Art of Travel: Weekend Delight

The open-air markets that come around every weekend have been something I have truly enjoyed during my time here in Paris. These markets have a large spectrum of wares and I have enjoyed learning about what each one has to offer as I have done my weekend explorations.

The markets range from high-end flea markets selling second hand designer merchandise, to garage sale-like markets with random junk for you to sift through, and of course fresh food markets where farmers bring in all the freshest produce and other quality food items.

One of the first markets that I heard about and wanted to explore was the St. Ouen flea market in one of the northern banlieues (suburbs) of Paris. This is actually the largest flea market in the world and composed of several small markets, each with its own unique feel and specialty. To get to the market you have to get off the metro at Porte Cligancourt, which to be honest, is definitely not the nicest area. It was a little tricky to find, with all of the vendors, selling crap reminiscent to that of china town, surrounding it trying to sell their wares to confused tourists. Once you get beyond the doors to one of the actual markets, it’s as if you are entering a completely different world. These markets sell everything from vintage furs to old books, from Chanel to antique furniture. You could never explore all of the markets in one day, but it is certainly worth the trip.

Last weekend some of my friends and I ventured to an area in the 13^th arrondissement, called Butte aux Cailles where we were told that we would be able to find some cute boutiques and specialty shops. It was an adorable little area to walk around but there actually wasn’t much in the way of cute shops however we did end up stumbling upon a random little market that resembled more of a community wide garage sale to me. Just like any garage sale, you had to hunt to find the treasures but they were certainly there and the prices were right. I came away with an antique looking bracelet for a mere 12€.

Finally there are the fantastic food markets. I went to the Marchée d’Aligre in the Bastille area this weekend and I would highly recommend it; however, on the weekends, you can find one in just about every arrondissement. Until recently, buying produce from a grocery store was completely unheard of in France. Everyone went to his or her local market to get all the freshest fruits and veggies direct from the farmers. While today it is more common and even acceptable to purchase your produce from the store, most people still frequent these markets. The produce is always extremely ripe and direct from the source, so the prices might be a little higher than what you see at the store but definitely worth it. However, buyers beware: it’s easy to get excited by all of the tasty looking things in these markets, but being overzealous when making your purchases can leave you with a whole lot of rotten fruits and vegetables before the next weekend even comes around. Because everything is so ripe and delicious, it will not keep for very long; so only buy what you are actually going to eat.