branches up, roots down

Our second day in Paris started with a visit to the Clignancourt flea market . It’s the biggest in Paris , and we spent hours there, but only managed to traverse a small portion of the whole. After blocks of vendors hawking cheap clothing and souvenirs, we turned a corner onto a street that led to a maze of antique dealers. Dusty old dolls, ancient stuffed lions, and mirrors darkened with age surrounded us. Despite thousands of other weird and beautiful old things, we came away with only one purchase, an old Limoges souvenir plate of Paris . The dollar is so low, even the flea market prices seem exorbitant. Then a bus to Montmartre and a walk around the bustling streets filled with other tourists trying to capture the spirit of the place. The artists were priced out almost a century back, and what is left is an aggressive contingent of guys who will sketch a caricature of you for far too much money. And beauty everywhere; with a breath taking view of Paris from the cathedral a...

We are now in Paris and its April and there are cherry- or are they chestnut? - trees in bloom everywhere and there is intermittent rain, but not in a cold way, just enough to give it that classic Parisian atmosphere and not enough to keep us indoors. My girlfriend has shown a knack for renting perfect apartments in just the right place. In Barcelona we were in the old gothic quarter, on a narrow alley in the midst of a maze of streets only open to foot traffic. Here in Paris , we are up three – or is it four? – flights of ancient stairs in a sweet apartment above the Rue des Rivoli, a few blocks from the Seine . Our apartment overlooks an old courtyard, and couldn’t be lovelier except for the fact that it’s about half the price of any “moderate” hotel. Thank the Goddess for Craigslist and a savvy girlfriend. Oh, and by the way, the dollar is at an all time low. There will be no shopping sprees on this trip. The treasures we will be bringing home will be the memories. ...