There are many flea markets in Paris, but the most famous is Les Puces de Saint-Ouen, or, as it is usually called, Les Puces (“The Fleas”). About 6.5 kilometers* (four miles) north of the Paris city center, just outside the 18th arrondissement, it’s located between Métro stops Porte de Clignancourt and Porte de St-Ouen.
by Rick Steves
by Steven Cole; Lowell, MI
I am a man who absolutely loves to shop, something that makes my wife’s female friends extremely jealous. I even love to grocery shop. But most of all, I love to shop for things for our home on our trips abroad.
Richard Lowe of Pahrump, Nevada, wrote, “When traveling, I troll markets and flea markets looking for things I can’t find in the USA, mainly antiques, art (especially prints and posters), knicknacks and small, tasteful furniture. I am especially drawn to pottery and vases.
ITN asked, “Where have you had the best ice cream outside of the United States?” In the last two issues, subscribers have shared their favorite ice cream parlors in Italy and in the Western Hemisphere (sans USA). This month they take you around the world.
We asked, “Where have you had the best ice cream outside of the United States?” We requested that you name the particular shop (along with its address or approximate location) and include when you were there and the approximate price of a treat.
A group tour of Western Europe I took in fall 2010 included a visit to Amsterdam. While there, several tour members tried marijuana, bought from one of the coffee shops.
We asked you, “Where have you had the best ice cream outside of the United States?” We requested that you name the particular shop (and include its address or approximate location) and include when you were there and the approximate price of a treat.
Everyone knows that the first rule of travel is ‘Don’t drink the water,’ but on my trip to Egypt and Jordan, Feb. 23-March 12, 2010, I was amazed at how few people had learned the second rule: ‘Don’t shop where your guide takes you!’
Throughout the world, owners of tourist-trap shops pay large kickbacks (read “bribes”) to the guides, tour companies, taxi drivers and even street people who bring you to their stores.
In regard to Rick Steves’ article on shopping and souvenirs (April ’10, pg. 63), I would like to add my favorite souvenirs.