Le Marché aux Puces

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When people here talk about going to the flea market, it's usually assumed they mean the sprawling "marché aux puces" at the northern end of Paris, by the Porte de Clignancourt. Established as a fixed market at this site in the 1880s, it followed centuries when the city was filled with  roving groups of rag-and-bone men and women. Also known as "pêcheurs de lune" (moonlight fishermen), these scavengers would poke through the city at night, looking for abandoned treasures which they would re-sell at local markets.

Today, this marché aux puces stretches over 17 acres, comprises several buildings and hundreds of outdoor stalls, boasts 2500 dealers, and attracts well over 100,000 visitors every weekend - a daunting prospect, which is probably why it's been years since we've gone up there!

For us, a much more appealing flea market is the Marché au Vanves, which can be found (every Saturday and Sunday) at the absolute opposite end of the city, right by the Porte de Vanves, an easy metro or bus ride out to the 14th arrondissement.

Here, among 200 traders, you'll find a wonderfully eclectic collection of objects and curiosities, most of them reasonably priced, and most of them portable, although delivery of larger items can be arranged.

The sun was shining this morning --  there was even a faint sound of bird song! --  so we took ourselves down to the Avenue Marc Sangnier, and spent a happy couple of hours, strolling slowly along the two streets that comprise this flea market.

Some visitors like to browse the bookstalls or the cd/dvd stalls, hoping to find bargains, or, perhaps, pirated new movie releases...

...while others might pore over the extensive array of woodworking tools. I can imagine several West Marin folk hanging out here!

One of my favorite stalls sells only buttons...regular, ordinary-looking buttons, a dozen or more to the card...

...or exotic, jewel-like buttons, sold by the piece. They almost look like candy!

This stall gets Matthew's total attention; an old movie projector in its original box, with an accompanying selection of what looks to be 8mm home movies. At this point in its life, it's become a piece of sculpture, begging for an honored place of display.

If you need some refreshment as you go along, this good woman will sell you hot chocolate or coffee from her caddy of flasks which she wheels through the market, along with a tray of baked goodies.

As always, I am drawn to anything having to do with natural history, whether it's gaping shark teeth, grinning at me...

...or a sad looking heron, lost amidst barstools and flower vases!

The stallholders tend to sit by their vehicles, pretending not to be all that interested in anything but their newspaper, but, somehow, they're right at your elbow if you examine any object for more than a few seconds. I particularly liked the "saintly" figure standing guard behind this merchant -- Joan of Arc, perhaps?

Towards the end of the first street, this stall caught my eye as having so many stories to tell. Who are those people in the photographs and drawings? Who wore that lace-edged cap? What treasures were hidden in the little wooden box?

When you reach the cross-street of Avenue Georges Lafenstre, a cheerful fellow belts out tunes on his "box piano", whilst behind him,
someone is roasting chestnuts.

For us, one of great pleasures of going to the Marché au Vanves is that we can take the #95 bus home, and enjoy a pretty complete tour of many iconic views of Paris, including this archway to the Tuileries, across from the Louvre!

Back home, we admire the treasures we found this morning: a  caned chair from the 30s or 40s, which goes very nicely with my desk from the 50s...

...and these charming dessert forks, also from the 30s or 40s -- the perfect accompaniment to the Napoleon dessert plates we bought on a previous visit to the Marché au Vanves.

Who knows what we'll find next week....

À bientôt!