June 26 Entry

Sunday on Thursday

Quick entry so I do not spoil my record of writing everyday. This one is another catch up so if you think it is getting hard to stay on top of our blog and adventures, imagine how we feel doing so much everyday and finding the time to write about it too. 

Sunday at St. Ouen

Several trips ago to Paris, probably at least ten years ago, I met a couple of guys somwhere who told me "you have to go to St. Ouen  if you like flea markets and antiques".  For years and years I kept this small scrap of paper in my famous travel folders in my filing cabinet tucked into FRANCE. The note was about 4" x 3" and literally all it said was St. Ouen. I never forgot it but never had the chance each time I was in Paris to get there.....until last Sunday.

The St. Ouen market(s) are a bit out of the city, over the 'wall' as they say, which here is  not a compliment.  You take the metro, get off and immediately see uncharming makeshift tented stalls of CRAP. And you probably know what I am going to say next but it is true-Immediately Steve cannot believe I dragged him all the way out here for this junk when he doesn't even like flea markets or crowds and....I didn't exactly have exact walking directions. And it was drizzling. It was almost enough to turn around immediately and  head for the safety of the Louvre. 

After another few blocks of following all the people who were walking and clearly didn't seem to live there, we found St. Ouen. I am not sure how to even describe it except to say it is a massive jumble of many markets, each with a specialty such as books or furniture.

Each market can have hundreds  of shops or stalls, indoors or outdoors or half and half. There are literally acres and acres of antiques (brocantes-I learned that French word back in L'Isle sur la Sorgue). St. Ouen is only open Sat,Sun and Mon each week and if you went all three days for three weekends in a row you could not see it all. There are tourists buying junk, Parisians looking for that small treasure and chauffeured limousines waiting for owners who are buying furniture that looks like it came from Versailles. 

We decided we were not in the market for a chandelier or a gilded chest or a diamond brooch so we went in search of our next stop, Musee Foundation de Pierre Cardin and on the way tried to find lunch.  Our guidebook recommendation for decent food had good directions but alas the place was ferme. The only good looking eatery at St. Ouen appeared to be full of the limo owners. We headed further into what felt like no mans land and with a minor recommendation of 'Pas Mal' (not bad) from a gallery owner we landed in a very local place. Food was passable, English non existent but a very warm welcome and their making me an omlet ( not on the menu) made up for alot - and then the arrival of a band of a couple of guitars and an electric violin

filled the little place with the sounds of Stephan Grapelli (if you don't know his music check it out) and that with some wine made everything just perfect. 

Slogging our way to Pierre Cardin was a bit confusing and I was secretly sorry I had put this on our plan for the day, but when we arrived we were treated to a private tour in English and taken through the entire museum of over 150 of his haute couture creations. It was, in a way, a trip down memory lane, as he was really the first designer I could remember from my early teens. I had an incredible faux leather Pierre Cardin bikini my parents brought me back from London (long gone) and I still have the Pierre Cardin ring my Mom used to wear.

But I had really forgotten the genius of his work and vision. His work was simple with great lines and always futuristic.  He is still vivacious and alive at 92-he dressed Jackie Kennedy and if she were first lady a few decades ago, I think we would see his pieces on Michelle Obama.

All in all, a rainy but interesting day if you feel like taking the metro out to Clignacourt on a Sunday.