Despite a very late night at Vaux-le-Vicomte, we got out about 10:30 Sunday morning for the Bastille Market. We planned to get brunch at the market. However, the entry end of the market was clothes – not food. Needless to say, our stomachs took second place to shopping.

The first food that attracted anyone was fresh oysters which Carolyn and I ate. There was a variety from which to choose but we didn’t understand the terms and just took what seemed ready to go quickly. They were great – but on the salty side.

Further down the aisle people found other things to eat. I bought some passion fruit yoghurt to die for. Crêpes, ham and cheese baguettes, sausages, olives, figs, passionfruit. The prepared foods looked fabulous but we had other places to go and did not want to carry.

There was a dearth of trash receptacles in the Bastille market. After eating a crêpe with sugar and butter, I had paper to throw away. I saw a large trash bin and put in my trash. A man who was standing there started explaining to me that you could only put certain items in this can. He pointed to the instructions on the side. All of this was in rapid French and I assumed that I had done something wrong. Then his wife stepped over and spoke to me. Eventually she realized that I didn’t comprehend and asked me what language I spoke. I said English and they said oh OK. Nevertheless they wanted me to understand the concept of separating trash. After a couple of minutes I nodded and said “compost”. They nodded, laughed and said yes yes yes.

There were plenty of opportunities for shopping and everyone got something – scarves, sweaters, jewelry, tops, and a bath robe.

After the market where sweaters cost 15 Euros we went across town where sweaters were 1500 Euros. We did not shop there. But we found a ’75’ in the window of Bvlgari which must have been to commemorate our birthdays. Had a boisson in a café nearby, saw the kickoff of breast cancer awareness month before riding and walking to Parc Monceau. A lovely spot with great people-watching. We were approached by some boy scouts selling calendars. Jill and Nancy bought one and in exchange were able to get a photo of these charming young men.

George Ann had been trying to connect with her niece who lives in Paris and is a pastry chef at Le George restaurant in the Four Seasons. We had trouble connecting with Ellie but came home just in case she had come. Five minutes after we got in the apartment, she arrived! What timing. We visited at the apartment with Eli and her friend, Sylvain, and then all went out to eat at a nearby café, Le Bistrot Renaissance. (Ignore the guy on the right. He’s not one of ours. Neither is the teenage girl between Sylvain and Ellie.)

Nice day. Nice dinner. Crême brulée was delicious.

Carolyn, Cynthia, George Ann, Jill, Nancy.