Same City, Another Paris

As I was stumbling through the freezing streets in January and February, wishing that my route home was just that much shorter so I wouldn't have to face the biting winds any longer, I swore to myself that when the weather improved I'd explore all of the areas of the city away from the Seine....from the bottom roots of Paris to the very top reaches.

If there's one unfortunate thing that I've learned, it's that it's entirely possible for someone to live here in a little English-speaking, Hemingway café-going, Bon Marché shopping bubble. The sheer diversity of lives within this microcosm is incredible, and just dipping into the shallow pools of those of the wealthiest lifestyle can only leave you shivering with cold. Those who follow such a lifestyle don't know this diversity of this place, and to their detriment, they never will.

I stopped worrying for them. And I also realized that for a tourist here for a week, it's essential to see all of those sights that the guidebooks extol and the famous artists and writers of our time have captured through words and works. If you're here for only a bit, by all means go to the museums, walk along the Seine, stand under the Eiffel Tour, walk up to Montmartre, eat a croissant from a famous bakery (best experience is sitting on one of those parked city Velib bikes while doing it so you can see the crowds go by, go for it!), take a stroll around the Jardin de Luxembourg, hit up lots of open-air markets, eat out, and, if you're lucky to know some people here, eat in at their apartments, check out all of the ancient bookstores, and tiny galleries in the winding alleys... because that's Paris. There is no doubt about it!

But recently, I've discovered a different area of the city, lively, yet full of calm patches... I thought I'd take you along on the trip and give you the addresses of the sites so you can make a day of it if you're here!

1) Belleville Market

This is no ordinary market. Stretching for blocks upon blocks, it's filled with people and goods from all over the world. With roots from North and West Africa to China, the vendors carry fruits and vegetables unavailable at the markets closer to the Seine, and at very reasonable prices. This is the kind of market where you're enveloped by the smells of melons as male vendors yell out sales and dole out slices, and those older French, Arab, and Chinese women jostle you as they pass along with their little French shopping baskets. It's a one of a kind experience, expect a good haul!

Le Marché de Belleville
Tuesdays and Fridays, 7:30-2pm
‪63 Boulevard de Belleville‬
‪75011 Paris‬
‪Métro: Couronnes ‬

2) Canal Saint-Martin

I remember talking to a Parisian friend about my favorite places in the city, and as I rattled off my list, I noticed that she was shrugging ambivalently... apparently I hadn't mentioned one of the best, and most Parisian picnic spots! This canal is tiny, located in the 11th arrondissement, but it's a spot not to miss. Walk or bike along its banks, only to take a quick stop for a home-packed picnic, movie at the theater alongside, or a meal at one of the bistros or restaurants in the area.

Canal Saint-Martin
Métro: Juarès

3) Le Parc des Buttes Chaumont

I never, ever, ever thought that I would discover a nature area so beautiful and pristine in this city. I get nostalgic for California every time I come, and then I find that the nostalgia quickly dissolves into an absolute love for Paris and the Parisians that keep this place a secret to all of those colorful tourists out there. One can romp along the steep, grassy, untamed hills, or meditate on a serene patch of green, or watch as little kids climb up the grand rocks to the small lookouts above. Ah, tranquility in this hurried city.

I have yet to go, but there is apparently a really neat bar here called Rosa Bonheur. So if you're in town, check it out!

Parc des Buttes Chaumont
Métro: Laumière, Buttes Chaumont, or Botzaris
or, take a stroll up the Canal Saint-Martin and a make gradual right turn to get there.


So my advice to any visitors here (for longer than a week) is the following: Take a Tuesday or Friday, get up and head out to the market, buy some nice fruit (you won't get much cheese or prepared meats here, but just stop by one of those nearby, always ubiquitous boulangeries to buy some sandwiches for lunch!) Gather your picnic materials, walk along the Canal Saint-Martin up towards the Parc des Buttes Chaumont, and make a day of it there... lay out your goods on the grass and be ready for some good conversation, meditation, or reading time!

Enjoy!

Corners and Ratatoullie

When I step outside the big blue doors of my apartment building I find myself on one of the many busy, bustling streets of Paris. Sirens sound as police cars swerve through traffic, a melange of languages permeates the airwaves in great planes of sound as crowds of tourists idle in front of shop windows, and the normal bangs and clashes of street cleaners sweeping their way through an abandoned marketspace ring through the air. As I make my way down the street I often find myself trapped between quickly moving Parisian businesspeople and the slowly stumbling tourists. The stop-and-go nature of the whole thing is more nerve-wracking than one would imagine!

So as time has worn on, I've begun to search out the little corners and tiny streets distributed sparsely throughout the madness. I like to sit in these tiny impassable streets, slightly removed from the cacaphony, and read a book as the smells of the city woft overhead. Perfumes from flowers in the windowsill above float gently down towards me and the savory scents of cooking vegetables and meats from lunch seem to curl around in the spaces between the apartments. I like to glance up at the tranquil, curtained windows of these apartments and imagine how many tiny living compartments exist in this city, and how many people must cook and sleep and carry out their lives in them.I like to think that sometimes, maybe, just perhaps, one of these lunchtime cooks is preparing the oh-so-famous French plate of ratatouille! It's certainly not the most exciting of dishes, and even though every chef that I talk to here seems to have a "special" recipe of his or her own, the majority of ratatouilles that I've seen are pretty much the same. There's no other way to describe it except a colorful array of vegetables set to simmer in a pot with some oil for an hour or two.So I tried a version of my own. It's great as an accompaniment to meat or as the center of a fritata...

Ratatouille

1 eggplant, sliced into half-moon pieces
2 zucchinis, ditto
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 medium-sized shallot, diced
a good handful of cherry tomatoes
a handful of chopped parsley

Heat a good glug of olive oil in a deep pan over medium heat, add the eggplant with some salt and a bit of water and cook for about 10 minutes. Remove the eggplant and do the same with the zucchini. Remove the zucchini as well, then cook the garlic and shallot until the shallot is translucent. Add the pre-cooked zucchini and eggplant and the handful of tomatoes. Here's the fun part, squish the tomatoes gently with a spoon as you stir the vegetables. Add a bit of water, cover and cook for about 40 minutes to an hour.... you want to check on things and add either water or oil every so often until things are sufficiently cooked-down. At the very end add the chopped parsley.

Serve alongside a main, or with a poached egg on top!

Bon Appetit!

Je Reviens!

Bonjour my friends! I took a bit of a hiatus there, but I just wanted to say that I'm coming back. I've had some great inspiration, namely in the form of some dear friends that came to visit and with whom I some wonderful conversation over excellent food. Here's to some new posts!