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The Best Fruit Markets In Paris

PARLER PARIS: THE BEST FRUIT MARKETS IN PARIS


July 08, 2002


*** THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO ET AL FOR ONE MELON PER MONTH


I laughed out loud "sans cesse" from the very beginning of Woody
Allen’s "Bananas," now more than a 30-year-old film, playing at the
Saint-André-des-Arts I theater in the 6th arrondissement. It’s part
of an Allen Film Festival, and it played to a packed house,
unsurprisingly, since the French have an adoration for Allen that
only New Yorkers (seem to) share. In fact, the last moment of his
newest film, "Hollywood Ending," Allen, playing a washed-up director
with a major flop on his hands, is redeemed by the overwhelming
success of the same film in France! The ending got a big response
from the audience…as Allen is very popular with French audiences.


In "Bananas," the word is only mentioned twice, although it’s a good
description of the ludicrousness of the film. Still, with bananas on
the brain, I couldn’t help be reminded of fruit…the basket of big,
dark, firm cherries we served up at the Parler Parlor 4th of July
party, picked from a friend’s tree in the country not far from
Fontainbleau…and the huge half-melon (likely a "Charentais"–the
most popular in France) served up for lunch along with thinly sliced
"jambon cru" at artist Kathy Burke’s atelier…the fresh pear in the
"Crumble aux Poires" we scoffed down at the Web Bar on rue
Picardie… All summer fruits in abundance at the local markets.


Produce in France is seasonal. Now is the time for peaches (peches)
and nectarines (brugnon), apricots (abricots), red currants
(groseilles) and black currants (cassis), cherries (cerises) and
melons (pastèque–watermelon, melon–canteloupe). Of course, ’tis the
season for the best reddest, firmest, tastiest tomatoes (if you’re
going to Provence this summer, you may find them served at every
meal).


I just read on the Food Reference website
(http://www.foodreference.com/html/fmelons.html) that the French
author, Alexandre Dumas, loved melons so much, he offered to the city
council of Cavaillon all of his published works and future
publications in exchange for "a life annuity of twelve melons per
year." Twelve doesn’t seem like a lot considering his adoration for
them.


Nonetheless, if you’re looking for the finest fruits in Paris this
summer, head to the best markets:


La Grande Epicerie at the Bon Marché department store; 38, rue de
Sèvres, 7th arrondissement; Métro Sèvres-Babylon; website:
http://www.lagrandeepicerie.fr/en/html/accueil/accueil.asp.


Sunday Organic (Biologique) Market; Boulevard Raspail between "les
rues du Cherche-Midi and de Rennes" in the 6th arrondissement; Métro:
Rennes. (France, by the way, was one of the first countries to
introduce formal organic standards and was deemed to be a pioneer in
the organic food industry, having the most organic farmland in
Europe. In the mid-1990s, France’s position as a producer and
consumer of organic food fell behind and in 1996, the percentage of
organic farmland in France was a mere 0.3%, and although this
increased to 1.1 percent in 1999, it still remains below the EU
average.)


The largest market with the most choice–Richard-Lenoir on Thursday
and Sunday mornings. Boulevard Richard-Lenoir from Place de la
Bastille to Métro Bréguet-Sabin, 11th arrondissement.


A la procaine fois,


Adrian


P.S. Happy Bastille Day! For what’s happening in Paris on the 14th,
read below…


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


Parler Paris
/parlerparis/
Written and Edited by Adrian Leeds


Published by International Living
http://www.internationalliving.com
mailto:[email protected]


Issue Number 46, July 8, 2002


In this issue:


*** Better Than a Wife, Always at Your Beck and Call
*** A Marriage or a Divorce Parisian-style
*** Invasion of Normandy and Paris this October
*** Parler Paris Takes You on Tour
*** The Mystic Left Bank Streets of Paris
*** Fireworks and Fireman’s Balls on Bastille Day
*** A French Colonial Bargain in the Marais
*** Getting Miles for the Bucks


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


*** AT YOUR BECK AND CALL


Christine Leonard is At Your Service. A wide range of personal
concierge services can be ordered up on an hourly basis (with a
two-hour minimum) or on a monthly basis or if you’re here for a week
or two and want to be totally taken care of during your stay, ask for
the "At Your Beck And Call" service at special Parler Paris prices.
It’s like having a permanent personal assistant (or a "wife!"–and
don’t we all need one?).


