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Un samedi au marché

My first year in Paris, I used to meet up with A most Sunday to go together to the market at Auguste Blanqui (13ème). Since I moved to the 6ème and subsequently the 15ème, the market trips have become infrequent. There are a number of markets within walking distance that I could go to at the weekends, but somehow I didn’t. I love going to the market; I’m just not there as often as I’d like.

At the market

At the market

I guess playing house with a partner does change one’s shopping habit. Any week that there are not enough fresh produce to last till weekend, or too much that it runs through past weekend into a new midweek, means we would be topping up our purchase elsewhere. Or sometimes, there are just household item shortages that necessitate visits to the supermarket so while we are there, why not get the grocery too to save some time?

At the market

At the market

At the market

At the market

At the market

At the market

At the market

At the market

The market at Saxe-Breteuil is located at a junction with the views of the Eiffel Tower and Les Invalides, often touted one of the most beautiful in Paris. My favourite grower/seller from Auguste Blanqui even sets up stall here on Saturdays, so that’s at least a familiar and friendly face in a “foreign” market. And yet, I never particularly feel at ease here. I nearly always head straight for Philippe’s stall and go home once I’m done. In fact, if it is not for Philippe, I would stop coming to Saxe-Breteuil altogether.

The few times that I tried to shop differently here, (1) I was given a bag of fruits with some rotten ones hidden among the good ones despite having paid nearly twice what I would have in Auguste Blanqui, (2) a seller barked “hey you, no photo!” at me for trying to photograph some forgotten vegetables that I was actually queueing to buy (needless to say, I did not wish to conduct business with anyone that rude; even the client behind me was shocked and chastised the seller as I walked away), and (3) a seller thought I was a tourist who was not buying thus shooed me to move along. Not very pleasant now, is it?



Category: Ma vie en France, Paris

Tagged: , , ,

4 scribbles & notes

  1. helene says:

    Dommage que les français soient si impolis parfois! Peut-être que c’est un endroit trop touristique?

    • Lil says:

      Heureusement ça arrive pas souvent à moi, et je trouve que c’est rare quand même de rencontre les gens si impolis.

      C’est vrai que ce marché est assez touristique, mais dans ces cas là, c’est encore plus important d’être sympa et pas donner un mauvais image de la France et des français? (Mais c’est vrai aussi que ça peut être pénible quand il y a trop des touristes qui empêche le business…)

  2. med says:

    Yeah why bother with less than pleasant vendors when u can spend ur money else where ;)
    those are sea urchin right? Just cut open and eat the inner meat raw…tried that a few times at jap restaurants…an acquired taste though kekekek

    • Lil says:

      Yup, and I’ve never tried it before. Already I’m not a fan of raw oyster, so not sure how I’m going to “acquire” the taste for sea urchin…

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