Today I got an early start because I wanted to try a couple of brocante markets and be home early to have a chance to talk with Deb. I got on the Metro by around 8:10 and got down to the first one by about 8:45 as this market runs most days and shuts down by 1:30. So when I got there I was actually early and they were still setting up. There were only about 5 dealers that were fully setup while the rest were still setting stuff out. So I went to the ones that were setup and then cycled through the ones setting up to see what new things were coming out. I did that for perhaps an hour and then decided to go to the other sale, which ran from 8:00 to 4:00.
It took a couple buses to get there but I was hoping to see as many as 45 dealers offering things. The reality was that only about 20 showed up, the day started foggy and cool, and I got through them in very little time. I saw one interesting thing but they wanted too much money, so I passed on it. At that point it was just after noon so I decided to take another little jaunt to an area that we have not been to before, the area around Place Nation, in the eastern part of the 11th arr. I caught a bus that was going right to it and in about 20 minutes I was out and walking around the place. It is very large, maybe as large as the circle around the Arch de Triumph, but it doesn't have a large monument like that. What it does have is a large circular park in the middle with a lovely bronze sculpture by Dalou, called the "Triomphe de la Republique" in the center. At the eastern end it also has a couple columns that marked the edge of Paris around the time of Louis XIV. It was called the Place du Trone originally because it is where Louis XIV was crowned after his wedding to Maria Therese of Spain. It was also the spot of the most active guillotine during the French Revolution.
After my little wander of the area I walked back to Place Bastille and caught the Metro but since it was still fairly early I took it out to the end of the subway line. One of the stops is called "Eglise de Pantin" and I wanted to see if there was really a church there or not, so I got out. As soon as I came out of the subway there was the church, it's not terribly large and quite poor I think. It is a designated national historic building, but it is very much in need of repair (note the buttressing on the column at the right). It dates back to the 17th century and is pretty but very modest. I did go on out to the end and walked around a bit then took the Metro back to the apartment in order to catch Deb early in her day.
It took a couple buses to get there but I was hoping to see as many as 45 dealers offering things. The reality was that only about 20 showed up, the day started foggy and cool, and I got through them in very little time. I saw one interesting thing but they wanted too much money, so I passed on it. At that point it was just after noon so I decided to take another little jaunt to an area that we have not been to before, the area around Place Nation, in the eastern part of the 11th arr. I caught a bus that was going right to it and in about 20 minutes I was out and walking around the place. It is very large, maybe as large as the circle around the Arch de Triumph, but it doesn't have a large monument like that. What it does have is a large circular park in the middle with a lovely bronze sculpture by Dalou, called the "Triomphe de la Republique" in the center. At the eastern end it also has a couple columns that marked the edge of Paris around the time of Louis XIV. It was called the Place du Trone originally because it is where Louis XIV was crowned after his wedding to Maria Therese of Spain. It was also the spot of the most active guillotine during the French Revolution. 
After my little wander of the area I walked back to Place Bastille and caught the Metro but since it was still fairly early I took it out to the end of the subway line. One of the stops is called "Eglise de Pantin" and I wanted to see if there was really a church there or not, so I got out. As soon as I came out of the subway there was the church, it's not terribly large and quite poor I think. It is a designated national historic building, but it is very much in need of repair (note the buttressing on the column at the right). It dates back to the 17th century and is pretty but very modest. I did go on out to the end and walked around a bit then took the Metro back to the apartment in order to catch Deb early in her day.
No comments:
Post a Comment