Paris notions
What do a gas station and a notions shop, both in Paris, have in common? There are hardly any of them left! On a recent stroll, I saw, and snapped a picture of, a gas station, thinking it would be nice to have a trace of this part of the Parisian scene which is fast becoming a relic. Why? There are only one hundred or so gas stations in Paris now! On a different walk on a different day, while accompanying a friend who sews and knits (I do neither, unfortunately) to a “mercerie” (French word for notions shop)I took pictures of another fast disappearing “service”. This particular notions shop was located inside a charming courtyard on the Francs-Bourgeois in the trendy Marais. There used to be hundreds of these little stores all over France. In small villages, they were often tended by a lone woman with a cat to keep her company. In them, you find needles and thread, buttons and ribbons and zippers and bolts of material. The upscale store in the Marais, my friend told me, is one of the few that remain in Paris. You can still find them though. Should you find yourself in need of pretty French ribbons or bows, here’s a link to the 84 notions shops in Paris, classified by neighbourhood: https://www.yelp.fr/search…
