Living in the 12th arrondissement

 Tuesday September 23, 2025

Our first full day in Paris and it began with 51 degrees F and light rain this morning. But that didn't stop the open air market from setting up shop and getting itself ready for the week. (It's reportedly one of the largest open air markets in the city center.) So, after morning coffee and a light breakfast of fruit we walked across the street to the market. We browsed through the indoor building, then strolled through the open air portion, the stalls protected by temporary roofs. Along the way we picked up a couple of heads of broccoli, some gorgeous green beans (tiny haricot verts), a few small potatoes and a rotisserie chicken, most of which was planned for dinner this evening. 

the covered indoor market, Marché Beauvau

open air market on the Place d'Aligre

and along rue d'Aligre

that's our broccoli

We had hoped to visit the Maritime and Monuments museums both (located in the Palais Chaillot on the Trocadero) but since they were closed Monday we opted to try getting into Notre Dame. So, while we sipped coffee and had a light breakfast, I went online and got our free (timed) tickets for seeing the newly renovated Our Lady of Paris.

After dropping our groceries off at the apartment it was time to head out and see Paris!  

We walked the two blocks or so to the Ledru-Rollin Metro stop where we got on line 8. It was pretty quiet in the Metro.

After one stop we connected to line 1 at Bastille -- where we were entertained by a wonderful group of busking musicians supporting the Ukrainians.

We took line 1 to the Hotel de Ville where we left the underground and stopped in at the BHV department store for lunch. One of the nice things about the large department stores like Bon Marche, Printemps, and the other big names is they all have cafes, usually on the top floor, and all have handy and free bathrooms as well.

At BHV (Bazaar Hotel de Ville) the lunch was a variation on the cafeteria style: we opted to skip the hot line and go right for the salad bar. They also had a dessert/cheese plate bar as well but we opted to forgo filling ourselves up too much -- otherwise I'd need a nap afterwards. The restaurant was hoppin' and I couldn't help but notice how many people had a plate full of salad and they also had a plate full of frites. My kinda place.

a curious name for a chain of pastry shops

lunchtime

view of the Hotel de Ville from the restaurant

Leaving the department store we walked across the street and then across the plaza in front of the Paris city hall (Hotel de Ville), which has gradually been turned into a lovely green space. I remember the last we were there it was a large paved area usually dotted with various funky sculptures. 

Anyway, arriving at the Seine we crossed the river on the Pont d'Arcole.

looking upriver

Once across the river we ran straight away into a rather daunting maze of tourists queueing up for a variety of tourist shops (and creperies) on the Isle de la Cité, making our way to  Notre Dame herself.

The parvis in front of the church was packed with folks navigating a maze that would have made the Border Control people at the airport proud, all waiting to get inside but without reservations. The reservation line was virtually empty so we scooted right into the church without a wait. Once inside it was controlled chaos. 

the reservation line

Imagine hundreds of folks moving in a slow crawl clockwise with hardly any room to stop and catch your breath, let alone appreciate the incredible job done on restoring this church to its former glory. The stained glass was simply stunning.

Leaving the church we walked across the Seine to the left bank and through one of the old backstreets to Place Saint-Michel. We caught the line 4, getting off at the Saint-Sulpice stop and making our way to the Bon Marche department store complex as we passed some classic street scenes. Along our walk we passed through the tiny Square Alphonse Deville, which contained a couple of benches and one remarkable statue group dedicated to the French novelist and poet François Mauriac (1885-1970). He won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1952. And just across the street from the Square we passed one of dozens of reminders scattered around Paris of the city's liberation in August 1944: a plaque dedicated to an unknown member of the Free French who died fighting on that spot August 21, 1944.

François Mauriac

It was a short two blocks to the department store. We skirted the main building and popped into the epicerie part of the store hoping to find a place so Susie could have a hot chocolate and pastry. The place was jammed so off we went up nearby rue de Bac. Susan recalled there were pastry shops close by and we soon found ourselves ensconced in Foucher (not Fauchon), a lovely, quiet chocolate and tea shop, where we rested and collected our wits over  a delicious cup of hot chocolate (Susie) and a perfect espresso (me). 

After finding ourselves revived and refreshed it was back to the Metro. From the stop close to Bon Marche we took the no. 10 to Odeon, switched to the 4 and then got off at Etienne Marcel so Susie could spend a bit of quality time at Mora, one of her favorite kitchen shops (for the serious cooks and chefs). Along the way we passed a shop you just don't see in Michigan.

From Mora we popped around the corner to G. Detou's food shop (always a favorite) where we bought a one kilo (2.2 pounds) bag of Marcona almonds ($20!) after which we made our way back toward the Metro, Along the way we decided to try the bus with our new Navigo passes and took the no. 29, While traffic was stop and start it was a pleasant ride. The bus was clean and comfortable and the digital screen aboard gave us plenty of time to get ready to get off at our stop. It was then just a few blocks to Place d'Aligre and our apartment. We did stop at the indoor market -- the open air had already closed for the day -- to pick up some cheese from one of several cheesemongers and then a couple of pastries from a nearby boulanger for tomorrow morning.

Once home we kicked back and, since it was aperitif time, we shared a toast with a glass of chardonnay to a nice day in Paris! That evening I shredded the chicken and then blanched the beans and little potatoes for dinner. A delicious meal!