FOR TRAVELERS TO PARIS…


Who wouldn’
t like to know that restaurant reservations, theater/show
tickets, beauty and spa appointments, are just a phone call away? At
Your Service can also easily arrange city and shopping tours, airport
pick-up and drop-off, cell phone rental, itinerary planning, shopping
to stock the fridge in your short-term rental apartment, a car and
driver for a personal drive through Paris (or anywhere else for that
matter), for a photographer to accompany you and document your trip
(they can also have your trip put up on a personal Web site).
Consider At Your Service your travel "hotline" in Paris. One phone
call and all your needs are met!


FOR PARIS RESIDENTS…


Who wants to waste time going grocery shopping, paying bills, waiting
for France Telecom or Noos cable to arrive, calling theater to get
tickets to shows? Let At Your Service, Paris’ premier
English-language Concierge Service, take care of it for you. They
will organize your parties and vacations, get your car washed, refer
you to the right doctor, recruit your cleaning help, do your personal
and gift shopping and run all your general errands, like going to the
post office, the bank, the pharmacy, the video store, the dry
cleaner, the tailor, etc. Whether it is just a few hours every once
in a while or more extensive services on a regular basis, they have a
service plan to meet your needs.


If there’s something missing from this list, don’t be afraid to ask!


At Your Beck And Call concierge service costs $195 per week to Parler
Paris readers, and $185 to Paris Key Club Members (details on how to
get your Paris Key Club discount will be in the next E-letter From
Paris.)


Contact Christine Leonard for hourly and monthly rates: tel. 33 (0)1
47 95 12 90; email:
mailto:[email protected]?subject=ParlerParisBeckandCall;
website: http://www.atyourserviceparis.com


* BE SURE TO TELL HER YOU ARE A PARLER PARIS READER OR PARIS KEY CLUB
MEMBER TO RECEIVE YOUR SPECIAL PRICES.


* * * * * ADVERTISEMENT * * * * *


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In May 1964, a wealthy north shore Chicago man wrote a letter that
would change forever the way sophisticated, discriminating people
travel…


This letter gave unheard-of access to the world’s top cities,
detailing the secrets known by no tourist…and the surprising
pitfalls to avoid.


If you want to travel in a world of luxury…enjoy the benefits of
privilege known only by a few…yet spend less than you could ever
imagine…read this letter now:
http://www.agora-inc.com/reports/REMY/WREMB078/


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


*** "LE DIVORCE" AND "LE MARIAGE"–RECOMMENDED READING


If you haven’t read Diane Johnson’s "Le Divorce" or "Le Mariage" and
you’re a bonafide Francophile, then start reading now! "Le Divorce"
is Johnson’s 12th novel (she is a two-time finalist for both the
Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award), about an American woman
in Paris, her divorce, her sister’s marriage, an illicit love affair,
infidelity, family disapproval and a crime of passion. "Le Mariage,"
the sequel, is another sparkling comedy of contemporary morés and
manners that celebrate the paradoxes of marriage, as it is perceived
on both sides of the Atlantic.


Don’t miss Diane speaking in San Francisco July 11th–I’ve read both
the books I just mentioned and had the pleasure of hearing her speak
here in Paris at the American Library, and would recommend you go
along if you can.


Sponsored by my friend Terrance Gelenter at Paris Through Expat Eyes
(http://www.paris-expat.com), reservations are required to get a good
seat.


An Evening with Diane Johnson, Thursday, July 11, 6 p.m, at
Mechanics’ Institute, 57 Post Street, San Francisco. Reception and
lecture: Institute Members, $8; Public, $10. Copies of "Le Divorce"
and "Le Mariage" will be available for sale. Reservations required.
Tel. (415) 393-0100 or email: mailto:[email protected].


*** SPECIAL PRICE ON THE NORMANDY INVASION OCTOBER 15 TO 23


October 15 TO 23, Terrance Gelenter of Paris Through Expatriate Eyes
will take you on a classic cultural tour of Paris with an enriching
excursion to Normandy where you will visit a Calvados distillery,
sample Camembert at a crèmerie and shop at a country market. Evenings
will be spent at a charming "gite" with a bountiful Norman feast as a
send off. The tour starts at the special price of $3,275 all
inclusive except air fare. Space is extremely limited so if you are
interested or would like more information, please contact Terrance
at:
mailto:[email protected]?subject=ParlerParisNormandyTour


*** PARLER PARIS TAKES YOU ON TOUR


* CRUISE OR LOSE…EXPLORING FRANCE FROM THE WATER’S EDGE


If you are looking for a wonderful and different way to visit and
explore France, a barge cruise is defini

tely the way to go. At 118
feet long and 17 feet wide for a maximum of just 6 guests, the
"Meanderer" offers an exceptionally
high degree of space and comfort.
Your voyage through the ever-changing French countryside…total
relaxation and pampering.


