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| My pictures - le marché de Buzenval (Paris, 20th district) |
Sunday is the market. Black coffee, news, the first clothes available in the closet and off the Buzenval market, in le 20ème arrondissement. No watch, no phone, just a tote bag, some cash and home keys. Fifteen minutes walk, raining or sunny, hot or cold, my little Sunday pleasure.
And then... Then it's le 20ème arrondissement. The other side of Paris, not in any glossy magazine. It's people of all ages and cultures getting their vegetables for the week, it's market salesmen shouting their current discount offer. It's activists distributing a home made magazine called "Paris 20, infos et lutte de classe" (class struggle information). Because le 20ème is popular. It's waitresses and cooks and drivers. It's buzzing and laughing and alive. It's fresh and cheap and warm. It's the Paris I love.
And I come in this bursting activity, caught in the human warmth. I get to the poissonnier first, because they have the cheapest fish and seafood in Paris. Today, 1kg of shrimp for 5 euros. Then, off to the fromager, for a little goat cheese treat. Then, seasonal marvels: cheap and ripe fruit and vegetables for the week. Finally, with the remaining change, I get myself a small bundle of flowers and walk back home, a smile on my face. That's a little Sunday joy.
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| today's finds |
Then, Sunday is cooking. A vase for the flowers, the oven ready for a December cake aux épices and a simple seasonal dish to enjoy in front of the latest Homeland episode. It's turning on my favourite radio and preparing a sweet treat for tea time, transported by a selection of fine jazz music. Or a bit of gaming on my couchling. That's a little sunday joy.
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| Sunday cooking |
Or maybe, writing a (not so) short message on my blog and share these small gifts of life. Remember how grateful I am. Because gratefulness is what turns what you have into enough.
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| The local magazine - Seasonal fruit and seafood - fresh flowers |
What are your sundays made of?
My most recent Sunday was made of work, but when I am not working, I usually spend Sundays with family, usually for dinner at the very least. By now I never make other plans for Sunday evenings.
ReplyDeleteI like to start the day with a run in the park. Then home after a late lunch, reading and falling asleep and reading - I like that feeling of falling into a book and almost leaving the physical world for a few hours, like a waking dream.
This Sunday I had a terrible cold and lost my voice, so I watched trashy reality shows on the sofa with a sleeping poodle on my chest. Then I watched X-Men in bed! When I'm not sick, however, Sunday is gym day. Big breakfast, big workout, followed by a movie in the evening :)
ReplyDeleteLin - Ah yes I liked family sundays when I lived near them. Now I spend some week-ends over sometimes, but most of the times I'm alone or with my partner (and we do the above together - I think he actually likes the market even more than I do). Reading is a thing too, it is great to forget about time and get absorbed in a book isn't it?
ReplyDeleteMaja - Ah, gym day! I used to do this too: a run in the "coulée verte", a passage in the south of Paris with no cars where runners can... well, run. But it's too cold now, and I've been a bit sick these past weeks so I avoid running outside. I used to go to the swimming pool on sunday morning too, but my neighborhood public pool has been under renovation since 3 months. Now that you make me think about it, I think it's supposed to reopen this week. Take a good care of yourself though, I hope you're feeling better already!