Paris Here We Come
Our French trip started in Paris in January, and weren’t planning on treading foot in the capital again until the end of our trip. But to travel from Lyon in the East to La Rochelle in the West, it was cheaper and quicker to go via Paris.
No complaints from me—Paris is always a good idea. And you can’t go to Paris and not spend the night, so we booked a hotel and let our Workaway host know that we’d be a day late arriving in La Rochelle.
We arrived into Paris via Gare de Lyon, and made our way over to the Montparnasse area of the city, so that we could be near our departure station of Gare de Montparnasse.
Montparnasse
It was a blue sky day, but there was still a chill in the air. Perfect weather to go out exploring this busy neighbourhood, known for its crêperies and historic bistros. It’s the area of Paris favored by Hemingway. So if it was good enough for him, it was good enough for us!
Yes there are all sorts of historical sights and museums you can visit in Paris, but as soon as you get on the tourist trail, guess who you’re mixing with? Other tourists.
We were only in Paris overnight, so we wanted to get off the beaten path, blend in with the locals, and immerse ourselves in the neighbourhood feel of the 14th and 15th arrondissements.
We spent the afternoon cafe-hopping, and in the evening we bistro-hopped. There was such a great choice of places to eat dinner, and we found an unassuming bistro that was buzzing with activity.
The owner of Bistrot L’Envie was welcoming and spoke a little English, and the menu had a good choice of non-meat items. (Red had a mushroom risotto, and I had baked salmon on a bed of greens).
Even though there was no more than 16 small tables in the restaurant, nobody was hurried out after they’d finished eating. Dinner is a social event, not just an excuse to eat, and all patrons lingered over or wine, beer or coffee, long after the plates had been cleared.
We wandered around the area after dinner and had planned to find a little bar for a nightcap, but we were full so we just wandered the streets instead and drank in the atmosphere of this buzzing and vibrant neighbourhood full of places, to eat, drink, and shop.
Sunday Morning Flea Market Stroll
Weekends are always ideal times for markets and flea markets, so I searched online for a good option to spend a few hours before our train to La Rochelle.
The biggest and most well known flea market in Paris is the Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen, located in the northern area of the city. It’s vast and needs a full day to explore, but as we were catching a train out of Paris the same afternoon, we didn’t want to travel that far north and not have time to do this market justice.
So I looked for a closer alternative, and discovered Marche au Puches de la Porte de Vanves
Yesterday’s blue skies had disappeared and it was grey and dreary. We got the metro a couple of stops, and kept our fingers crossed that it didn’t start raining. We got to the market early so that we had enough time to meander around it and not feel rushed.
It’s great looking around flea markets when you’re on a mission, but I don’t enjoy just window-shopping aimlessly around stalls. I find it’s much more enjoyable when I’m searching for something specific.
We wanted souvenirs of our trip to France, but not useless knick-knacks that were going to be dust collectors in our Turkey home. So I was on the lookout for an elaborate 2nd hand cheese knife, and Red was looking for an elaborate coat hook.
Red had more luck than me finding potential items to buy, but none of the coat hooks caught his fancy. There were lots of cutlery stalls, but no amount of rummaging unearthed a cheese knife.
I was tempted by these typography objet d’art. The history of the individual letters and images piqued my imagination, and reminded me of the pre-digital age.
Years ago I worked at the Daily Mail and on my first day they took me around the print room and showed me how each letter and image was created in metal and used on the presses. I still have the metal press piece from a Peanuts cartoon that ran on that day.
But I stopped myself buying one, because it would have just ended up on a shelf and needed dusting, or worse still lived its life in a drawer or box. There’s no point buying something if you’re not going to use and admire it. So I walked away from this, and many of the other stalls empty handed, because I didn’t want an object to dust.
One of the fabulous things about walking around a flea market is the sense of history. You can tour museums and art galleries to get a glimpse into a city’s past. But in a flea market you can pick up and touch the history that’s surrounding you.
These buttoned shoes reeked (not literally) of Paris’s Impressionist era, and although I wasn’t tempted to buy them. I loved seeing and touching them, and letting my imagination wander about who’s feet had been in them, and what kind of life and adventures they’d had.
We spent about three hours wandering through the market, and by that time it was getting really busy and crowded. So we left empty handed and went in search of a bistro for Sunday brunch.
I had a succulent piece of cod on a bed of creamy mashed potatoes, with vegetables, accompanied by a glass of wine. Red opted for the cheese plate and a beer, and spent the entire meal drooling over my my meal. I had to relent and give him a nibble, and he’d wished he’d had my meal instead. He declined desert. I had an apple crumble and ice cream—he drooled over that as well, and ended up eating half of it.
Next time I’m just going to order two portions of everything I want, so I don’t have to share!
Time to Kill
After lunch we rushed back to the hotel to escape the rain, and pick up our bags. We didn’t fancy wandering around Paris in the rain with a pack on our back, and it was too early to head to the train station. So I plugged in my laptop, and we popped in our earplugs, and we watched a few episodes of Ray Donovan to kill some time before our train to La Rochelle.
Get to know Montparnasse
If you’re planning to travel out of Paris on a train that leaves out of Gare Montparnasse, I’d highly recommend that you visit this area of the city.
It has a really friendly vibe, and feels like a local neighborhood rather than a tourist hub. There’s street after street of places to eat and drink, and you’re given the same menu (and same prices) as the locals, so don’t ever feel like you’re being hosed with tourist prices.