Along the way, visit the château Vaux Le Vicomte, the market town of
Montargis, the charming village of Chatillon Coligny, a re-created
16th-century working farm and the splendid Chateau of St. Fargeau.
Cruise to Rogny-les-Sept-Ecluses for a walk along the ancient
"staircase" of locks, take a visit to the town of Gien and a cruise
to Ouzouer-sur-Treze, plus an excursion to the world famous wine
region of Sancerre and enjoy the splendor of the world’s longest
aqueduct, crossing the River Loire.


For Parler Paris readers, take advantage of an incredible Booking
Special and reserve any available 2002 departure date of the
Meanderer (regularly $3,450 to $3,850 per person) for only US $2,450
per person! Paris Key Club members save and additional $100.


To visit the Parler Paris pages about France Cruises, click here:
/parlerparis/guidedtours/frenchcruises.html


For more information contact:
mailto:[email protected]?subject=FranceCruises or call
+33 (0) 1.40.27.97.59 in Paris.


* MONTMARTRE IN THE SPIRIT OF AMELIE POULAIN


Rediscover the romantic, authentic and whimsical 18th arrondissement
of Paris by seeing the locations in the quirky French film "Amelie
From Montmartre" guided by Rose Marie Burke, author of "The Insider
Guide to Working and Living in France," "The Insider Guide to Good
Value Paris Hotels" and "The Insider Guide to Biking in Paris"
(http://www.insiderparisguides.com)


* THE LITERARY LEFT BANK


Writers have been finding inspiration in Paris for centuries, leaving
unforgettable marks on the city’s cafés, streets and hotels.


* PARIS IS A WOMAN


Writers have always romanticized the City of Lights as a woman, as a
female topography one just can’t resist.


Both THE LITERARY LEFT BANK and PARIS IS A WOMAN Tours are guided by
Elizabeth Reichert, Vassar/Oxford graduate in Literature and author
of "The Writers Insider Guide to Paris"
(http://www.insiderparisguides.com).


For more information or to reserve your tour visit:
/parlerparis/guidedtours/index.html or contact the
International Living Paris Office:
mailto:[email protected]?subject=walkingtours or call
+33 (0)1.40.27.97.59 in Paris


*** FAVORITE QUOTE FOR THE WEEK


"I tried to hate Paris. I stopped by Shakespeare and Co. but the
board full of famous quotes about Paris only made me feel worse.
‘Everyone has two cities. Their own and Paris.’"


http://www.maka.net/~dairyracer/paris.html


*** A MOMENT OF PAINE
by Dale Gershwin, My Mercredi
website: http://www.paris-anglo.com/sign_up/preview.php?issuesID=32


Throughout the mystic left-bank streets of Paris–some little and
dark, dense and cobblestoned, the way all Paris was before
Haussmann’s boulevards gave it a cardiovascular system–see if you
can find the plaques celebrating where: Picasso painted Guernica…
Sibelius spent the night…Benjamin Franklin signed the treaty of
Franco-American friendship…Thomas Paine wrote on human rights and
Sylvia Beach (his "neighbor" a century and a half later) published
Ulysses for her friend James Joyce…Gertrude Stein coined the phrase
"lost generation"…Thomas Jefferson bought the books which became
the basis of the Library of Congress (psssst: no plaque; the answer:
the bouquiniste stalls along the Seine)…Hemingway lived his
personal poetry (psssst: at least two plaques that we know of–one
inside–in fact on!–a bar).


Speaking of Thomas Paine and his future neighbor Sylvia Beach, did
you know that: down the rue de l’Odéon from where they lived, the
place de l’Odéon’s (rather pricey) seafood restaurant La Méditerranée
serves on plates designed by Jean Cocteau and offers a view of the
striking Théâtre de l´Odéon?


* * * * * ADVERTISEMENT * * * * *


THE BEST-VALUE HOTELS IN PARIS


From no-star hotels to five-star palaces, Paris has an overwhelming
selection of places to stay–how can you be sure you’re getting the
best deal you can during your time in this city?


We’ve identified a handful of exceptional hotels in the most
desirable and central neighborhoods in Paris…all for under $100.


To read more, click here:
http://www.insiderparisguides.com/hotels/index.html


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


*** SINGIN’ SUMMERTIME IN PARIS


* AMERICAN GAYLE CLOUD SINGS


Accompaniment by Jac Bouniard on Piano and Thierry Charpentier on
Bass
Friday, July 19th, 8:30 p.m.
Pari’s Aller Retour, 25 rue de Turenne, 4th, Métro Saint-Paul
9 Euro include
s one beverage of choice.


