After working yesterday morning i hopped on the Metro and headed up to the Marché aux Puces St-Ouen. After walking for what seemed like miles through a warren of t-shirt and running shoe stalls you come to the antique section of the market, or one of them anyway. I was there for a couple of hours and only made it through the one section. The dealers don't like people to take pictures but i snuck a few anyway. There were lots of curious things to see and the vendors don't mind chatting if you seem interested. One lady gave me a short course on the history of mannequins, which use to be made of wax.
While i was browsing around there was an announcement over a public address system every once in awhile that i didn't pay any attention to. I thought it must be for lost children or cars with their headlights on or something. Then all of a sudden a woman about ten feet from me was screaming and yelling and there was money all over the pavement. A woman had tried to steal her purse. There was a general commotion and lots of exasperated french chatter and patting of the woman's shoulder after she had collected her things off the ground. When the announcement next came on i listened to it an realized it was a description of a pickpocket who was working the market. Crime in the big city.
Crucifixes seem to be a dime a dozen. Well maybe not quite that cheap, but certainly plentiful.
And here's a little souvenir i picked up. I even haggled for it. Holy spirit of the pickpockets.
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