This morning I headed over to the Bastille food market. I had read about this ahead of time on the tripadvisor.com forum - it was recommended by many as their favorite market in Paris. It definitely lived up to its reputation.
This market is maybe 1/2 a mile from my apartment, so it was very easy to get to. As you approach the Bastille area, this large statue greets you.
It was errected in 1833 as a memorial to those killed in the street battles during the July Revolution of 1830. The tour guide touched on this revolution yesterday, but I can't remember what they were revolting against. The French sure like to revolt - the tour guide said it is obviously still a part of their culture. I say obviously because there were riots last summer or fall when the government changed the retirement age by a year or something like that!
I'm starting to get a little wordy so I will let the pictures do the talking!
I was most impressed/intrigued by all the seafood you could buy at the market! It reminded me of the market in Seattle!
They had quite a few take-away options that were pretty inexpensive in my opinion. I ended up buying some paella and a sausage + fingerling potatoes. I had some of the paella for lunch - I maybe ate 1/2 of it and was full, so it was quite a generous portion for only 5.50 Euro. So for 10 Euro, I got 2 generous take-away portions that will make great lunches this week!
Of course, there was cheese!
I purchased a nice chamembert. I think it was maybe 2 Euro for a pretty generous portion. I had forgotten how cheap cheese and wine are in Paris! I brought some GF crackers with me so will enjoy the cheese this week as a snack.
To accompany the cheese and crackers, I also bought some olives. I had the hardest time choosing which ones to buy, though! I ended up going with some mixed olives.
Of course, there was also fresh produce...
And fresh flowers...
And fresh bread.
Oh my. Being gluten free, I nearly shed a tear when I walked by the bread stands. The baguettes were less than a Euro! What a steal!
Here is what I ended up toting away. Luckily I had planned ahead and brought a reusable Lunds shopping bags!
I always get a little flustered when paying for things as I am always nervous that I won't understand the numbers they are saying... So I didn't really pay attention to how much everything cost in total as I was focused on finding the right coins to give them! But I am going to guesstimate that all of this cost about 20-25 Euro? Not bad for 2 take away items, 3 oranges, 3 avocados, a hunk of chamembert, mixed olives, hummus, and 2 bags of mixed greens!When I set out, I thought I'd buy a roasted chicken but they were more expensive than the roasted chickens that the local butcher shop sells so I will get one there later this week.
Here's the fun story of the day: Before hitting the market, I stopped by a local cafe for a cafe creme. When I tried to pay, the guy (who was quite handsome) put his hand on his heart, pushed my money back towards me, and said, 'non'. A free coffee! Score Lisa. Frenchman can be so charming. ;) I left him a little tip to thank him for his generosity. When I left he said, "Thanks, darling." Be still my heart.
Why can't American men be charming like this?
Well, this was still a long post- and that was just my morning. I'll be back later with pictures from my walk around the Marais this afternoon.
Time to go put up my feet for awhile before I head to mass at Notre Dame!
