Les Puces de Marseille

Paris might be for lovers, but Marseille is…well, I don’t know who it is for – but is definitely not for the faint of heart. I’ve been in France’s second city for three days now and can’t seem to make up my mind. Do I really love Marseille’s curious mix of grittiness and chique or should I come back in about ten years or so when the city is at least a bit more polished? In any case, let me tell you this. If you’re always complaining about how everything is ruined by tourists – Marseille in 2019 is just the place for you. I mean, it’s not as if there aren’t any tourists here, but we’re not talking Barcelona, Venice or Amsterdam. At the risk of sounding terribly cliché’d, I try to go to places that are off the beaten track (he wrote smugly as he took another sip of his Venti Mocha White Latte). And none are more exotic than Les Puces de Marseille.

Les Puces de Marseille

So, I thought I’d share some of the photos I took at Les Puces with you. Enjoy!

When I arrived at the market, I saw this long line of people. Didn’t know what they were waiting for…

…but then I realized it was Eid al-Adha!

Now, I didn’t want to stay and find out what would happen next and so, I decided to move on to the hall where the vintage furniture sellers would be.

Wait, this is it? Everything is closed!

I felt like I was walking through some sort of post apocalyptic shopping center.

Oh look, four Chiavari chairs designed by Giuseppe Descalzi – always a joy to see them!

Would it kill you to do a little dusting, I thought to myself as I made my way out.

Luckily, I figured out at the last moment that I had to go upstairs instead. Tadaaaa…!

Now, THIS is more like it!

More bric-à-brac than you can shake a stick at!

As you can see, there was plenty of stuff to check out.

One day, I will replace my IKEA cabinets with a proper USM Haller sytem. Can’t tell you though when that day is going to come.

Well, well, what have we here? A battered old Pierre Vandel lucite coffee table!

Interesting chairs – don’t know who designed them, I’m afraid.

These pieces were a little too heavy for my taste, but as they say here, chacun à son goût!

LOVING the black and white tapestry. That IKEA Lack table? Not so much.

I’m not really sure if this is a genuine Eero Aarnio Ball Chair – what do you think?

These plexiglass folding chairs look fantastic, right? A steal at € 60!

I love mashups like this: Art Deco, modern art, bright colors – what more do you want from life?

I’m thinking of buying a side table when I get back home. This brass lamp would be perfect for it!

Oooh, that little blue velvet bench is chouette!

Is this a Belgochrom coffee table? In any case, it’s lovely!

I don’t know if I’d sleep on a vintage bed – I guess I’d have to sleep on it.

Eighty euros for this bust is a bit steep, but I do like that particular shade of blue – especially combined with that little red ribbon.

Dream on, Kooiman! You’re going to have to start saving up if you want to buy this USM Haller cabinet.