Paris Parfait

Brocante beauty at Bastille

An artful arrangement of urns, sculptures, busts, 18th-century books and a sculptor's model at Sophie Pretelat's Anges et Demons stand at the Antiquities Brocante at Bastille. Pretelat's eye for acquiring unusual antiques and curiosities - and her styling skills - are frequently featured in books, most recently in Secrets d'interieurs by Michele Lalande and Gilles Trillard.

A 19th-century urn filled with lovely seashells. The brocante at Place de la Bastille continues from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily through May 18.

Stone and plaster birds, an antique birdcage and candlesticks and lamps at Anges et Demons. Visit Pretalat's shop at 14 rue Notre Dame in Cunault, France.

An antique column, 19th-century frames, rolled-up tapestry and an embroidered altarcloth.

Mercury glass candlesticks, a hand-etched frosted-glass goblet, 18th-century books and a framed portrait make up this table display at Anges et Demons. Many more brocante photos to come!

A brocante, a sculptor's model and pickpockets

Parts of 19th-century zinc weathervanes, along with an 18th-century wooden religious retablo, a copper figure on horseback and a 20th-century architectural model of a spiral staircase at the Chinez toutes les Tendances stand at the Antiquities Brocante at Place de la Bastille. The event continues daily from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. through May 18th. Tickets are available at the door. Check back Sunday for more brocante photos.

Be aware the "rakkai" or pickpockets are out in full force on the Paris metro, particularly on Lines 1, 8 and 9. Today I was returning from Bastille, carrying an antique sculptor's model. Two guys tried to grab my handbag, but I'd spotted them already and was prepared. I threatened to hit them with the pot. They grinned and said in French, something to the effect, "You'll break it!" I replied, "Et votre tete aussi (And your head too)." They laughed, but jumped off the train as the doors were closing.

Antique original sculptor's model for a piece ultimately made in silver. I found it at the inimitable Sophie Pretelat's Anges et Demons at Bastille. Thankfully, I didn't have to use it as a weapon against pickpockets on the train!

Spring brocante at Bastille

Early 20th-century advertising poster.

If you're in Paris over the next few days, you may enjoy attending the Antiquites Brocante at Place de la Bastille. The twice-yearly brocante offers some of the best antiques and vintage pieces in Paris, from a wide variety of vendors. Stop by Stand 514 on Boulevard Bastille and say hello to my friend, Monsieur Pettersson. He sells wonderful and unusual antiques and objects d' curiosite - and he speaks English!

The brocante begins at 11 a.m. Thursday - meet me there? - and continues daily through May 18th. Take the Paris metro lines 1, 5 or 8 to Bastille and Quai de la Rapee or bus lines 76, 86 or 91. Parking is available at Opera Bastille. Tickets are available at the door.

A rather weathered toy boat.

A vintage basket contains spools of thread and ribbon. Old tole lampshades are also on offer at a local brocante.

Check back Thursday for photos of Asian-inspired windows at Galeries Lafayette. No time to post them today!

Mai / May / Mayo

Guillame Apollinaire's poem about May, handwritten in French at a spring exhibition at Les Passages in Boulogne-Billancourt.

Endless blue skies and an historic church set behind a town hall, currently under renovation near Le Bon Marche, Paris.

Grey skies more typical of spring in Paris. Construction continues on an underground parking garage and park in my neighbourhood. The work began in 2006 and is scheduled for completion later this year.

Bright pink hortensia softens the urban environment on Ile Saint Louis.

Pimentos - red and green - at a local supermarket.

A brass-and-enamel bed frame at a recent brocante. Remember the old Bob Dylan song, "Lay lady, lay - lay across my big brass bed?"

A vintage foosball game for sale at a brocante. An excellent antiquites brocante at Place de Bastille, Paris begins later this week.

Filling station replicas, Danish modern chairs and a mannequin.

Hats and theatre props. And speaking of props, Europeans and Americans alike are amused by Hillary Clinton's new "guns" mailing.

Plus, that little gas tax holiday stunt Clinton keeps pushing - even though economists oppose it and both she and her husband were against it in 2000 - has earned her the rebuke of a senior member of Congress. An excerpt of George Miller's statement: "“The call by Sens. Clinton and McCain to temporarily suspend the federal tax on gasoline is a short-sighted stunt that will hurt consumers and do nothing to reduce the price of gas. American consumers and our economy need a real solution to the energy crisis, not an empty trick. You can run cars on a lot of different fuels, but snake oil isn’t one of them."