Editor’s note: Pari’s Aler Retour is one of Paris’ TINY little clubs
featuring new and upcoming talent. Get there early for a seat, but
every seat in the house is good.


* PARIS SUMMERTIME FESTIVAL


July 13 to August 18
Dance, music, theater and circus performances with unexpected mix of
artists, venues and audiences throughout the city’s neighborhoods.


* JULY 14TH BASTILLE DAY
Parade, fireworks and local neighborhood dances.


Bastille Day begins with the traditional military parade down the
Champs-Elysees. Reviewing stands are erected at the Place de la
Concorde facing the Arc de Triomphe, and the parade starts at the
Etoile and marches straight down the boulevard towards the Louvre.


Don’t miss the "bal des pompiers," or firemen’s balls, which take
place at nearly all the fire stations in the city, some on July 12,
some on July 13, a few on July 14 and some hold them all three
nights.


The finale is a fireworks display near the Eiffel Tower in the Champs
de Mars, begins around 10 p.m.


* ITS GREASY! IT’S GROOVY! IT’S JAZZ!


Get down with Boogaloo Baby
Friday July 12th, 10 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Au Caveau Des Oubliettes
52 rue Galande
75005 Paris
Métro Saint-Michel


Phillipe Petit: Hammond Organ
Jean-Jaques Elangue: Sax tenor
Jeff Hoffman: Guitar
Phillipe Combelle: Drums
Entrée: 8 euro
Barbecue Chicken Wings Served
For more information, call 01-42-45-04-71


*** HOT JASMINE TEA FOR 50 CENTS


Insider Paris Guides authors Melinda Herron (Insider Guide to Black
Paris) and Schuyler Hoffman (Insider Guide to Gay Paris) and I
recently headed down in the "hood" to one of my favorite Asian
"dives" … one of Paris’ most amazing bargains, and one you’d have
to really know about. Even hot tea here is 50 cents … less than
anywhere I can think of. Here is an excerpt from the "Leeds Good
Value Guide to Paris Restaurants" —
http://www.insiderparisguides.com


MINH CHAU
Vietnamese
10, rue de la Verrerie, Arrondissement 4
Phone 01.42.71.13.30
Métro Saint-Paul, Hôtel de Ville
Closed Sunday
Rouleaux 1.60 euro – 3.10 euro, Plats 3.10 euro – 5.05 euro, 7 euro –
euro 13 per person


All along rue de la Verrerie behind the BHV department store, are
Asian restaurants of all kinds. This one could be the tiniest of them
all with side-by-side seating of a whopping 24. In the window are a
few things you can have for take-out but this is NOT one of Paris’
cheap and mediocre "traiteurs Asiatiques." This is Vietnamese cuisine
at its most authentic and a price that is inexpensive enough for even
the most starving of students. Three courses and a drink account for
about 10 euro with tax and tip. Décor is nil, literally there is not
an inch between tables and the menu isn’t long, but the food is
excellent, the service fast and pleasant and the price is unbeatable.
I am especially fond of the tiny Vietnamese man with a big smile, a
funny sense of humor and a salesman-like attitude toward his fare who
waits on the tables.


*** SOMETHING TO SHOW FOR YOUR PURCHASE AT THE BHV


* A great tip from reader Liz L.: Check into the S’Miles
program(http://www.pointsciel.com/) At least you will end up with
something to show for your purchases.


* And from Judith O.: There’s a BHV branch in the 19th arrondissement
on Avenue de Flandre. It’s of course much smaller than the main
store, but it does also have a "sous-sol" with home building
products. The main floor (the only other étage) has clothing, office
supplies, books, electronic items (TV’s, portable phones, etc.).
Since moving here a year ago, I find myself going there nearly every
week. There’s something about the BHV that is inexplicably
welcoming.


For information about this store location, visit:
http://www.bhv.fr/?r=mag&mag=Flandre


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


TO JOIN THE PARIS KEY CLUB:


If you are not a member of the Paris Key Club, and would like to be,
click here for more information:
http://www.agora-inc.com/reports/PKC/WPKCC523/


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


TO READ MORE:


Go to /parlerparis/


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


HAVE A SPECIAL MESSAGE? WANT TO EXCHANGE LINKS?


If you would like to have your message read by the subscribers of the
Parler Paris Nouvellettre®, please email me at
mailto:[email protected]


If you have links about Paris or France and would like reciprocal
links, plea
se email me at mailto:[email protected]


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


TO RECEIVE THIS E-LETTER REGULARLY:


If you’re not a regular reader of this e-letter, and would like to
be, simply enter your e-mail address here (it’s free):
http://www.internationalliving.com/signup.cfm


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