Avoid the tourist hubs of Paris, and explore the Montparnasse neighbourhood instead. Known for it's bistros, cafes, and shops. You'll feel at home, and have an immersive local experience. Share on XRead about our 2020 Workaway and Travel Adventures:
- French Train Strikes won’t stop us in our tracks
- Toodling around Toulouse
- Exploring the Castle at La Couvertoirade
- Meandering around Montpellier
- Our Workaway at an 18th Century Flour Mill
- Chilling in Clermont Ferrand
- Our Workaway at an 18th Century Chateau
- Lingering in Lyon’s 1st Arrondissement
- Our Self-Guided Walking Tour of Lyon
- Making the most of Montparnasse Paris
- Our Workaway at a La Rochelle BnB
- Our Workaway at Ile D’Aix
- Video: Our Workaway adventure through France
- Our Memorable Food and Wine Adventures in France
- …. the rest of our trip TBD because of the virus – but planning Bordeaux, Lille, Bruges, Antwerp, and Amsterdam
Those boots caught my imagination, sending me on a romantic flight of fantasy, no doubt the real story was nowhere near my imaginings. I never thought of visiting the flea markets of Paris; there is always next time.
Yes, those boots would make a great writing prompt.
Oh I am so jelous that got got to see Paris!
We are missing out on our trip to Paris till spring, we had a long weekend planned at the end of may… maybe, hopefully we’ll get to go during the fall instead!
Have a magical easter!
Hopefully the ban will lift and more people can get to explore Paris, especially this little corner of it. I feel so sorry for the small businesses who are suffering.
Awww…how I miss French crêperies and their bistros! Brought back so many happy memories of my visit many years ago. I did not visit the flea market then as my kids were quite young. It will be on my list for sure when I visit next to Montparnasse.
Georgina recently posted..How to enjoy the best of Milan in one day
The whole cafe culture in France, and especially Paris, is alive and flourishing.
Love this post! I visited Paris many years ago. Definitely miss the French bistros and crepes. I have never done a proper flea market stroll, maybe I should try it sometime! 🙂
Jan recently posted..Odaiba – Getaway from busy Tokyo
There’s a good choice of flea markets in Paris .. big sprawling ones, and little neighbourhood ones. This one was mid-size and just perfect (I sound like Goldilocks and the three flea markets don’t I!!)
I absolutely loved Paris when I went but I never really had a chance to explore much in this area. I’ll have to make sure I do next time I’m there! 😁
A city like Paris deserves multiple trips!
I would much prefer to visit a place like Montparnasse than the main tourist area. What’s not to like about touring bistros and cafe? I even love spending a day doing this in my own city.
Yes it makes you feel less like a tourist and more like a local when you do things that you’re used to doing at home.
I really love how you did non-traditional tourist things while in Paris – was this your first time to Paris or how many other times have you been?
Claire recently posted..11 Creative Travel DIY’s You Can Do @ Home
We’d been a few times before. The first time we did the touristy things and loved it, but we wanted to try something different on subsequent trips.
You’re right – Paris is always a good idea! What a great idea to spend the night and explore a new part. The flea market looks like a great find!
Staying near the train station we needed to leave from was a great decision, and encouraged us to venture into an area of the city we probably wouldn’t have thought about visiting.
I love Paris, but haven’t spent much time in the Montparnasse area. Next time we return, I would love to wander through the flea market. I think it is interesting to see what people in different countries have and sell. Follow that up with a cheese plate and wine… and I’m a happy girl!
I love wandering around flea markets for that very reason. It gives you a glimpse of their history, and there’s also a random collection of objects that boggle the mind.
Wow! I love going to flea markets and artists markets around the world. Those shoes were super cool too! Anything that has history just adds to its coolness in my opinion. Great post.
Markets are my favorite travel activity, I don’t care if it’s a farmer’s market, flea market, or any other type of market. I love the buzz and feeling of community they provide.
Thanks for this informative article. I haven’t been to Paris, but when I do I’ll be sure to follow your advice.
There’s so much to see in Paris … you’ll need a couple of trips!
Roving Jay recently posted..Our self-guided Walking Tour of Lyon
Paris is always such a great idea! I love walking through flea markets in cities I visit as it gives me such a wonderful look into locals lives
We’re a sucker for any type of market. I’d much rather visit an outdoor market than an indoor shop.
I love your philosophy for traveling in a way to fit in with locals. Finding a flea market to mingle with natives is always a great idea, I’ve gotten some really cool gifts doing that too! When do you think is the best time for a Paris trip (or maybe the next available best time)?
I like the shoulder seasons Derek — April/May and Late September/October … anytime during the summer is just too busy.
I love flea markets no matter where in the world they are. They are interesting places to wander around and you can lose yourself for hours and hours. 🙂 Thank you for the info.
Thanks .. I’m with you on flea markets, they never get old (no pun intended)!!
Montparnasse in Paris was my favorite neighborhood due to many unique shops selling artifacts, flea markets and a very vibrant place. I loved those typography stuff and even those coat hooks looks worth buying. Also having lunch or breakfast in the cafes or bistros of Montparnasse is a lovely idea.
I loved this area of Paris, now I just need to go back to this fabulous city and explore other areas.
Oh I love fleemarkets!
We actually bought two small liqueur glasses in Venice on a flreemarket, that were glued together with and old family owned plate, another plate that bought in another fleemarket in Rome and a smaller plate bought in Stockholm. That was put together into the two-story cake-plate that we used for our wedding cake 😀
What a great way to use old things with a previous life to create new memories for you. Love it!
When my hubby and I were living in France, we would go to Paris quite often and spent a lot of time in Montparnasse, I love this area for its mixture of “stuff” – including shopping, movies, and restaurants. Convenient from a transportation perspective as well.
We feel lucky to have discovered this area, and only went there because of the proximity to the train station. A fab discovery!