Saturday 26 January 2013

A Blooming Wonderful Flower Market


The weather is still thoroughly depressing, although we’ve had a bit of  blue sky and sunshine today. It rained last night, and has been slightly warmer, so much of the ice and snow has melted. Snow is sliding off roofs with a sort of whooshing noise; water is dripping, splishing and splashing from trees, bridges and guttering, and the pavements are awash with puddles and pools and rivulets of water spreading between lumps of dirty, rock hard ice which are still adhering to the ground, seemingly no smaller or softer than they were yesterday, and the day before that, and the day before that. There is water, water everywhere, and if the temperature drops overnight then roads and paths will be like a skating rink tomorrow morning.  

  I have lots of pictures of the snow, which looks very pretty, but I am so fed up with it, I thought that for this week’s Saturday Snapshot I would cheer myself up by posting some photos I took in Paris last May, on a lovely, hot, sunny day when it was so nice we wandered around without coats or jackets.
These were all taken in Le Marché aux Fleurs (the Flower Market), at Place Louis-Lépine, near Notre Dame and La Conciergerie, on the Île de la Cité. It’s one of my favourite places in Paris, and is absolutely fabulous, a riot of colour and perfume, guaranteed to lift your spirits if you’re feeling down (though I’m sure I don’t  know how anyone could ever feel down on a trip to Paris). 
It really is heavenly. You can smell the flowers before you see them – the fragrance hits you as you step out of the metro at Cité. Flowers, trees and shrubs are banked up high inside and outside the metal pavilions that have been there since 1808, and you find yourself walking through long, narrow alleys of flowers which overwhelm your senses. Along the Quai de la Corse, on the bank of the Seine, there are more stalls housed in metal huts which are surrounded by pots of flowers stacked up the walls and spilling out onto the pavement.
I suppose it's like a garden centre really, because these are living plants for gardens and homes, rather than cut flowers, and there are all kinds of beautiful garden ornaments hanging from walls, hanging from the glass roof, and displayed on shelves. If I had a fortune I could happily spend a large part of it here, but I don’t, so every time I visit I buy a packet of herbes de Provence, and when I cook with them it’s like having a little bit of French sunshine in my kitchen, and I can close my eyes, breathe in the aroma, and imagine the sights, sounds and smells of the Flower Market.
The market is open every day, and on Sundays the Marché aux Oiseaux, or Bird Market, takes place alongside it, with all kinds of birds, from tiny finches to large parrots, all squawking and cheeping and twittering and singing, and as you walk from the Metro taking great gulps of flowery air you hear all this birdsong. And, despite the name, you’ll see many other small creatures here - fish, rabbits, gerbils, rats and so on. I don’t know about you, but I always have problems with the idea of animals in cages. However, I would have to say that whenever I’ve walked round the market the creatures all looked happy and well cared for.
One of the things I love about both these markets is people watching. There are smartly dressed, elegant women, workmen in their overalls, scruffy teenagers, and pensioners leaning on sticks, peering around and walking very carefully, so they don’t trip over the plants. There are experts who know about plants and birds, and novices who know nothing but are willing to learn. There are people buying and people like me, just looking. And everywhere are people shouting, waving their arms about, shrugging their shoulders very theatrically, and pulling faces in that expressive way the French have, so I like to think customers are haggling with proprietors in a bid to talk the price down and get a better deal.
Anyway, if you’re planning a holiday in Paris, and you’ve never been to the Flower Market, do go, because it will make you happy - it makes me happy just thinking about it. And when you’ve finished looking round it’s only a short walk to the Left Bank, and the Île Saint-Louis. Iconic book shop Shakespeare and Company is just down the road, and there are masses of cafes in the area where you can sit outside and watch the world go by as you eat your lunch.
Saturday Snapshot is hosted by Alyce at http://athomewithbooks.net/ where you can see photos from other participants all over the world.

28 comments:

  1. Oh how wonderful! I was in Paris a couple of years ago and just fell in love with the whole city.

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    1. My mother and I are both in love with Paris, but I don't think she will be well enough to go there this year, which is a shame.

