No Fleas On these

One of the things I miss most about living in Scotland is the market. While there are plenty of charity shops, they aren't a substitute for the varied artefacts that you can find in the markets in England, so I was determined to visit a flea market to find something French at a reasonable price.

We followed directions from the guide book to Les Puces de Saint-Ouen, or Les Puces (Fleas) for short, which are just a few Metro stops from the apartment. It covers seven hectares and is the largest antique market in the world, receiving between 120,000 to 180,000 visitors each weekend.

Make no mistake. this is not a flea market. It is vast but it is essentially an Antiques Fair such as we have at home, the prices are high (even with bargaining). I was tempted to buy a small piece of chandelier glass from a stall, many pieces were chipped - but balked at 5 euro. I was astonished to find some Scottish paperweights priced over 120 euros when they'd be half that in £s at home. Maybe I should sell mine here.

Of course there are hundreds of really nice pieces, like these chandeliers, but only for the serious collector, dealers, or foreigners prepared to pay over the odds, not the passing tourist like me. So we looked at everything at least once and left.

On the way back we visited the Cemetry of Montmartre, sat and ate our picnic lunch (after 5pm) near the grave of Hector Berlioz.

Then went to the Arc de Triomphe where there was a wreath-laying ceremony involving Veterans and a band for us all to watch. And some cyclists on a tour from London to Paris took their bikes to watch too.


By the time we left the Metro it was pouring with rain.