Tuesday morning market

Spent the morning trying to figure out what to do about a leak coming
through our ceiling into our bathroom (sound familiar, Nutleys?) Now
at least Dr. B can't blame me for always getting the toilet paper all
wet (where it was sitting was being slowly flooded from above.) Left
a note on the upstairs neighbors' door, and now we wait. Luckily, it
only seems to flow when they are home, so I doubt it is the washing
machine. (Although we sure got some great friends out of that
fiasco, so it was worth it!)

After that, Lucy let me know in no uncertain terms that it was TIME
TO GO. So we took off and walked to the Blanqui Market, which is
there every Tuesday, Friday and Sunday. This market is very big, and
has multiple stands--you have your choice of 4 or 5 poissonières
(fish and seafood), 4 boucheries (butchers), and umpteen fruit and
veg stands. Plus the bakers, fromageries (cheese), ethnic food
stands, clothing, odds and ends, baskets, jewelry, shoes... this is a
serious market.

I hadn't planned on it, but decided to pick up some things for dinner
tomorrow. (Tonight we are doing pork chops I got yesterday. In
France, planning ahead 2 days is about as far as it goes when it
comes to food.) Got tomatoes, red pepper and zucchini, which I will
stew with onions and garlic, and salmon, that I'll broil. Combined
with a bottle of red wine and some fresh bread, it should be delish.

We had an interesting incident at the market (only in France)! Near
the boucherie, there was a homeless man with his dog, who was gnawing
on one of the biggest bones I have ever seen. It must have been a
collar bone or a pelvis or something. It was at least 18 inches
high, (and that's just laying on the ground), covered in blood and
meat. The dog was seriously enjoying himself, but of course Lucy
wanted to get in on the action. Now that's an upper body workout you
don't often get--trying to keep two large dogs and a huge bone in
separate corners. Luckily, I won out. The butchers were laughing,
and asked if I wanted a bone for Lucy. I said, "Pas si grand!" (Not
so big!) and they laughed again, and told me to wait. He handed me a
huge knuckle bone (about the size of my own knee), raw and bloody. I
asked, "Avez- vous du papier?" (Do you have any paper?) and he
replied "bien sur!" (of course!) and wrapped it up for me. I
remember Mom giving bones to our dogs at the farm, but she always
boiled them first, so that is in the plan for tonight. I know she
will enjoy that tasty treat!

Now I am off to check out another hardware store (our local Bricorama
is not exactly Menard's--they often charge twice or more for items
I've seen elsewhere--I have taken to calling it Brip-off-orama).
Hopefully they will have some better deals--we need some bookshelves.

PS--Our winter coats have arrived! And the shower curtain as well.
Yay US postal service!!! Now we just await the books.