Marche aux Puces Paris

Marche aux Puces
Those old keys!

I am back from my travels and I don't want to be.....so, just to cheer me up, how about you come along to the marche aux puces avec moi......
I promise, you will have a great time.

When I move to Paris, I know where I can buy all my old flat wear...

I found some old French holy cards and postcards in this box..

Tres chic, wouldn't you say?

The flea market was huge....table after table after table....and I had to see them ALL.

These were tempting but I didn't buy...I think they are rollers for stamping...

I did buy some of these sweet old vintage bags .... I will find a way to include them in my altered book or travel journal.

Hummmmmmm, ant killer?

It was freezing cold and I didn't have warm enough clothes but I was so over-excited I managed to last till I saw everything...
I will show you what I bought in another post (if you want to see).
The Paris flea was great but I have to say I think the Lisbon flea market was better (and cheaper).
Want to see some photos of that?
Let me know in the comments if you do.

I have photos of castles and chateaux, food and outdoor markets, post boxes and post offices, Le Tampographe Sardon  Rubber Stamp Shop, the Musee de la Poste shop, flowers and parks and streets...
Well, let's just say I have A LOT of photos so if you guys are interested in anything special, let me know. I can't post them all.
I posted on Instagram and FaceBook the three weeks I was away but I hope some of these are new. I know a number of my blog readers aren't on IG or FB so I thought I'd share a little here.

What do I like about jet lag?
You're in your very own time zone.
I think I need to go lie down.....

Send Good Mail -- Get Good MailBien sur!

So, what fascinates you?

I am fascinated by old passports. The stories they could tell. I wonder about the people who held them and the places they went.....
And, some -- like this one -- are so filled with visas -- I can't bring myself to cover them up.

This guy.

Bad hair aside....he looks a bit like a hippie....but the places he  went.
I had to google S.A.R. and I'm still not sure what country this is. Anybody know? Is it South Africa?
I love those postage-like stamps they stuck on there....

The visa on the right is for India..more cool stamps and writing...

Jordan is a little off the track.....

Russia

Iran

Bangladesh 

I can't even tell with this one is....

He had an Afghanistan visa in there too...

Nepal

The woman who sold me this passport (Hi Eleanor!) was joking it was a "hippie passport" but I think it was more than that, hippies didn't go to Russian and those Middle Eastern countries back in the 70's. It is a wonderful mystery to me. I would sure like to know his story......wouldn't you?

I went to multiple countries on my last trip and only got ONE crummy passport stamp....no fun at all. I'm trying again again this year.....if they don't start stamping my passport I might have to bring some rubber stamps and stamp it myself!

Flying High

Recently I scored some vintage passports and some of you said you'd like to see them. I got two belonging to Anne Marie...
Now what do you think her job was? Any guesses?

Stewardess!!!!
We call them flight attendants now....

Anne Marie sure got around a lot.....just look at those stamps. I traveled through four countries and my last trip, four borders and I got ONE miserable passport stamp.....
Now that Europe has go to the EU (mostly) no one seems to care when you cross a border and that's just no fun. But, I digress.

Look at the cool Chinese characters on that visa and stamps.

And check out this one -- Afghanistan! She really got around.

Is it me, or is it a little heart-breaking she had a heart and a four leaf clover glued into her passport?

Her other passport had a flower......you know, now we are not allowed to glue random things in our passports...and you know I'd like to.

We are also not supposed to write our social security numbers on things like this..times were a lot different back then (and it was all that long ago).

Apparently Anne Marie studied French in Paris. I really think we would get along. I love the outfits. I had white go go boots so I really shouldn't talk...

I found this guy's passport too....he looks like a player, don't you think? I wonder if he ever met Anne Marie?

So, my passport and I are on the road -- or, maybe I should say, in the air.
I'll keep you posted on Instagram (PamelaArtsinSF) and on the blog's FB page. Or, maybe by sending out a postcard or two.

I sure hope I come home to a BIG pile of mail. Not that that's a hint or anything.

Taking It On the Road (Again)

Fall comes and travel beckons.....
Time to start prepping that travel journal and packing up my art kit and hitting the road.
Actually, it would be easier if I were hitting the road -- we are flying to Portugal, Spain (Basque Country) and Paris and I have to pack LIGHT.
As light as I can anyway.....

I love travel. You might have guessed that by now. The anticipation......I don't think I am going to understand a lot of Portuguese....

I picked up some cookbooks and FADO cd's at the SF Library and I've been getting myself in the mood. Ok, it doesn't take much for me to be in the mood to pack my suitcase...but, as I said, anticipation is nice.

I have had A LOT of time to prep my travel journal. Too much so, in fact. I started over a year ago but the trip had to be cancelled because of the passing of my lovely father-in-law. 

I dragged it back out of the closet and of course I couldn't leave it alone....I had to add a bunch more stuff to it..

Here's how it was....

Here's how it is now....but it will look a lot different at the end of the trip with writing and lots more ephemera stuck inside...(I will be a week in each place so I counted the pages and marked with stick-it notes so be sure I don't run out of room. But, I can add to the book if I have to.

I've tucked in bits of ephemera to add as I go...and you NOW I will be looking for papers on the ground and on walls......
nothing is safe from me.

I've added lots of postage stamps too.....

Perhaps I should study my French?

I passed this baby up -- only $1 too - at the Library Big Book sale and now I am wondering why.
I'd like to speak Spanish with no study or effort, wouldn't you?

When I see grammar like this I just freeze....I speak French like a two year old...and they don't think it's charming.

Packed up and ready to go. I always keep my travel journal with me, in my carry-on. It is my favorite souvenir of the trip. I buy those giant zip lock bags and put the journal inside.
I put my minimal art supplies in another small zip bag and I am ready to roll.
I have a couple of small books to stash in my purse when I'm out and about and I usually work on my big travel journal with coffee in the morning at the hotel....
I can't wait!

I packed a small notebook for making a collage a day. I'm nothing if I'm not ambitious.
SEE YOU ON THE OTHER SIDE!!!!