Carved in stone

A tattooed rock at Le Carrefour des Cascades in the Bois de Boulogne, Paris.

Signs of love.

Natural rock formations. Notice the bird hiding at right.

Tranquility at the base of the waterfall.

A view of the waterfall's base from behind a heart-shaped rock formation.

Water cascades down the sides of the rocks.

In many parts of this world water is scarce and precious.
People sometimes have to walk a great distance
then carry heavy jugs upon their heads.

Because of our wisdom, we will travel far for love.
All movement is a sign of Thirst.
Most speaking really says, "I am hungry to know you."

Every desire of your body is holy;
every desire of your body is Holy.
Dear one, why wait until you are dying
to discover that divine Truth?

Hafiz poem from the book "The Subject Tonight is Love" translated by Daniel Ladinsky.

Bagpipes in the Bois

This afternoon while walking my usual route around Hippodrome de Longchamp, an unexpected treat: two French guys playing bagpipes! Speaking of treats, if you're an "Empire Strikes Back" fan, you may appreciate this amusing video.

White flowering trees, high grass and wildflowers are part of the natural beauty of the Bois de Boulogne on the Western edge of Paris.

A cyclist goes past a pink flowering tree opposite rugby grounds in the Bois.

Two trees with entwined branches near one of the many ponds that dot the Bois.

A big pink flowering tree near the outer perimeter of Hippodrome de Longchamp, Europe's biggest flat-racing course.

Flowering branches reflected in the water of a small canal.

Thick white blossoms accent several trees in the Bois.

A lone cypress was a gift from the State of Louisiana in 1983. The tree, located near Le Carrefour des Cascades waterfall, originated from the Gulf of Mexico.

Part of the Longchamp racecourse, viewed from Allee de Longchamp.

A tower for television cameras to record races at Longchamp.

Larking about London

Scaffolding props up the facade of a 19th-century building on Oxford Street, London. Behind the facade, construction is underway on a new space, which will retain the historical facade. In the building at left, a flag is reflected in the window's glass.

A jumble of cooking wares caught in a fisherman's net at Divertimenti in Knightsbridge, London. The Brompton Oratory is reflected in the glass.

The spring-themed window in an upscale charity shop on Brompton Road.

A giant lipstick tube - Heatherette for M.A.C. Cosmetics - in a window display at Selfridges on Oxford Street.

Banners advertising an ongoing exhibition at the Natural History Museum on Cromwell Road.

Children and their parents line up for tickets to the giant maze and butterfly house at the Natural History Museum.

Boxed plants suspended from iron railings outside buildings on Cromwell Road.

Sunday morning at Puce de Vanves

An antique dealer entertains shoppers with his guitar skills Sunday morning on Avenue Marc Sangnier at the Puce de Vanves. Susan of Soozphotoz and her daughter Sara and I spent the morning shopping and chatting and shopping and chatting. No, I can't show you my purchases, which are for friends I'll be seeing during my travels in May.

A curious keyboard on wheels on Avenue Georges Lafenestre. The flea market at Vanves is open every Saturday and Sunday morning. Plan on arriving early for the best choice.

A group of cane-bottomed bistro chairs.

Vintage Barbies, complete with original box. Susan and I remember the Barbies in the yellow-and-white lace dress and strapless striped one from childhood.

McCain's double-talk about New Orleans

Oh and he's still refusing to denounce an endorsement from the right-wing Rev. John Hagee, who this week reiterated his 2006 claim that Hurricane Katrina was punishment for the sins of New Orleans residents.

“It’s nonsense, it’s nonsense, it’s nonsense, it’s nonsense, it’s nonsense. I don’t have anything additional to say. It’s nonsense, it’s nonsense, it’s nonsense, I don’t have anything more to say….it’s nonsense. I reject that categorically,” McCain told reporters.

And speaking of nonsense, Rush Limbaugh has called for race riots in Denver! Where is the Federal Communications Commission - allowing a talk show host to incite listeners to riot??!!

Meanwhile Hillary Clinton is telling more tall tales about her knowledge of her husband's pardon of two domestic terrorists. No doubt the Republicans will have a field day with this one!

Take a risk

A form of bungee jumping deemed safe for children at Hippodrome de Longchamp, Paris.

