***We've mentioned before that each little community of Paris seems to schedule a summer sale. These are a combination of private sellers clearing out closets and dealers making a living. The quality of sellers and goods varies widely, with some of the sales being high-end antique fairs and some showing goods barely above trash level (but, to be fair, priced accordingly.) Things are so expensive in Paris, that most folks are happy to find a bargain. And of course, Warren and I are addicted to looking.***Accordingly, we set off this morning for a sale in a nearby neighborhood. As Warren mentioned, we're adapting our schedules to the summer heat and the Tour de France, and are getting out earlier in the morning and spending hot afternoons avidly watching the Tour. We'd been enjoying the luxury of avoiding morning rush hours but the heat will lure us out earlier.
***After a short walk, and a climb over an iron railroad bridge (with my grumpy knees nagging) we found the sale, spread over several blocks, and started our stroll. It's fun to see what people have and to visit with the sellers. At this sale, there were lots of clothes to be had - vibrant colored new things from African and Indian dealers and lots of second-hand things from private sellers. After years of Colorado garage-saling, I'm amazed at the prices used clothes bring here. People tend to take good care of their clothes and to choose carefully due to limited closet space. It's amusing to see folks carefully trying on things over their other clothes and asking for mirrors and opinions. And then the bargaining begins...
***Speaking of clothes, there are many neighbors of African extraction in our neighborhood, and the women's outfits are a continual delight to me. They look like brilliant tropical flowers walking the streets. I don't know enough to recognize the ethnic groups, but many of the women wear ornately wrapped headscarves that match their long, brilliantly colored dresses .Often they have a shawl in a complimentary, but not matching pattern. Their color-sense and pattern mixing is a delight. Sometimes they will have embroidered rhinestones or spangles of some sort that sparkle in the sun. Against their dark skins the effect is stunning. I never tire of seeing them moving gracefully around the quartier.*** I was the victim of a pickpocketing attempt this morning from an African neighbor. She must have been about 6 months old and was dozing off on her mom's back in the swath of cloth that her mom was using as a "baby carrier". Her little starfish hand came out and grasped my bag strap which startled me, and then her, when I looked around. She gave me a sleepy smile as I disengaged her tiny hand, and her mom apologized profusely. Ah, crime is everywhere here...
***I do think, though, that a bunch of the perfume that is for sale in these garage sales is suspect. The prices are just too good to be true.
***Other things for sale - used and new tools of every sort, ditto cell phones and computer stuff. And most of all toys and kids' stuff. Neverendingly amusing to see kids just stopped in their tracks by all the choices from some other kid's closet. You have to watch carefully where you are stepping to not trip over some little shopper who will be squatting on the sidewalk, oblivious of anyone else, going through a box of model cars, one by one. And the chance to get children's clothing at a better price is a big draw, since the kids so often outgrow things before wearing them out.
***Other things for sale - beautiful books, and books in general, which also sell at what seem like high prices to me, but the French have always loved books, and have some of the healthiest publishing businesses in the world. Wish my French reading skills were better, but all the special literary tenses are daunting to me... I can barely cope with the basic tenses I need for everyday use. When I'm speaking, everything I ever knew about appropriate verb usage seems to dribble out my ears. Fortunately, people are kind and patient. Since most people speak more than one language, they know how hard it is.
***And of course, no gathering here would be complete without special food. You couldn't possible come to any sort of public event without the possibility of eating something (ignoring the fact that there were several bistros and such open on each corner) so there was a tent with folks grilling marguez sausages and making couscouses of various types and selling pieces of homemade cakes and tarts. The smell of the grilling sausages was enough to make a person swoon. Unfortunately, so was the heat, so we heading back for cold Rose wine and sausages of our own and lots of chilled fruit. I'm gobbling apricots as fast as I can, knowing that the season will soon be over.
HAPPY 4TH OF JULY to all our friends back in the U.S.
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