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The St Ouen Flea Market, North of Paris
by Martin Loughlin
Of course, Paris is renowned for its
shopping, and has some of the finest and most expensive shops in
Europe. But at the other end of the shopping spectrum lies the huge
flea market at St. Ouen, in the northern outskirts of Paris. One of
Europe's largest, it is absolutely worth a visit. But visit it early in
the morning if you want a chance to pick up a real bargain.
The place is easily reached by metro (closest station: Porte de Clignancourt),
but if your hotel is on the Montmartre hill, it's a convenient
half-hour walk. This is not a walk past monuments and museums, but a
walk through real working class Parisian neighborhoods and streets.
Eventually you will arrive at the non-stop traffic on the Péripherique
(the ringway around Paris) at the Porte de Clignancourt. From here just
follow the crowds. Around 150,000 people visit the market over the
weekend, so it can be very congested. Be careful of pickpockets, and
leave your expensive camera in your hotel room.
The first section of the market is a great
place to look for souvenirs, t-shirts, etc. The further north you walk
along Avenue Michelet, the less touristy the market becomes, and the
replica Eiffel Towers give way to expensive antiques, furniture, old
books and paintings. One of the specialties of the market is furniture
and ornaments from the period known as the Second Empire (1852-1870).
The more expensive shops generally take credit cards and will arrange
shipping. There is a large indoor section of the market here, where you
can lose yourself for hours in a maze of alleyways and small dark
shops.
One of the joys of the market is to immerse
yourself amongst the real Paris — the Paris that you came to see
— and one of the best ways to do just that is to wander up and
down the many small side streets near the market. Apart from outlet
stores and clothes shops, there are dozens of cafes and bars, mostly
frequented by the dealers and stallholders. My family and I had a cup
of coffee in the well-known restaurant Chez Louisette (132 Avenue Michelet) where the atmosphere is added to by the resident accordion player.
The flea market is definitely worth a
morning of your time if you can stand the crowds. Remember though: if
you fall in love with that 17th century chair, and just have to have it, you somehow have to get it back home!
Martin Loughlin is a talented contributor to
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