, but not worth eating again. Readers: be very careful around this area, otherwise avoid!
Trinity Sunday. St Nicholas de Chardonnet. I had been looking forward to this for so long. A society church full of grass roots, well bred, highly educated, very attractive conservative Catholic parishioners. Completely full masses one after the other. A very sexy grand organ.
It was respect and reverance to God that should be seen in more 'modern' churches; this ' traditionalism' is totally relevant for today. It was also mother's day in France. Such beautiful roses were in the shops and baguettes were being bought by the dozens for family lunches. I take a long walk past Les Invalides where they were pumping out some awesome dance music for something that was going on, through to somewhere in the 7th for an amazing lunch. I had assumed that all those bistros with tourists sitting outside preening themselves were all tourist traps. Perhaps they are, but I had an amazing meal - confit de canard with scalloped potato fries and salad - a ridiculous €12. It was so good, great bistro food just demonstrating how we pay so much for food in Australia (well, Sydney and Hobart at least).The iconic Tour Eiffel stands proudly in the Champs de Mars yet I still don't venture to climb it. Third time round and I still haven't made it to the first level. Crossing the river I become engulfed in a major gathering. Protesters; political unrest; family rights and protection of children? I'm not quite sure what it's about but the tear bombs (from the very few naughty people) cause some alarm in what generally feels like an exciting and positive rally. When the riot police come along then the questions fly. I skeddadle to the Champs Elysees where the crowds seem oblivious to the significant police presence. Might I just add that the riot police outfits are so fantastic they are rather Jean Paul Gaultier; I was too afraid to ask for a photo for fear of reprimand or incarceration. It was a brisk walk back to the island before heading back to St Nicholas de Chardonnet for an organ recital. It felt a world away from the craziness that had just leisure been encountered. A walk past Place de la Bastille, through Place de Voges into the Marais was what the doctor ordered. It was heaving with all the local trendies of the area and the super cool boutiques were enticing. Homewares and fashion moved to kebabs and Jewish cakes and desserts. I had no idea; no wonder everyone raves about how great the area is. After my mega lunch I opt for a simple meal. Lasagne. Yes. Sad but true. Hey, it was quick and easy. €9.50
Trinity Sunday. St Nicholas de Chardonnet. I had been looking forward to this for so long. A society church full of grass roots, well bred, highly educated, very attractive conservative Catholic parishioners. Completely full masses one after the other. A very sexy grand organ.
It was respect and reverance to God that should be seen in more 'modern' churches; this ' traditionalism' is totally relevant for today. It was also mother's day in France. Such beautiful roses were in the shops and baguettes were being bought by the dozens for family lunches. I take a long walk past Les Invalides where they were pumping out some awesome dance music for something that was going on, through to somewhere in the 7th for an amazing lunch. I had assumed that all those bistros with tourists sitting outside preening themselves were all tourist traps. Perhaps they are, but I had an amazing meal - confit de canard with scalloped potato fries and salad - a ridiculous €12. It was so good, great bistro food just demonstrating how we pay so much for food in Australia (well, Sydney and Hobart at least).The iconic Tour Eiffel stands proudly in the Champs de Mars yet I still don't venture to climb it. Third time round and I still haven't made it to the first level. Crossing the river I become engulfed in a major gathering. Protesters; political unrest; family rights and protection of children? I'm not quite sure what it's about but the tear bombs (from the very few naughty people) cause some alarm in what generally feels like an exciting and positive rally. When the riot police come along then the questions fly. I skeddadle to the Champs Elysees where the crowds seem oblivious to the significant police presence. Might I just add that the riot police outfits are so fantastic they are rather Jean Paul Gaultier; I was too afraid to ask for a photo for fear of reprimand or incarceration. It was a brisk walk back to the island before heading back to St Nicholas de Chardonnet for an organ recital. It felt a world away from the craziness that had just leisure been encountered. A walk past Place de la Bastille, through Place de Voges into the Marais was what the doctor ordered. It was heaving with all the local trendies of the area and the super cool boutiques were enticing. Homewares and fashion moved to kebabs and Jewish cakes and desserts. I had no idea; no wonder everyone raves about how great the area is. After my mega lunch I opt for a simple meal. Lasagne. Yes. Sad but true. Hey, it was quick and easy. €9.50
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