Marais: Wacky and Whimsical

Our "Paris Walks" card for today was titled "Marais: Hip and Cool".  We started out near this lovely small park near the Rue du Parc-Royal.

But as we continued on the walk, it seemed like most of the "hip" boutiques were closed today (either because it is Monday, or because they are on vacation until August -- a common practice in France).  So instead of "Hip and Cool", we focused on the "Wacky and Whimsical" things we saw along the way.  For example, this was parked on a side street:

Then there was this little man standing sentry on the side of a shop-front.  A closer look shows that he is labeled "Leo & Pipo", so I used the almighty google to find out that there are two artists (that would be Leo and Pipo) who install collages with photos of people from other eras.  The goal is to transport the viewer through time to view an alternate Paris.  More info here.

We loved the playful whimsy of this finger puppet display so much we ducked into the shop to check them out.  In addition to individual puppets (animals, princesses and the like) there were also themed sets, like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and the Three Little Pigs.  Cute!

Okay, so maybe we did see one or two "Hip and Cool" things -- like this art gallery.  But unfortunately it was closed.

Let's get back to the "wacky".  I know we've been gone for a while, so we may not be current on American fashion these days -- is this what you guys are wearing this summer in the U.S. of A? 

And now for the oddest of all.  We saw this shop window for e-loue.com ("louer" means "to rent").  It's kind of like craigslist, only with items for rent instead of for sale.

Some of the items listed were not so unusual, like a Nintendo console for €10/day, digital camera for €3/day, or a bike for €5/day.  But then there were some slightly weirder ads, like a black dress for €9/day, and a spa tub for €60/day.  And then there was this one:

Even if you don't read French, you can probably guess that this is a goat -- a goat! -- for rent, for €10/day.  "Chêvres tondeuses de pelouse" translates to "goat lawn mowers".