we start at the market

Today we have decided to go by bus to the D'Aligre market near the Ledru Rolin metro stop. I have worked out that it will take us two buses so that means we have to look for the street Rue Bobillot where we get off the first bus; the 62 going east along rue D'Alesia and take another, the 67 going to Louvre -Rivoli, that goes north along rue Bobillot until it crosses the Seine. I have worked out that that will take us to the Bastille and we can walk from there. we had worked out that we needed to go right along Rue Fauberg Ste Antoine but the Place de Bastille is a huge star shaped intersection with lots and lots of roads all filled with lots and lots of traffic radiating from it. In the end I had to ask a lady and man how to find it. The conversation was quite comical but with lots of pleasantness and gestures we did fine. We found our road and walked and walked and finally I asked the newspaper seller in one of those little pavement kiosks as I was sure were were quite near. and he told me it was "deuxieme a le droit" and sure enough second on the right and we found it.

The market itself was a little bit of a disappointment as the guide books had described it as the 'Notre Dame of Markets' but there were a few lovely touches and take away pleasures. It was here that we bought some sausages for tea - absolutely delicious - and that is said by someone who gave up eating sausages years ago because neither my taste buds nor my digestive system could handle them any more. We also bought some thick slices of terrine for our lunch picnic - again which proved delicious - and strawberrries to die for!!

Before we became too disillusioned we walked back to the Bastille area and then went west of that to the Place de Vosges - Yes what a beautiful square surrounded by 17th century buildings (picture to be inserted here) and then went on and found the old Place du Ste Catherine in the Marais. John did not seem to think too much of Paris so far but I am glad that we are first seeing something of the ordinary cityness of Paris and not just the fancy bits so to speak. It helps me put the rest into perspective.