May 30, 2015 Clingancourt Flea Market

May 30, 2015. Flea Market 

We left a little before 10:00 and walked to Villiers Metro station to ride the metro to Porte  Clignancourt for the Fleas Market ( Marche aux Puces) and arrived at 10:00.  Willy arrived on the next train about 3 minutes later and we walked the three blocks to the Puce through a throng of Arabic looking persons hawking all manner of goods.  We finally arrived at the main area of the market which has grown significantly in the last fifteen years since I last visited it with mother, Suzette, and Billy in 2010.

In fact we walked past the same shop where mother tried on the leather motorcycle pants, although now it offers mostly sneakers.

Much of the market is the same, the warren of small shops, some appearing to offer the same type of goods, like vintage posters or old brocades.  After going to the older are we had a snack and then walked into the new large two tired shops on the other side of the street.  Soon Suzette found some interesting items.  In one shop she found two small silver salt spoons and a strand of Baccarat cut crystal beads that probably were made for use in chandeliers but would be excellent beads for necklaces.

Kathryn mentioned lunch around noon and we walked toward a restaurant she recommended.

In the block before the recommended restaurant we came upon a fish restaurant named de Navire that was offering fresh mussels and fresh charbroiled sardines.  Since we love both of these seafood items we stopped for lunch at Navire.  We ordered two each of mussels (18 €) and sardines (14.50€) and a bottle of Muscadet sur Lies (22€).  Willy ordered a broiled salmon plate (18€) and we had a pleasant seafood lunch.

We then walked up Bert street and went through the warren of new shops on that side of the Main Street where we found a perfect house gift for Kathryn, a silver napkin ring made in1911 with a lovely iris design on it, high art nouveau.After another hour of shopping during which we found old latches for our gates at home, we stopped for a carafe of rose wine and Willy ordered fresh mint tea. 

Then at 3:30 we made our way back to the apartment after saying goodbye to Willy.  We decided to walk through Monceau Park which was filled with folks picnicking and children riding ponies.  Quite a gay assemblage of humanity.

I was not feeling well so I lay down until 7:00 but Suzette and Kathryn went shopping for freak salmon and asparagus tips.  Kathryn fixed dinner of broiled salmon with yakitori sauce that was cooked to perfection, melt in your mouth fresh and tender, yet flaking at the touch of a fork.  The asparagus were lovely also and she made a sliced tomato salad dressed with fresh balsamic vinegar and basil.

I was still not feeling well so I took two Tylenol and went to bed a dee were able to connect to our Netflix account, so we watched a movie about an English chef who opens a restaurant Ina small English town.

Bon appetit