Day 3 in Lyon

[12 April] 

Contrary to our usual morning routine here in France we actually left the apartment midmorning rather than hang around until early afternoon. But we had our reasons for breaking with tradition. 

First up was a stop at a nearby boulangerie to pick some fresh bread and Susie wanted to try brioche with chopped pralines rose, a local speciality (the pralines not necessarily the brioche).

After our bread run we stopped in at our favorite U Express for a few essentials, dropped them off at the apartment and then it was back out for more "stuff."

Next up was a quick trip to the Nespresso store. It was a short walk to nearby Place des Jacobins although we had to wend our way through the hordes of people out on a beautiful Saturday morning in the big city.

look at all that coffee!

Needless to say the store was hoppin' as well.

With two sleeves of Napoli coffee in hand we headed in the direction of Place Bellecour and our next stop G. Detou. One of the go-to food pantry shops in Paris, we were pleasantly surprised to discover they have a shop in Lyon! We were in search of Marcona almonds for snacking.

Once the almonds had joined the Nespresso pods in our shopping bag we meandered back to our apartment. But we weren't done yet! As we were passing a large wine shop we decided to pop in and ended up with a liter bottle of Suze! Then back out onto rue Emile Zola, a very pleasant walking street full of small shops and the occasional food stop. 

As we neared our apartment we passed a small confectionary shop, Gastronomie. Susan bought a small bag of the popular local pralines rose, essentially pink caramelized, candy coated almonds. They seem to be in almost every specialty food shop we see and are used as tart fillings, crushed up and added to brioche and more.

they look like burnt peanuts don't they?

Oh, and you might be interested to know that the bag of Marcona almonds from Detou is one kilo (2.2 lbs.), and costs €12,30 (~$13.75/$6.25/lb. Amazon (US) sells them for about $25.00 for 2.2 lbs.

We relaxed at home during midday before heading out for our guided tour of the traboules of Croix-Rousse, the former silk workers neighborhood and ending with a visit to a silk screen workshop.

We walked up our street and took the Metro line C up to Place de la Croix Rousse where we would meet up with our tour guide. I should point out that navigating the Metro has a bit of learning curve, but it seemed clean and is certainly fast.

Place de la Croix-Rousse

Susan and I arrived a bit early so we found a bench in the shade while we waited for our group. We soon spotted our guide, Dorothée, and checked in with her. Before long other members of the group ambled in: a couple from Great Britain, several Americans, two German fellows, and several French folk. 

The tour began right in the Place beneath the statue of Joseph-Marie Jacquard. Jacquard had a defining role in the establishment and promotion of the silk industry in Lyon, having created the Jacquard loom.

Just to give you a sense of the tour. . .

From the Place we walked a short distance to a lovely view of eastern Lyon from Place Bellevue. 

This particular Place and its surrounding neighborhood is on top of the largest hills in the city. It's also the location of the the Gros Caillou, or "big pebble." This stone is a landmark in the community and once represented the  boundary between the 1st and 4th arrondissements. It also seemed to have an odd effect on people around it.

After talking about the beginnings of the silk industry we then began our move downhill -- and downhill it was for the rest of the tour in fact. 

We stopped briefly at the Place Colbert where Dorothée informed us that the enormous church -- Saint Bernard -- overlooking the Place was closed up in 1891 due to instability and finally deconsecrated in 1999.  (You can just barely make out the church behind all the undergrowth in the above photo.)

By the way, if you want to follow the tour online there is an excellent online guide right here, that pretty much covers the same ground we did.

The Place was a small hive of activity including a small group of men playing petanque.

Leaving the Place we continued downhill entering our first traboule, into the Cour des Voraces.

the entrance to the traboule

the Cour

The traboule continued downhill in a labyrinth of entryways, steep steps, short passageways and nearly hidden doorways until we passed out onto the street before passing back inside the traboule. Back outside we found ourselves among a large group of revelers reveling in something and having a fine time of it.

A few moments later we landed in Place Chardonnet. Named after Louis-Marie-Hilaire Bernigard, count of Chardonnet (no, not the wine), he was the inventor of artificial silk.

Walking down from the Place past an imaginative staircase, the group made its way under the kind direction of our guide to Passage Thiaffait.

street art is huge here

the Passage

Once outside the Passage we were led to the silk workshop where we were given a demonstration of the process used in silk screening. 

creativity seems everywhere in this neighborhood

With the tour ending here, we said au revoir to Dorothée and the group disbursed, each of us finding our way on our own journey in Lyon. As for us we made our way to the nearby Hôtel de Ville in search of the Metro. The Place de Terreaux in front of the Hotel was jam-packed with people and one set of musicians after another playing a variety of different music. 

It was also here that the massive Bartholdi Fountain is located and we had to pay our respects to Fred.

From the Place we found our way in fits and starts to the nearest Metro and home. The tour had lasted just about 2 hours and we were due for some down time. That evening I made pasta with chopped fresh green beans for dinner. We enjoyed relaxing for the rest of the evening, discussing the day's events and thinking about what we might want to do on Sunday.

Tomorrow: The Lumeire and the Resistance and Deportation Museums perhaps? We'll see.