Market Day

Yesterday was market day for us (and a cemetery, but I'll get to that later). Another amazing thing about this city is that farmer's markets happen every day in different neighbourhoods, and it's been going on for centuries. There's nothing better for a cook than to shop for fresh ingredients and buy directly from the person who grew them. At least that's what Joe tells me. I wouldn't know a blessed thing about it.

We went to the market on Boulevard Grenelle which is held under the train tracks every Sunday morning. Joe bought a roasted chicken from a cheeky vendor who barked, "C'est gros et c'est chaud!" (It's big and it's hot!); some fruit and vegetables (you tell the seller what you'd like and he picks it out for you); some sea salt; a baguette; and some cheese. Now that is what I call a meal!

The next two markets were Les Marche aux Puces. The Flea Markets. Now that is MY territory! Joe may know food, but I know junk! Each time we've been in Paris, I have bought an old street number plate at a Marche aux Puces. I guess 2 constitutes a collection because now I'm on the hunt for number three. Sadly I came up empty-handed. I'll have to go to the huge flea market next weekend to see if I can score another street sign.

Since we were already in the neighbourhood, we decided to pay a visit to the Pere Lachaise Cemetery. We were last there in 2006 when we paid our respects to Oscar Wilde. Wilde's tomb was COVERED in eleventy-million lipstick kisses from ardent admirers. Notes, candles and bouquets were left at its base. It seemed as if he died yesterday, not over 100 years ago.

Anyhoo. When I wrote about this experience in 2006, my friend Robin said at the time, "Oh please tell me you kissed his tomb." I stopped short. I didn't even THINK to do this! Sheesh! And I call myself a fan.

So armed with a tube of lipstick, Joe and I wound our way throughout the graves and tombs of Pere Lachaise until we came to Oscar. There were lots of people milling about so I felt kinda awkward about applying the lipstick and then kissing the tomb in front of strangers. Especially when there was a little sign on the bottom of the grave saying 'please do not desecrate'. Well, heck, it's been kissed on for decades now and Joe was not about to be deterred by some measly little sign. Besides, it was in French and we would plead ignorant if caught. And he wasn't going to allow a few onlookers get in the way of us doing what we came to the cemetery to do.

I kissed the tomb first and Joe took a picture. Then Joe puckered up and I smeared on some lipstick (I got a funny photo of that) and he gave the tomb a smooch. We laughed ourselves silly all the way home. So, thank you Robin, for the prompt. Photos to follow soon on facebook folks.

Later last night, we went for an after-supper stroll around the block. You know you're in a special place when a walk through the neighbourhood takes you past the Musee D'Orsay, across the Seine, along the Louvre, through the Tuileries Gardens, back over the river, and then home.

I Heart Paris #2

More reasons why I love Paris...

• Say you walk into a shop that sells wine, and you buy a bottle. And then you decide you'd like to enjoy it with your picnic lunch in the park or on the riverbank. But you sadly realize you don't have a corkscrew with you. Not a problem! The wine merchant will gladly open your bottle of wine for you so that you can drink it with your lunch. In public.
  

• Even the eggs you buy in a grocery store might still have feathers on them.

• Every Metro train on every track runs every 5-8 minutes all week long. (Unlike in Squamish where there are no transit buses on Sundays.) It is great to go down into the metro station and know that your train will be coming by in just a few minutes.

• People brings their pooches on the metro.

• Smoking inside restaurants, bars and cafes has been banned. (Although people can still smoke outside while sitting at the sidewalk tables.)

• Two-in-One appliances. You can wash AND dry your clothes in the same machine! And the microwave can also be switched into a convection oven. So smart.....

• You don't have to join a gym to get fit in Paris. Walking 10 miles a day and going up and down the endless stairs in the metro tunnels will have you looking like Charles Atlas in no time!
  

Another Enjoyable Day!

We spent another enjoyable day in Gay Paree!

Our first stop was Laduree, a shop famous for its 'macarons'. Joe and the saleslady had a 'lost in translation' moment.....he wanted a 12 euro box of macarons but she gave him a box of 12 macarons. Not that it was a problem except that 12 macarons cost 24 euro! That's almost $36.00 (Cdn) for 12 small little cookies! I did the math and almost fainted when I realized they cost $3.00 each! We've since eaten a couple with our tea and I must say they are like eating a cloud. They are delicate, sweet, soft and YUMMY! Not bad for something that is only one and a half inches across.

