Les Bouquinistes

February 26, 2017 (057/365)

“The whole of Paris is a vast university of art, literature and music. It is worth anyone’s while to dally here...Paris is a seminar, a post-graduate course in everything.” - James Thurber, The New Yorker (1918)

Along more than three kilometres on either side of the Seine are 900 green boxes containing over 300,000 old books, journals, posters, and souvenirs. Present since the 15th Century, these boxes have been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The bouquinistes can rent up to four 6'x3' boxes for 100€ each per year. Only one of four may contain tourist trinkets, so if you really look, you can find some unique treasures.