Market Day in Paris

European street markets are a treat extraordinaire for the senses.  The colors, the fragrances and the prices are stunning. The Saturday market on Rue du Rome is like Whole Foods on steroids.  Only the rich, the desperate, or know-no-better people shop this market.  But it is a vue manifique! That is why people like Stan and me visit it.  Rows of picture-perfect natural foods, fresh from the fields line the pedestrian middle of the boulevard.  The colors and textures, and prices are stunning, stingingly tantalizing to the taste and to the eye.  Stan’s mother, Ms. Raydean, always said, much of a plate’s good taste comes through the eye.”  I believe that.  She had a way of turning her kitchen into what might look like war-zone, but her delicious, or larruping as her boys often described them, dishes were always served with garnish and flair.  She was a mighty good cook who knew how to serve.  So, as many Parisians do, I too believe that good taste begins with the eye.  We watched many people fill their bags with gorgeous selections of French cheeses, colorful produce and of course, a bunch of peonies or tulips, but even the French are choosy. There is no need for a shopping cart at this market.  One hundred grams (just a sliver) of fromage is priced at 33 euro a kilo, for example, and carottes are priced at 16 euro a kilo (that’s over $7 a pound for carrots).  Wow! 

We did not buy anything as we don’t cook that often at home.  Instead, we took photos and settled ourselves in a lovely cafe where we sipped strong cafe Americana, savored tiny croissants and watched the street scene until time to make our way to our apartment. 

Our little home area is Arrondissement 17, called Batignolles-Monceau.  It is a lovely neighborhood, just a couple of blocks away from bus stops, our favorite Metro line and Gare Cardinet.  Our residential street, Rue du Printemps (Soring Street) is quiet but near to shopping and Parc Cliche-Batignolles and not far from Parc Monceau.  It is perfect.  As we made our way there, we studied the pastries in the windows of several boulangeries, sampled fromage at a supermarket, and bought a nice piece of salmon for dinner tonight along with two rich-looking croissants to top off our meal “en France.” 

This, my friends. was a good day.  We took it easy and did our best to set aside our inclination to see as much as possible in lieu of learning to slow down and live like locals.