We started at the largest flea market in the world. It's called Marché de Puces, which is roughly translated "Flea Market". It's true--would I kid you? It's at the very top of our map where we're leaving bread crumbs tracking our travels. In fact, it's just off the top of said map. But that's okay, since Paris bus drivers know how to find it, and we're gradually beating the bus system into submission. It's actually a collection of about fifteen markets, each of which hosts a number of vendors, totalling about 2,000. I'm pretty sure we didn't see all of them today. They range from the "low end" stalls selling used trinkets by the pound to furniture fit for some of the apartments lining the Champs Elysees.We paused for lunch and got to see some real drama being played out at the rug dealer across the street. The customer's husband just couldn't bring himself to meet the dealer's price and left in a huff with an angry dealer and nearly-in-tears wife standing on the sidewalk.
Somewhere in Paris tonight there is a moment's peace, at least until the husband starts moving furniture around while she decides where the rugs should lie.
Also while we were having lunch, I noticed that the name "Luxembourg" was included on the bus that stopped a half-block away. The Luxembourg Gardens were on my must-see list already, as it is the center of action in French in Action, which is one of our source books for learning French. So we hopped on, rested our feet for 45 minutes, and got off at the gate closest to the pond. You've possibly seen pictures of kids playing with sailboats here. If not, you're about to:
They push the boats off, watch while the breeze pushes them to the edge of the pond, then run over and repeat the process. I checked with the vendor, and on the odd chance that a boat gets stuck at the little duck shelter in the middle of the pond, he doesn't charge extra, and retrieves the boat later.
The gardens constitute the back yard for the Luxembourg Palace, which is now the home of the French Senate:
And, as a little icing on the cake, we had a lovely surprise. While enjoying an ice cream cone in the shaded part of the garden, we noticed a band setting up in the bandstand. It was the Bournmouth Student Big Band from Bournmouth University in England. The second number on their program was--are you ready for this?--Route 66, the Nat King Cole (and a bazillion others later on) hit from 1946. I've already emailed the university music department with a big atta-boy.
We haven't decided what to do tomorrow. But it's not tomorrow yet, is it?