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  2. What lovely, cheery, springlike photos! I especially like the multi-colored watering cans and the colorful wind chimes, etc. hanging in front of the blue sky - beautiful!

    Sue

    Book By Book

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    1. Thank you Sue. I was very taken with those watering cans, and it's probably just as well I had to room to bring any home - I could just imagine them strung across the garden, but I bet they'd have gone rusty pretty quickly!

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  3. I have never been to Paris, but with your photos and commmentary, it feels like I have been there. Thank you!

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  4. The watering cans are so pretty! And I like those gnomes!

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    1. The French seem to display things so simply it looks effortless, but it's always very effective.

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  5. Even for those of enjoying a long hot Australian summer, views of Paris in the spring are heavenly! Although a little harder for us to just pop over and visit it sometime soon :-(
    Thanks for the virtual trip.

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    1. It's not always so easy to visit from the UK, so I can understand it's not a viable option for many people in Australia. Thank you for visiting my blog.

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  6. Hope Louise sees this post as she is heading to Paris soon. Beautiful. Thank you for sharing.

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    1. Oh, I do hope she enjoys herself - it is such a wonderful place, and there are lots of things to do and see without spending a fortune.

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    2. I certainly did see this post- and how gorgeous it is. I've been to the flower market and the bird market, but didn't take this many lovely photos. I love Paris so much, this will be my third visit. As Brona rightly says it's not that easy from Australia. I can't wait to be back. I think about it every day. Thanks for thinking of me Deb. And thanks for such a wonderful post Christine.

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    3. Louise, thank you for your kind comment - and I'm glad you enjoyed the Flower Market and the Bird Market. I love Paris, and my mother and I have visited almost every year since Dad died, but I doubt we'll manage it this year.

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  7. Of course, the city of flowers. How beautiful, and so potent memories when we need to be cheered up in the midst of snow. Thanks for sharing these wonderful pictures ... we sure need some cheering up here too.

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    1. Pictures can conjure up so many memories. I was thinking of printing off some of my favourite Paris snaps and making a kind of montage with them in a big frame.

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  8. I would love to spend a day at such a lovely market, but since I can't...thanks for showing us in photos!

    And thanks for visiting my blog.

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    1. Glad you liked the photos Laurel-Rain. The Flower Market has such characer and atmosphere.

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  9. Oh man, if I was there and going to buy a watering can I wouldn't be able to decide on a color because they all looks so pretty together. I would have to buy one of each color and then line them all up on the fence.

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    1. That's how I felt about them - I wanted at least one of each colour!

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  10. Thank you for the bright colorful photos! I miss the sun so much - spring can't come soon enough.

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    1. A bit of warmth and sunshine would raise everyone's spirits!

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  11. A nice reminder of spring, Christine. Paris is the spring must be lovely. The snow is still here, but melting slowly.

    I don't like to see animals in cages either - so long as they weren't for sale for cooking though I can cope. My granddaughter has just got two baby rats - I can't say I like them, or the idea of them as pets!

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    1. Paris in the spring is just like you imagine it will be! It rained so heavily in the night our snow has all gone and at the moment the sun is shining! Hurray for the sun!

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  12. Christine, I love your narrative and I must tell you it's just what I need during this terrible cold snap we're having. The first photo of the colorful watering cans sucked me right in! I've never been to Paris but it figures in so much literature that I feel like it's an old friend. I really look forward to a trip to Great Britain. I'm really drawn there. Have a wonderful Sunday! Be careful of that ice!

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    1. Ice has finally gone - just hope there's no more to come. Glad you enjoyed the photos. I am sure you will love Britain - when do you hope to visit?

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  13. How nice and colorful. We don't have much snow in Chicago but winter is still gloomy. I'm eagerly awaiting the spring garden show in March... indoor of course!

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  14. I've never been to Paris but these pictures are so colorful! I love all of the Gnomes...

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