Paris IX

An Eclectic 
Saturday in Paris


9am Puces Porte de Vanves, 
Avenue Georges Lafenestre. 

This offbeat market is so much more approachable than the overwhelming Marche aux Puces Saint-Ouen, which require a whole day of searching. Sadly, there are hardly any vintage clothes apart from a couple of stalls of incredibly expensive silk and lace negligees. However, the old photograph albums, endless plates of exquisite jewellery and my beloved golden teaspoons, will leave you spellbound. It is enchanting, because each stall is more magical than the last and you can find yourself spending a little more than you intended on anything from an ostrich feather fan a la Jay Gatsby to beautiful musical instruments. Go early to find the best deals and don't plan on walking home with your finds crammed into a bin bag. It will explode. 

11am La Grande Mosquee de Paris,
 2bis Place du Puits de l'Ermite

The Grand Mosque of Paris was founded in 1926 by the French Colonial Empire as a gift of thanks to the Muslim infantry who fought in WWI. It has long since been treasured as a tranquil place of worship for the community in the 5th arrondissement, but also as a spiritual place for visitors to come and find a moment of peace. The gardens, which are entwined with roses and lush greenery are a wonderfully romantic place to meet on a sunny afternoon. Don't forget to cover your arms and legs otherwise you will be given the leopard print apron of shame to wrap around your waist. 

1pm Le Bal Cafe,
6 impasse de la defense

This little gem is the hipster dream; a brilliant little bookshop, gallery space and cafe with a contemporary modern interior balanced by platters of decadent cheesecakes, scones and gingerbread. Go in the morning to catch the fabulous breakfast menu.

This was a much needed coffee break after a naughty dive into the somewhat traumatic Musee d'Erotisme, which I won't elaborate on for fear of being removed from the blogosphere. So, i'll instead say that the gardens of the Palais Royal were a much lovelier place to pause for a moment and rest our arms on the walk to Jeu de Paume.

3pm Oscar Munoz
Jeu de Paume, 1 Place de la Concorde

The next stop was Jeu de Paume, one of my favourite museum's in Paris. Oscar Munoz is a Columbian photographer whose work has been highly respected for more than forty years. As illustrated by this exhibition, his eternal focus has been the preservation of the fragile moment before an image is permanently fixed. 

He poetically records the sadness of passing memory and our intrinsic desire to pause time.  The exhibition was a perfect blend of video, sculpture, installations and drawing, which all focused on photography as a memory tool – using the potential power of light and shadow to create beautiful art. Our favourite piece was blowing on mirrors to reveal tiny portraits illuminated by our breath.

5pm Merci, 116 Boulevard Beaumarchais, 3e

Merci follows the same pattern as the over populated concept shop Colette on Rue Faubourg St Honore, but with sufficient breathing space to freely browse. Nestled behind it's converted library/coffee shop, this vast space houses hipster threads, organic cosmetics, exquisite jewelry and an eclectic blend of quirky stationary, homeware and books.

 It's a dreamy way of passing twenty minutes as you approach the edge of Le Marais. What is so wonderful about this shop is the affordable price range. Of course, some of the jewelry and clothes are extortionate, but there's plenty of stationary, sale items and kooky gifts to keep even the smallest of budgets  entertained. Definitely worth a stop - including a quick coffee in their fabulous chairs.

9pm Le Resevoir - Mary de Vivo, 
16 rue de la Forge Royale, 11e

Le Resevoir is very similar to the my beloved Le Comptoir General on Canal St Martin. You can eat, you can drink and you can most certainly dance. You enter through an unmarked door and as the velvet curtain is pulled back you find yourself in an opulent, yet crumbling old ballroom, which is decorated with an eclectic range of snakeskin chairs, cages and the odd bit of taxidermy. 

Its a very bohemian crowd - all gathering to indulge in the delicious puddings, endless bottles of red wine and most importantly to minesweep abandoned chocolate almonds on the tables. 

But, what makes it such a fabulous place to spend an evening is the music. We went to hear a Brazilian singer/magician who had us twirling around in front of all the more sedate customers. After midnight the space descends into mayhem as space is cleared for the DJ. He played everything from old school Michael Jackson to J-Lo and various South American bands. We were certainly kept on our toes.

11pm Bastille Day Fireworks, la Seine. 

My final night in Paris just so happened to be the joyful Bastille day where Paris descends into apocalyptic scenes as everyone races towards the Eiffel Tower to be part of the spectacle. From our spot on Pont Alexandre III, we could see people sitting on bonnets of their cars, which were trapped in the mass of people dancing and celebrating, with a bottle in one hand and a camera in the other. 

To end the night we popped our heads into the 'Bals des Pompiers' (fireman's ball) kicking off on my street. Unfortunately, the scenes before us were definitely more Magaluf than St Germain, but it was worth the trip for the sailor's hats we cheekily pinched - bring on Halloween 2014.