To one
     Who smells the sun,
          Eyes shut and tastes that rain is sweet;
Who hears
     Music, but fears
          Its presence in empty gardens; or, discreet,
Only observes
     The nerves
          And fibers of a painting - shade, technique;
What is
     Beyond analysis
          Is perilous: we must not wish to seek
And cry
     'This is what I
          Love, what I cherish!' Instead, be wary of such
Intensity
     That we
          May never be hurt or happy or anything too
much.

Poem from the novel Beginner's Greek by James Collins. For those who are sitting on the fence, afraid to take a leap forward, I encourage you to be brave. Take a risk. Dare to open your heart. Truly LIVE your life in capital letters!

Brocante basics

I am off to London until Sunday, so here are more photos of the recent brocante at Chatou, France. All being well, timed posts will appear daily in my absence.

A gilt mirror frame and painting from Brittany are among the antiques on offer.

I adore the cherry red wooden chairs!

Vintage drawers and cabinets offer storage space for cuisine or office.

A variety of traditional French pottery on offer at Chatou.

Chairs aged with a paint effect and recovered in a floral brocade.

Two marble Grecian-style panels, a chest of drawers and Flemish chandelier.

A Napoleon I Empire chair and Egyptian-influenced stone urns.

A desk from the British ship HMS Portsmouth.

A small circus ride for children features a horse, bear and elephant.

An alabaster bust, twin vases and a decorative fan-shaped panel adorned with gilt cherubs.

A bow and arrow astride two endtables.

Curiosities at Centre Pompidou

Some curious sculptures and works of art at the Centre Pompidou, Paris.

This made me laugh out loud.

And I find it so refreshing to hear a politician speak the truth.

More alike than different

Arched windows, Mosquee de Paris

“Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I will meet you there.” - Rumi 1207-1273.

"You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way and the only way, it does not exist.” - Friedrich Nietzsche 1844-1900.

"Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.” - Rumi.

Longchamp en cours

Headed towards victory at Hippodrome de Longchamp, Paris.

A view of part of the course, pre-race. I live across the street and walk or bike around the exterior of Longchamp nearly every day.

Another view of the course with the lucky horseshoe finish line. If you look closely, you'll notice the Eiffel Tower peeking out above the trees of the Bois du Boulogne.

The pre-race parade rink and winner's circle.

Before the race...

The winner's circle

Anticipation: Jockeys wait for their mounts.

Headed towards the course.

A pony for the children to ride. The next races at Longchamp begin at 1 p.m. Sunday, April 13.

And here is some hope and inspiration for Americans who are struggling.

Vintage dolls and seeds of possibility

Today I have been a busy woman, writing up a storm; chasing away gloom; dispelling doubt and planting magical seeds of possibility. I've also been listening to this song, an old favourite.

Photos of vintage poupees from the recent brocante at Chatou.

Religious icon.

Elfin dolls.

Southern belle.

Two quirky dolls in a wicker wine crate.

Dutch treats in wooden clogs.

Two real live dolls, although one doesn't seem very happy.

Industrial chic at Chatou

A tall chest with original numbers revealed by a paint treatment at Julie Isore's Agape, pictured at the recent brocante at Ile de Chatou, France. (Yes, that tall chest came home with me - and there is no room for it anywhere)!

An industrial steel serving cart and hospital sidetables.

Original Tolix stools and blue bobbin chests.

A vignette of bottles and books at Agape.

A zinc industrial barrel turned into a light fixture. Check out the Hermes-orange numbered lockers in the background.

A zinc patterned l'oeil du boeuf from Geraldine Michaelis's Une Chanson Douce.

Oeil du boeuf zinc window casings that once graced a chateau.

An old stove and a hodgepodge of rusty watering cans and other utilitarian items.

Zinc buckets in an iron daybed frame at Chatou. Another brocante at Chatou is scheduled in September.

Spotlight on Bedouin villages

A jumble of industrial light fixtures at a brocante at Chatou, France.

Lucy Mair of Human Rights Watch writes from Jerusalem about land and housing rights violations in Israel's unrecognized Bedouin villages:

"We sat on the dusty ground outside a makeshift tent in the Bedouin village of Um Mitnan in April 2006, talking to some women whose homes had recently been destroyed by the government. One stared at the rubble and asked, "Why would they demolish such basic structures? You can hardly call them homes. We didn't even have electricity. It's not that we built palaces, it's just cement blocks on the sides and a tin roof."

