Day 9: The case of the flying skirts!

Today was going to be a shopping day. It was planned that way very specifically because there was this awesome vintage fair happening for the first time. No question, it had to be attended. The poster was too cool to pass up, and the experience seemed exactly what we were looking for in terms of Paris fashion.

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Several cups of coffee and out to the Marais for an experience that I was incredibly excited for. I would have peed my pants out of excitement if it was not for the fact that I was an 18-year-old girl and that would be widely frowned upon by society.

Out of sheer curiosity and appreciation for Urban Outfitters' marketing skills, we felt it necessary to enter the store purely for research purposes. You know, to make a comparison with the States. Research people. We go to Harvard here who do you think we are.

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Quick side note. Anna and I both decided to wear skirts today because the weather permitted it. Do we regret that decision? No. Did we almost flash an entire sidewalk full of tourists? Yes.

We walked over grates. Normally, no air is coming up from them. Or if any air is flowing, for some reason I am always in jeans. This time the air was flowing and I definitely was not in jeans. I wish I could have been an onlooker watching the two of us freak out as we desperately tried to grasp for the fabric flying upwards. We've got quick enough reflexes (either that or I am misjudging the statement that we did not flash anybody) so we caught the material and evaded the evil grates with many movements that would be considered far from graceful. Anna quite literally rolled herself into the side of the Louvre as I had mounds of purple animal print satin grasped in my fists. I love us.

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Obviously the world felt bad for us so on our way to the vintage fair we ran across a stand handing out free cherries. Free delicious, deep red, sweet Portuguese cherries. Imagine. Please, I hope you feel jealous. I would not have been surprised if they stained my lips red. I mean who just gives out free delicious cherries? Unless they were poisoned. But I am still able to write these words so for the time being I am still alive...

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I walked into the biggest &otherstories I have ever seen. They are my spirit animal. My goal in life is to win free clothing from them for as long as I live. Internet did you hear that?

Then, over to Imparfaite, the most breathtakingly beautiful, massively overwhelming, slightly too warm, and utterly inspiring vintage fair that I have ever been into (i.e. only this one but OMG I need to do this more often). The first fair of this kind associated with this name ever, I felt like the world placed one of the best presents in my lap. The most beautiful clothes I have ever seen were just at my finger tips. "I want it all" as Sharpe Evans would say.

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After filling our cute totes with clothes... we ran into Owen, dear Harvardian friend that has been referenced several times, and we walked a whole lot more. Arriving at Les Invalides and the surrounding green grass, we plopped ourselves down for a little feast. After a slight wild goose chase for a market (i.e. it is Sunday and Europe), we finally were munching on a massive block of bread, with the treasured butter from yesterday, pesto, cherry tomatoes, strawberries, goat cheese, nuts, green olives with garlic, and "poulet rôti" lays chips. You will only find these here, and if you have never had them, you are missing out on an essential part of life.

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Just because this is great, Anna explained how in an attempt to get our lovely bread, she said "un quartier de pain" which is reasonable and relatable as a potential English cognate. Except that’s not a quarter. She asked for a whole neighborhood of bread...

Although, I would not be opposed to such a thing.