For years my family (in particular my parents in this case) has always celebrated Christmas in the big-fat Indonesian way. This translates to open-house + tons of food and drinks + plenty of guests coming including my parents' friends and relatives.
Since it has been going on for years and years, enough is the correct word for this mundane and extremely boring tradition. This time, we thought we need to do something different. So we decided to celebrate Christmas and New Year in France, visiting Paris and small cities in the South of France as well as visiting my brother in law's side of family.
Arriving early morning in Paris, we dropped off our bags in the hotel. Since our hotel is just a few walks away from the Eiffel tower and we only had 4 days to spend in Paris, we decided to start our exploration (ahem, I hope I don't sound too exaggerating) further out of the central of Paris, heading in the north. The object of interest is Les Puces de Saint-Ouen, or let's call it Les Puces.
Many of Indonesian tourists do not have any idea of Les Puces let alone heard about it. Well, if you are one of my Indonesian readers, let me introduce you to one of Paris not to be missed thrift markets. Les Puces is a flea market comprises of a wide variety of shops selling vintage stuffs. It spans more or less on a 7 hectares of land. From postcards, posters, clothes, furniture and the like to something we might struggle to figure out what to do with the thing, all can be found here in Les Puces.
One example is this old Air France passenger seats item. Dare to buy?
Or this giant rounded-shape object which (really) I even do not know the name of the that thing. At first I thought it was a UFO thingy...well...I guess I was wrong.
But, believe me or not, some people do really purchase unique vintage goods like the pictures above.
Perhaps, if I have enough money to spend in the future, I would not mind spending it on this exquisite Chesterfield sofa.
And some "period drama" clothes like this one below.
It reminds me of those characters in Marie Antoinette movie.
Not to forget one of the clock on the display below.
Apart from the unique experience of trotting down Les Puces, there were two drawbacks that I experienced. First, was the fact that many of the shops were not opened that day (we went on a Monday in December 2016). Was it because it was winter or because it was Monday. Well, I am clueless on the answer. Second, I could not find an item that I am interested in buying that suits my budget.
But, all in all, I am pleased to be able to visit this place. I will, for sure, return one day...preferably when the weather is not that cold. wink*
If you plan to drop this place a visit then, here are some of my suggestions for you to consider:
- Check the opening time of Les Puces at their website because they do not open everyday.
- Be there early: 10AM or 11AM. The place tends to get busier later on the day.
- Grab some breakfast at your hotel, though there are many places to eat in Les Puces, not all of them open early in the morning.
- Since I did not purchase anything, kindly browse some websites that can advise you on how to bargain the price before you end up buying an item.
- Either you just want a stroll or really looking for something, be really careful with your belongings. I heard pickpockets can do happen.
Our next destination after Les Puces is the Montmatre area. It is still somewhere in the north of Paris, not very far away from Les Puces. But, let's have it in my next post. So, stay tuneeee!
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