"Even for seasoned human rights workers and international journalists, the poverty and desolation of Israel's unrecognized Bedouin villages in the Negev comes as a shock. Perhaps it is the constant threat of a bulldozer crashing into one's home; or the extreme contrast with some of Israel's wealthiest communities nearby; or perhaps the fact that the Bedouin are not refugees in a war-torn country, but rather full fledged citizens of one of the most prosperous countries in the Middle East. Bedouin serve in the Israeli army, practice law and medicine and work as professors in Ben Gurion University of the Negev. Yet when Bedouin return to a home in one of these unrecognized villages at the end of the day it is often to a ramshackle hut, with no electricity or running water, a home that state-owned bulldozers may demolish at any time.

"Many Israelis believe the country's Bedouin citizens deserve their lot; that they have trespassed onto land that wasn't theirs and willfully built without proper permits. Yet during months of research for Human Rights Watch I found the opposite to be true. Bedouin presence on this land in the Negev dates back generations. Some Bedouin have documents to show that their fathers and grandfathers bought land from other Bedouin or paid land taxes to the Ottoman and British authorities before the state of Israel was founded. Others showed Human Rights Watch the ruins of family homes and school buildings from decades ago, or graveyards where their ancestors were buried in the 1800s. And others showed us military orders asking Bedouin to "temporarily" leave their villages in the early 1950s.

"But these displaced Bedouin were never allowed to return to their ancestral villages. Israel passed a series of laws in the 1950s and 60s confiscating the land from which the Bedouin were displaced and registering it in the name of the state. In the 1960s, when Israel drew up its first master plan, planners purposefully ignored the Bedouin villages, rendering them illegal with a stroke of the pen, thus denying them access to building permits and basic services. These state actions are the root cause of the terrible conditions that tens of thousands of Israel's Bedouin citizens endure to this day.

"The land dispute between the state and the Bedouin is now before the Goldberg Commission. The Commission, appointed by the Ministry of Housing in October 2007 and headed by former state comptroller and retired Supreme Court Justice Eliezer Goldberg will present its findings and recommendations this June. The commission cannot afford to ignore Israel's basic human rights obligations. These include tackling pervasive discrimination in land allocation and planning policies in Israel and combating the unlawful way in which home demolitions are carried out in the Bedouin community.

"It does Israel no credit to deny secure tenure and adequate housing to a whole segment of its population and it undermines Israel's stated goal of developing the Negev. Redressing years of injustice is not easy, but some of Israel's allies, such as Canada and Australia, have embarked on legal and political processes to provide some modicum of land and housing rights to their indigenous populations.

"As a first step, Israel should place an immediate moratorium on all demolitions and complement the work of the government-appointed Goldberg Commission by setting up an entirely independent body to investigate Bedouin complaints. This is the least the state can do to try and win back the hope and the trust of its Bedouin community."

Square des Batignolles

Five ducks converge in a small manmade canal at Square des Batignolles, Paris.

Square des Batignolles, 17th arrondissement, Paris.

A sculpture of vultures in the middle of a pond.

Out and about Paris

News kiosk, Paris, March 29, 2008.

Impromptu performance by an all-girl brass band, Square des Batignolles, 17th arrondissement.

Vintage bicycle hoisted over a wooden fence, alongside paintings and a mirror, antiquites brocante.

Wrought iron baby bed draped with purple tulle and flowers. Check back later for more photos. The brocante continues from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily through April 6th at the Square des Batignolles, Metro line 13 direction Asnieres-Genevilliers to Brochant.

Feeding the ducklings, Square des Batignolles park.

A pigeon in the park.

Sign over a doll repair shop, 17th arrondissement.

Strong women and society's dictates

Perhaps this is some French guy's subversive sense of humour or even a political statement - a naked and battered female doll suspended by her shoulders from bungee cords at the recent brocante at Ile de Chatou, France. Whatever impression the seller was trying to make, the rather disturbing doll certainly attracted attention - most of it negative - from passers-by.

Here's Johann Hari's insightful article in The Independent lamenting the demise of strong women as portrayed by both Hollywood and the media. I agree with the premise that society's dictates, particularly in Hollywood (and in politics) often undermine women and their talents and strengths. What do you think?

Spring fever

Have just come home absolutely drenched from a walk in the rain - the pouring-soak-through-your-shoes kind of rain that leaves puddles of water everywhere - but I am smiling, because it's spring, with all its accompanying joy and possibility.

Flowers are blooming, new chapters are being written and leaps of faith taken. The heady delirium of spring fever can't be diminished by a few rainshowers. And listening to this makes me happy. What is making you smile today? Whatever you're doing, hope you have a lovely weekend ahead!