Les Bouquinistes Paris map, Notre Dame letter

PBer Bonnie was surprised I had never done a map of les Bouquinistes /booksellers along the Seine(sent out last week btw).

But I only started sketching them this summer. Plus chatting with bouqiniste B.near Pont Sully (who appears on the map 5x - find her).

Call me a copycat but I bought her men's denim jacket at the monthly 1st-Sunday Vide Grenier at Jussieu last weekend (a mere 5 bucks). Most of the open air booksellers have a command of many languages. 

Marquis de Ravel AKA MATHIAS even speaks Chinese. His terrific figurative sketches are on offer as well as his specialty, French history books. 

He mentioned that my book readers reminded him of Le Petit Prince with their flying scarves. 

Paris' bouquinistes used to line the Pont Neuf back in the 1600s. 

During the French revolution when the great mansions were vandalized their libraries often ended up  on the outdoor shelves of the bouquinistes. Looking at the old photos and today, not so much as changed.

This is an element of the old Paris anyone can enjoy by simply by strolling along the quais of the Seine between 10 and 6 pm. And its free to browse. In 1992 UNESCO designated the booksellers a world heritage site. Say, "Bonjour" as you would inside any French shop before browsing or taking pictures. And buy a book bag (5€). They lead rather eclectic lives being outdoors most of the time yet are quite friendly. 

Lots of fun stories to tell too. B. told me she and her friends used to walk right inside any of the big houses on the Ile Saint-Louis other side of the bridge. There were no digi-code plaques back then to deter them. 

The September Paris letter went out in la poste today. Hooray (Please Mr/Ms US Post person) may they 💌 arrive during September without a hitch 🤞🏼🙏🏻🤞🏼 Thanks for reading and sharing Parisbreakfast. Paris letter and maps subscriptions + watercolors are in my Etsy shop. With love💋from Paris🐻📚