Mapping cultures: One woman's quest to map Paris's world famous flea market

Author van den Boogert has written a book about the famed 'puces' market in Saint-Ouen, France, where stalls have plenty of vintage finds, as long as you know where to look and what to expect. — GASPAR LEFORT/The New York Times

ALMOST anyone who visits Paris and loves to shop will be told to visit the storied flea market – “marché aux puces” in French – which occupies five acres in Saint-Ouen, just north of the city limits. The problem, many visitors find, is that it’s impenetrable.

“There are a lot of visitors who walk through and leave empty-handed and baffled,” said Kate van den Boogert, 51.