Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Paris

MARCHÉ AUX PUCES DE LA PORTE DE VANVES. AVENUE GEORGES LAFENESTRE & AVENUE MARC SANGNIER, 75014 PARIS. EVERY WEEKEND OF THE YEAR.

Don’t be dismayed at the view as you emerge from the Porte de Vanves Metro stop, early on a Saturday morning. Streetscape aesthetics are of secondary importance to the flock of white vans over there across the road. Be drawn fatefully towards them, for that way leads to adventures in happy kismet. Over 300 flea-marketeers are about hold you spellbound for hours. Crammed on tables, piled on blankets, you will find landscapes, papyrus, diamonds, laces, nutcrackers, wedding dresses, swords, spiders, bibles, maps, lamps, the most beautiful modernist chest of drawers: time travel piece by piece. Prices can be astonishing, at either end of the spectrum. Ignore them. Hold out as many crispy Euros as you think that painting is worth, raise your eyebrows jauntily and take your chances. At about 1pm these treasures will disappear surprisingly quickly back into the white vans. You will go home on the Metro with many flimsy plastic bags and an aura of contentment.

Miller and Bertaux

Paris

http://michigirl.com/

MILLER ET BERTAUX 17, RUE FERDINAND DUVAL. LE MARAIS. PARIS, 75004

Miller et Bertaux

By Emma Worrall

12th Oct, 2011

They label their perfumes ‘from our trips, with love’.
Call them ‘A quiet morning’, or ‘Shanti Shanti’.
Petales de roses et santal des Indes, Iris pales, feuilles des patchouly, baies roses et cardamone…
You don’t need to have French to imagine that on your skin.
Or ‘green, green, green and…green’. Tranquility itself.
In the shop two professors, shocks of grey hair, were conferring earnestly with a young Japanese woman.
They were the Miller and Bertaux, and she was showing her embroidery.
I saw it later, restless threads on a pilgrimage of homespun. Little cloth bags.
This place is kind of holy. Make sure you come here.