A weekend at the grand magasins and the marche

The weekend mornings began with coffee and croissant at Le Preau and the view from rue Birague up towards the majestic Place des Vosges. Saturday we spent in the 9th, 1st and 2nd arrondissements visiting some favourite shops and the grand magasin (department store) Printemps. Wandered down past Place Vendome and lunched in Place Colette where a band was performing for passers-by.

Paris parking is a logistical miracle in these busy streets!

Sunday we visited the marche aux puces (flea market) at Saint-Ouen. Had a wonderful time browsing the arcades of stalls ranging from high-end antiques to retro clothing, to baskets of old brassware to trays of aged silver cutlery, to snippets of lace and fabric to kitschy crockery. Didn't come across the animal jug we hoped to find for ma soeur the collector, but we did spy a beautiful beagle waiting patiently (patient beagle??) amongst fabrics and furniture.

Back to the apartment for a brief rest and then we caught the metro from Sully-Morland to Gobelins to have aperitifs with our landlords Rita and Gerard. Rita is Lebanese and had prepared a feast to accompany our champagne - pastries filled with cheese and spinach or meat and mint, hommus and olives, tabouli on lettuce leaves, and an array of sweet, honey treats filled with pistachio nuts and sesame seeds. We had a wonderful evening. Rita packed us a lunchbox of treats to take on the train tomorrow to Mont Saint-Michel and we walked home under the parapluie, the lights of le Marais reflected in the autumn rain on the cobblestones. C'est magique!