Mum's birthday, 84 big ones, I rang at 7am here, 3pm in Vic, & the card ladies were over for the Saturday arvo card game so all's well on the western front with the settling into the new unit. Carlotta the Parisian (Italian) lady who looks after Desmond's garret had left a note to advise that we could use Desmond's phone for Australian calls (fixed only) as he had those calls free & same for European fixed. Well chance would be a fine thing & however I dialled, got a "Bonjour, blah, blah" msg, no idea what it was. In the end had to use the mobile, it is mum after all. Still haven't got a local sim, tried in the Orange shop on Thursday, but proved more of a challenge than we thought.
Ducked around to Rue D'Arcole for coffee & pain aux raisin, and as it wasn't very busy & knee deep in people we noticed for the first time the seating arrangement of the outdoor seating, that is all seats are placed to facilitate watching the passing parade, so obviously no pretence as to why the patrons sit outside cafes! Checked out others & majority the same.
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| Cafe with seats facing to passing parade with Pantheon in background - got to solve this sideon thing |
Over to Chatelet metro to go to Porte de Clignancourt, Le marche aux puces de Saint-Ouen, - flea market, 17 acres of brocante - bric-a-brac, junk to antiques, we got there at about 9am & didn't leave til 3.30, bit of a dodgy area with pushy vendors & beggars on the approaches to the market, you wonder if they ever sell anything, most people I saw ignored them and I managed to keep M away from them. Lots of brilliant "stuff" most out of my price range, I did however pick up a little brass Art Nouveau picture frame for E30, probably get it for less on Ebay, but who cares. M spent up big & we both had lots of fun, exhausted by the time we dragged ourselves up the stairs.
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| Today's Art Nouveau Metro entrance, Chatelet on right bank |
After regroup off to Mono Prix on Left Bank for supplies, lots going on Blvd Ste Michel, so ambled our way along, I can't believe I had gained the impression that the Left Bank was rather quiet when I was here with him-in-doors 2 years ago, obviously a big difference in tourist numbers between April & May. That said, just observing there appears to be plenty of locals also in the crowd.
A monument (to what I am not sure) over on Rue Rivoli on Right Bank), check out hounds of hell gargoyle on the left side
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