After blowing most of our day's budget at Laduree, we pressed on and went to Debauve et Gallais, Paris' oldest chocolate shop. Open since 1800, they made chocolates for Napolean and France's kings. Now they just sell them to commoners like us. ( And they weren't all THAT great.)

As we were walking back to our apartment for lunch, we stopped in at a store on our street called Deyrolle. From the window displays it looked like a gardening shop. It was....on the first floor. We went up to the second floor only to find it to be a taxidermy shop! Every animal you can imagine was stuffed and mounted. Not to mention insects and butterflies. There was a giraffe on sale for 25,600 euros! A stuffed rat went for 150 euros. I mean seriously. Who buys this stuff?

After a nap and a soak in the tub, we packed up a picnic supper and headed over to Le Tour Eiffel to watch the sun set and to see the lights come on the tower.

Another enjoyable day indeed!

Musee Marmottan Monet

Yesterday afternoon, Joe and I visited the Musee Marmottan to see the paintings of Claude Monet. It is a small museum housed in an old mansion in a rich district of Paris. There were very few people in the museum, so we got to get up close to all of Monet's works. To make the experience even more special, a pianist played a grand piano in the middle of the room while we walked about admiring Monet's genius. The paintings are so beautiful. I didn't realize that he suffered from severe cataracts on his eyes later in his life, and that he kept painting his beloved flowers all the same. Joe and I are planning to take a day trip out to Giverny where Monet spent the greater part of his life painting beloved garden.

Vive Les Vacances!

As anyone will tell you, I love holidays. And I am especially enjoying this holiday in Paris. But the French are champions when it comes to vacations. On average they receive 38 days of paid vacation time. That is twice what the average Canadian gets. The French take every vacation day that is owed to them and they don't feel guilty about it. (And why would they? Why would anyone?) Apparently, Canadians wasted 41 million vacation days last year alone. What is that all about? Come on people! Go on holidays for Pete's sake! You'll live longer and have more fun while you're at it!

The minute the calendar flipped over to August two days ago, many shops put out a 'Gone Fishing' sign. They closed down completely. I admire that. To the French it is more important to rest and relax than it is to make money.

I Heart Paris #1

There are many reasons to love Paris. There are the obvious ones....the art, the food, the architecture, the history and the fashion. But there are smaller reasons as well to love it. And make no mistake. I love it!

Here is the beginning of my list of why I love Paris:

• The pharmacists can dispense medical advice and medications. When we first arrived, Joe realized he had not brought enough of his diabetes meds. He brought the package into a pharmacy and within minutes was out the door....medicine in hand. Beautiful!

• All the parks and gardens have free WiFi for laptop computers.

• People kiss their friends when they meet them. I especially find it moving when I see men kissing each other on both cheeks. Bisous!

• Men in Armani suits on motorcycles weaving in and out of the traffic.

• Bottles of rose wine that cost 2 euros and actually taste good.

• Men's dress shoes that cost 1,000 euros and you see many men wearing them.
  

Joe's Shopping Day

Joe and I are not natural shoppers. In fact, we'd rather do anything but. We often choose to spend our money on experiences, not things. That said, when one is in France there are things you MUST buy! So it was yesterday when we went on a shopping spree for Joe.

Our first stop was E. Dehillerin, a cooking store for chefs. It's been in operation since 1820 (which is like yesterday in French time) and it is more like a hardware store for cooks than anything else. We'd read in some guide books that the proprietors were cranky. We did not find that at all. They were so helpful to Joe; climbing up and down ladders to fetch things, and speaking nice and slowly 'en Francais' so that he could understand them.

Joe came out of there like a kid who'd been allowed to spend all of his Christmas money on candy! He could not wipe the smile off his face! He bought 2 big copper bowls, a super-heavy crepe pan and a very large wooden rolling pin made especially for puff pastry.

How we are going to get these things home in our luggage is beyond me, but I guess we'll jump off that bridge when we come to it.

Our next stop was Galeries Lafayette for clothes. European men do not wear shorts (which is, as you know, Joe's uniform). He decided he wants to look like all the other men on the street and has opted to wear pants. The only problem is he just brought one pair. Off-white. And for those of you who know Joe, they were looking pretty shaggy in minutes. Hence, the need for the shopping trip.

He is now sporting a slim cut pair of black jeans and a peach coloured shirt. He looks terrific in his new outfit.