There are also temporary brocantes where vendors set up their wares for several days on sidewalks throughout the city, mainly from spring to autumn. I snapped a few photos to give you a flavor of what is sold at these temporary brocantes.

Sometimes you are lucky enough to just stumble upon one while you are out and about in Paris like I was last summer under Pont Alexandre III. If not, you can find a listing of upcoming brocantes (here and here). Although the sites are in French, don't worry. I have included a few tips to help you navigate them. First of all, the dates listed are not only for brocantes, but for other types of temporary sales.

For instance, the sites include dates for vide greniers, which are somewhat equivalent to an American neighborhood block sale. And they include sales for collectors of specific things such as stamps and postcards (Marché aux Timbres et Aux Cartes Postales). So, just look for the word brocante on the website.

Secondly, these sites don't always provide the exact times or locations of the sales. Generally, I try to hit a sale around 11am as many vendors close up shop at lunch time often between 1:00pm and 2pm. Some of the addresses are easier to decipher. If the sale is at a place (e.g., Place d'Aligre) it is fairly easy to pinpoint on a map. Addresses that are just street names are a bit tricker (e.g. avenue Felix Faure) as you don't know exactly where the sale is on the street. I wear comfortable shoes and expect that I may need to poke around the street a bit to find the sale. Lastly, bring cash and hopefully you will leave the brocante with some little treasure to serve as a memory of your time in Paris.

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My favorite shop is at 8, rue du Cherche-Midi, 75006 where the bakery actually started in 1932. It now includes five locations with three in Paris and the others in London (see list here).

Two of the bakeries in Paris have expanded to include a restaurant (Cusine de Bar) where you can enjoy a tartine (open-faced sandwich) on the famous Poilâne bread as well as a salad and a drink of your choice for a very reasonable price (see list here).

I can't wait to order the tartine au thon (tuna) with a glass of their house white wine and I will be sure to save room for some of their butter cookies (punitions) from the bakery next door.

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They have hundreds (if not thousands) of photographs in the store and I found most of them to be reasonably priced (under 100€).

But I had the most fun going through their bins of bargain priced photographs (under 5€) in the back of the store. I found some great photographs of Paris that I will give as gifts to the fellow Francophiles in my life.

P.S. You can access the back of the store through the marché or the front of it via the street at 35-37 rue Charlot, 75003.

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 It has some beautiful ribbons and a small offering of yarn and fabric.

But what causes my heart to beat a little faster is the buttons. They have the most incredible buttons. Rows and rows of buttons in just about every color and size.

I was only able to sneak a few photos because the store does not allow photographs to be taken. Unfortunately, my photos do not do justice to the quaintness of this shop, so I really hope you can stop by sometime and see it for yourself.

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Fear not, if you are not able to visit one of the stores in person. As I mentioned, they have recently published a cookbook (buy it here). There is much more to this cookbook than the 95 tempting recipes included in it. The book includes amusing tales of the history of the store, touching interviews with their customers and gorgeous photographs.

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P.S. There are a number of theaters in Paris where you can watch films in English. If you would like to watch a movie in English, look for American movies designated version originale (VO). The VO signifies the movie is shown in the original language with French subtitles versus version française (VF). 

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P.S. If you would like to buy une fève, you can usually find these porcelain charms at French flea markets.  

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