Paris Continued

The sightseeing continues here in Paris.  Yesterday we started early with a trip to the flea market at Porte de Vanves.  Up before sunrise we headed out a bit after seven and arrived at the market about 730.  A few dealers were setting up but most were already done, and it was everything I had hoped for.  

I told Boyfriend that I expected it would be like antique markets at home, with the same sorts of things, only those things would be French, and I was right.  There were huge sets of china, tons of silver, old fixtures, lanterns, and art galore.  Boyfriend found a single-well burl wood tea caddy that he liked, but he passed.  I found a million things I wanted, and bought the one I thought I could get home, a footed French ironstone bowl.  It's simple and in good shape and I'm very happy.

In the afternoon we visited the Arc de Triomphe and then walked the Champs-Elysses.  It's a beautiful street, but chock-full of tourists so it's a pain to navigate  We walked through the Tuileries and down to the Louvre where we had an ice cream in the gardens.

We then headed back to the Marais and stopped at Open Cafe for happy hour.  We had a few beers and met two boys from Melbourne.  Phil is an engineer living and working in London. John was a Lawyer who's firm just transferred him to the Channel Islands.  Because of the mix of English and French, old and new laws in the islands,  he explained to Boyfriend how you can get an injunction by simply dropping to your knees and reciting the lord's prayer twice in Middle French.  His firm actually has it for them on cards.  Boyfriend was both amazed, and amused.

This morning we started late with a Metro ride to L'Opera Garnier, or what's usually referred to as the Paris Opera House.  An incredible building, we wanted to visit inside, but the ticket line was longer than we cared to wait for.  Then on to Place Vendome, a gorgeous square filled with the big jewelry houses.  We walked around a bit there and caught the Metro to L'Hotel des Invalides. The Paris police and security services were having a sort of fair with lots of equipement on display, helecopters, fire engines, and tanks.  It's seemed to us so far that every Paris policeman is hot.   We watched a demonstration of the police dogs corps which was entertaining even though we didn't understand much of what was being said.  While I'm on the subject, the French love their dogs.  We've seen Westies and Dobermans, Labs and Yorkies, lots of Jack Russells and quite a few French bulldogs.  People take them everywhere, and the dogs are really very relaxed.  I'd always heard because of this that Paris was full of dog poop, and I haven't seen any yet.