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Eclectic finds at the Bastille Circle market in Paris -
Secret doorway to guest rooms in the Oh-La-La in Paris -
A get-away tucked away on the streets of Paris -
Some hotels required an open mind - and a sense of humor -
Offerings of a fruit stall at an outdoor market in Paris -
Flowers available at Paris market -
Paris outdoor market contains offerings of everything imaginable -
A view back into the lobby from the secret staircase in the Oh-La-La hotel in Paris -
Tiny but mighty, tiny lobby serves its purpose at the Oh-La-La hotel
Fourth in a series
Last time, I wrote about enjoying a walk to the Bastille Circle in Paris and along the Coulee Verte Rene-Dumont, marveling at the abandoned elevated rail bed that’s been repurposed into a beautifully landscaped public greenway.
I thoroughly enjoyed that afternoon of Paris outdoors, and so later returned to the Bastille Circle area after receiving a Facebook comment, from a Lake Providence friend, recommending the Bastille Circle Street Market experience. Especially since the October weather in Paris was still excellent, that sounded like a great idea.
Preparing for my street market visit, I purchased a reusable canvas grocery bag at a local convenience store. I also placed euro coins, and small denomination euro bills, in the pockets of my pants. I wanted to avoid taking my wallet out in public and fumbling with it while sorting through a mix of dollars and euros. I planned to take some photos at the Bastille Circle Street Market with my iPhone, but folks seem to be wary of appearing in public-street photos these days. I figured there was less chance of being confronted if I were seen as a shopper, with shopping bag in hand, making purchases here and there. It worked out well.
The Bastille Circle Street Market was larger in size than I had expected. There were numerous – I’ve read more than 100 vendors – canvas tent-covered stands full of colorful fresh fruit and vegetables, along with flowers and other items. The merchants’ stands were set up in the open space between the lanes of Boulevard Richard-Lenoir, starting at Bastille Circle. Folks in New Orleans would call that open space of Boulevard Richard-Lenoir the “neutral ground,” like Carrollton and St. Charles.
The crowd of shoppers was large and enthusiastic. I noticed bakery stands and clothing displays, sometimes adjacent to each other. There were racks of big, neon-colored purses or tote bags. I saw some prepared food items here and there. There was one small stand that displayed various home and personal products such as shampoo, hand cleaner and laundry detergent. That stand was also colorful. I was surprised to see antique furniture for sale at one location. Cheese and seafood were also on display.
The produce merchants of Bastille Circle Street Market generously, and enthusiastically, offered samples of their various types of fruit. I accepted several of those offers and found everything to be delicious. The persimmons, figs and tangerines seemed much fresher and tastier than what I’ve had in the USA in recent years. I found the merchants and the crowd of shoppers very friendly and easy-going. My Bastille Street Market experience was a nice outdoors activity and an excellent chance to mingle with regular folks who seemed to be locals.
As evening approached and I was still in the Bastille Circle area, I decided to use my iPhone to look online for a hotel. I found one within one hundred feet or so from the Bastille Circle Street Market, named the “Oh-La-La Hotel.” Funny name, but it had good ratings online and was reasonably priced. I was tired from being on my feet all day, so I decided to book a room using the Oh-La-La Hotel’s website. Now that I had a hotel room, I continued to explore the neighborhood and dropped by a café for coffee and to charge my devices.
The Oh-La-La Hotel had a nondescript entrance with a single door and a sign that simply read “Hotel.” Had it not been for the small, purplish neon sign in the front window with “Oh La La!” spelled out in script, I would’ve thought I was at the wrong address. Upon entering the front door to the hotel, I found a tiny lobby.
The tiny lobby had a front desk manned by a clerk who was also the bartender. The desk clerk simply turned from one side to the other to either serve drinks or check in a guest. After handing me my second-floor room key, the desk clerk directed me toward a bookcase that was full of books. “Through the bookcase and up the stairs,” the clerk said with a grin. Intriguing!
I walked the 10 feet from the front desk to the bookcase and gave it a pull on the left side. Sure enough, the bookcase swung open with ease and behind the bookcase was the staircase up to the guest rooms. I didn’t notice an elevator and the front desk clerk didn’t mention one. But I would much rather walk through a secret, hidden bookcase entrance to the stairs any day rather than take a boring elevator.
I found a very clean, well-appointed modern room. The bathroom was top-notch. One surprise was the bed. It was located on an elevated platform portion of the room but was set low, as if on the floor of the platform. A bit unusual, but it was in keeping with the other eccentricities of the Oh-La-La.
Most importantly, the bed was very comfortable, and I slept well. The next morning however, I did have to think through how best to stand up from the floor-level bed. It involved some weight-throwing, leverage and physics. Ask me about it if you see me.
Next time, more wandering around Paris before departing for the Mediterranean coast.
