Sunday in Paris

Despite the fact that I had a ridiculous amount of laundry to do today, I decided to spend my Sunday morning like many Parisians, at a cafe slowly waking up to a sleepy city. I went to Ile St. Louis, the smaller of the two islands on the Seine and sat facing the water, listening to street music being played on the bridge. I ordered the requisite almond croissant and a hot chocolate. They brought me perfection.




Warm, frothy milk and a little pitcher of thick chocolate so that I could make my own hot chocolate. How great is that?


I then headed toward the square that used to house the Bastille, the prison that was torn down during the French Revolution. Now, I'm all for democracy, but perhaps the French should have left the prison so that they had somewhere to put all the idiots who have no idea how to walk in a straight line down the street. I think it is engrained at a very young age here to walk in a zig zag pattern just to frustrate Americans.


I bet you can't guess what I did next? Anyone? Yep, went to another market. This one is called Marché Bastille and was HUGE. It was not nearly as nice as the one yesterday, but it did have a lot of variety. The problem is that it was shoulder to shoulder with people and considering what I said above about the lack of ability to walk quickly in a straight line, you aren't exactly strolling through the stalls leisurely hearing La Vie en Rose in your head.


So, what set this market apart besides feeling at times like a fire hazard? The fact that one butcher had an entire hind end of a lamb - full on butt, tail, and hind legs just hanging out in his glass case. At least it was skinned unlike the unfortunate encounter yesterday with the rabbit. Also, this market had a butcher totally devoted to horse meat which quite frankly is something I can't handle. I'm sorry, but I draw a line at dogs, cats and horses. However, the market on the whole was a good experience and there are some photos below.


Delicious prepared foods, like Paella, make the market smell so good.


The biggest shrimp I have ever seen. At least the length of my hand.

After that, I continued my Parisian Sunday by lying in the grass at Place des Vosges, a gorgeous park surrounded by beautiful buildings. I needed some rest after staying out entirely too late last night with my new friends from school. Ok, it really wasn't all that late, it's just that I officially feel OLD and thus anything after midnight might as well be 6 am to me.

Places des Vosges

At the Irish Pub. The French LOVE Irish pubs, for some unknown reason.