From the Editor
I have to admit that I was a little resistant at first to the idea of doing a Paris feature centered on flea markets, or les puces, as they’re known in France. It seemed counter to everything I know about a city that’s recognized for all things beautiful and artistic. Flea markets, or so I thought, are not so beautiful or artistic. They’re about used and discarded “stuff.”
But Caroline Tiger, a flea market connoisseur, quickly disabused me of that notion. She assured me that the flea markets of Paris are nothing like those I’d seen growing up. Rather than viewing them as discard piles to pick over, they should be seen as treasure troves to carefully comb through in search of hidden gems. In fact, in many ways the flea markets are the very essence of Paris — though perhaps not the essence everyone might first think of.
And that’s what sold me.
I’ve often written in this space about how it’s the people we meet on our journeys that make travel exciting. But it’s not only the people, it’s also the underlying principle of newness. As much as we like what’s familiar and routine, those of us with a real wanderlust, I believe, also crave change: new people, new places, new takes on familiar things. The challenge these days, in an increasingly small world with more and more brand homogenization, is finding places that are unique — or finding uniqueness in places that are familiar. And deep down, that’s what makes “Guided by Fleas,” a story you need to read. It reflects all the beauty of Paris, but through a very different lens.
As always, happy travels and good reading.
Michael Buller, Editor
Contributors
Although Boston-based photographer Michael Piazza works with a wide variety of subjects, his heart is in food, especially the behind-the-scenes aspects. “I’m happiest chasing a pig around a muddy field, or hip-deep in a cranberry bog,” Piazza says. Photographing the restaurant Five Fifty-Five for our story “Maine Stage” was right up his alley: “The space itself has such a great vibe, with the wraparound balcony and all the wood, and the beautiful, locally sourced ingredients,” Piazza reports. “I told the chef I can’t wait to drag my wife up to Portland, just to eat there.”
Writer Candace Goforth, who profiles Merck & Co.’s Donald de Korte, was impressed by her subject. “Here is an example of someone who decided he wanted to do something to make a difference in the world,” she says. “He aimed high, taking on one of the world’s greatest crises — the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa.” Goforth’s work has also appeared in the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Akron Beacon Journal, Miami Herald, Houston Chronicle, and Boston Globe.
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