Paris: Two markets - one in the Rue Mouffetard, the other in Belleville. Then exploring the area round the opera house.

Today, we decided to go market hunting and set off for the Rue Mouffetard.  Unfortunately, most Parisians with any sense head off for their holidays in August.  This, apparently, was the reason that very few of the shops or stalls were open, though some shops of the cheese specialists, a fish specialist and a vegetable shop, were.  Disappointed, we settled down in the square

facing shops with rather nice facades, one showing sort of medieval looking creatures.

We indulged in a soothing coffee and some fruit rolls, and people watched, before girding our loins to get to the next market on our list via the Metro.

The market in the main street of  Belleville  is a real jump to a different side of Paris - a Paris of immigrants.

Huge trucks parked by the side of the market were unashamedly decorated with graffiti art.

 The stall holders called out with the accents of China and Africa.  The customers came from every corner of the world and were often dressed in the clothes of their native countries.  Very few tourist here! As well as the usual foods of a Parisian market, you could buy yams, cassavas, taro, green bananas, huge bunches of mint, North African breads,

 

 cuts of meat I had never seen before, mangoes, nuts and dried fruit, spices and North African pastries.  Behind the market stalls, where the sellers throw their waste, the poor sifted through the fruit and vegetables, trying to find quality to take home.  There were cheap clothes and shoes, rolls of carpets and bags, furniture and jewellery. On the sidewalk, people crowded around individuals with bags or a piece of the cloth, trying to find a bargain from the jumble.  Were these stolen goods, or just very cheap?

When the street sweepers started moving in, we worked our way up the hill passing West African men roasting corn in old oil drums, a woman carrying her shopping, including a rolled up rug, and groups of bored looking boys.  This is obviously a quite poor area, but there appears to be free wifi for all, and there are a lot of government organised community schemes.  Not a policeman in sight, yet we have seen heavily armed police and soldiers all over the city

We reached the Belleville park where families sat on the grass and children played, and started ascending by the winding wood-like trails, until I felt uncomfortable, when we turned back to the more open and populated main stairs.  Reaching the top, we came to a community garden overlooked by a muralled viewing platform.  We gained the platform and found ourselves at the highest point of Paris, with great views over the cities.  The city had obviously involved the community in the creating the mosaics and the street art  which decorate the lookout.

Nevertheless, there were still a lot of bored looking youth hanging around aimlessly.  My guess is that unemployment is pretty high in this area.  In the street outside the lookout, there was a little square with cafes overlooking one of the traditional nymph-adorned Parisian drinking fountains where locals chatted and walked their little dogs.

 We descended the hill again, passing community vineyards, two young men cuddling and having a picnic amongst the colourful, vegetable dotted flower beds, hand made hives, and more wooded paths.

Pleasant as this park is in the day, I don't think I'd come here in the dark.

We caught the train to the other side of the city and discovered the very grand Eglise Catholique de la Madeleine, absolutely festooned with flowers. 

Then we window-shopped.  One thing I have seen here, which I have never seen in Australia, is shops dedicated to honey.  Yes, they also have mustards and oils in these shops but the reverence is for honey.  I gather that it isn't that adulterated stuff we get in supermarkets.

On our way we came across the magnificent- and yes, it is gilded- Opera House.  What a day of contrasts.