The market!

Today I had French class as usual and then decided to do one of my favorite activities in Paris: hit up the open-air street market. With a canvas bag in hand, I walk two blocks down from my place to the market. Vegetable and fruit stalls line the street for about 5 blocks. Everywhere you look, there are mounds of glossy vegetables and sweet-smelling fruit. It is quite a sight to see and easily eclipses any farmer's market I have been to in the United States. The vendors yell out to passer-by, locals bargain incessantly (especially the elder ones), little kids reach out to grab the produce that must look like very shiny, fun toys. When I came to Paris, I decided that I would make an effort to introduce more meat into my diet as being a semi-vegetarian in Paris is simply not accepted, but alas, I have been drawn into the meatless world once more. Vegetarian egg scrambles and veggie-tofu stir-fries now comprise the majority of my diet and my love for bananas has seized to die. Although I have not been very impressed with the French fruit, the vegetables are delicious. Today, pearly white mushrooms, plump avocados, ripening bananas, and robust peppers were purchased and are sitting in my fridge just waiting to be eaten. Thank god for the Parisian open-air street markets. It not only makes eating that much better, but it is so much exploring the market and watching the hubbub surrounding the event.