epicwaves

It’s a fine but cloudy day today. We head early to Rue Cler, a popular Parisian market. The market is where the locals mainly purchase their fresh food such as seafood, fruit and vegetables, cheese, breads and pizza. It really is a gourmet delight. We brought some fresh handmade spinach ravioli and the freshest of vegetables to make a sauce for our dinner. (It was yummy with a little grated French Emmental).

We ate lunch at the market and had a selection of Asian dishes and rice. Apparently Asian restaurants are only just starting to spring up around Paris. France has extremely high standards for serving food so eating out is as safe as it can be anywhere.

After lunch we catch another two trains to Monmatre in the shadow of Sacre Coeur, originally famous for its artists but now it seems, dominated by souvenir shops. It’s an interesting place though if only to observe the guys with the coin under the three discs swiftly moving them around and the gamblers sure they know where the coin is and willing to bet on it.

There are more buskers on the train home and they are really talented. Another singer accompanied this time by a friend with an accordion played by blowing with the mouth. There are also more people begging in the stations, every day they are out there. There are some who are obviously homeless but also those using their children as emotional incentive to extract money. We have had women claiming to be from Bosnia who hand you a note to read asking for money for food as their mother is ‘ded’ and they have children to feed. Surprising to us, was the Islamic women in full dress, sitting with exaggerated depressed expressions and their hands out for money. Paris apparently has more than its fair share of underprivileged people. The hard thing is to tell the genuine from the professionals.

It’s fine so the guys disappear into the dark for their Paris by night shots.