In which our intrepid heroine braves the markets of Paris.

10:49am

I'm absurdly happy, considering how much money I just spent - but I've got the new Kylie, the last Kylie (Australian tour edition with bonus cd), Alizee (I'd been hearing 'Moi... Lolita' everywhere for months before I realised it was in French) and random choice: Brigette Fontaine.

[I've never bought Kylie before and it was quite a shock when the rush of blood had cleared.]

10:53am

I'm on my way down to see if I can find a flea market. The Picturesque Committee put an old lady on the scene just in time for me to see her shopping cart, with a baguette and a single long-stemmed red rose, disappear into an ancient apartment building. I really want a photo of the cops but I'm too scared to ask. Those little hats!

1:07pm

Le Bucheron, Rue de Rivoli, 4e

I almost hate how Paris is so much more beautiful than any city has a right to be.

I'm about to have lunch in cafe in Rue de Rivoli. I was going to save money and have a picnic, but fuck it, it's Paris. I'll have to go tomorrow and get some wine, and some framboise Pim's biscuits cos I haven't seen those before.

It's funny how French some people look. Fraser will love the French girl's noses. It's really made it obvious that a small plastic surgery Barbie doll nose might make you pretty, but an interesting or odd one can make you beautiful.

Found the market this morning, was tempted by some of the jackets but wasn't at all confident of my bargaining ability and didn't want to have to lug it back to Amsterdam on the train.

Took a photo of an old lady running a stall. I walked around the flea market trying to work out how to ask her for permission and how to work out if I should give her money but in the end, I only had to say "Bonjour madame! Pardon, je voudrais une photo (insert action of miming taking a photo here)" and she just said yes! I realised later I really should have tried to fill the frame, but hopefully it'll turn out anyway. It's sunnier now so I might take more photos.

I wrote that whole sentence down cos I'm still pretty impressed that I can say anything at all in French.

I was making my way back to the hostel, got lost, and had to say to an old man, "Ou est moi?". He laughed but was incredibly sweet about helping me.