Grocery Shopping in Paris

You know you're a mom when the first real post on your vacation is about grocery shopping.  Staying in Paris for a month really gives you a sense of how it would be to live in the City of Lights and what a different experience it is to go grocery shopping is here.  I have not spotted a Target or Costco, although surprisingly ... or maybe not surprisingly, I have seen a couple of Starbucks.

My mother-in-law led the way as we embarked on our first trip to the grocery store.  You will find men and women wrapped in fabulous scarves dragging their caddies behind them as they head to the market.  Trips to the market are frequent and limited to what you can fit in your caddy (pronounced: cahh-dee (emphasis on the "dee")).

  

You will find local outdoor stands with fresh seafood, fruits, and vegetables.  The selection of produce seemed seasonal too.  (These were taken with my iPhone so the colors aren't as vibrant.)  Larger chains such as the Monoprix are moving from the outskirts into neighborhoods and putting the mom and pop stands out of business.

And then, there's the cheese.  Oh, glorious cheese.  I've tried one new cheese already, Boursault, a triple cream cheese made of cow's milk.  It's smells pungent, but the taste is quite mild and very rich.  Perfect spread on a warm baguette.

We've been eating breakfast and dinner at home as we adjust the kids to a new schedule.  Instead of going to bed at 7 PM and waking up 12 hours later, we are stretching their bedtime to 10 PM so they wake up at 10 AM in hopes we can start going out for dinner, which doesn't start serving until 7:30 PM!