Sundays in France

In France, Sundays are still the day of rest for 95% of the population. Places like Paris still have a bit of life but outside of the tourist spots most of France closes up shop (literally) on Sunday and if they may be open on Sunday, don't expect the shop to be open on Monday. With that in mind, today I decided to spend the day a la francais. I slept in a bit and decided that I would go to the Sunday markets at St. Pierre and Port de Plaisance. I should have given myself more time because I arrived at 10:30am and needed to meet someone at 1:30. Believe it or not, it really was not enough time. This market was gigantic and had every product known to man. Vendors selling; giant paellas, couscous meals prepared to order, every fresh vegetable known to man on every other vendor's table were just a few. Not to forget; clothing from babies to what was labeled "grande taille" big sizes, Arabic and Indian movies, halal butchers, fresh rotisserie cooked chickens, cured hans, homemade sausages and cured meats, more cheeses than I knew existed, brick-oven pizza vendors, Vietnamese and Asian food vendors, and so much more I do not have enough space to list it all. It was truly a sensory experience and the French certainly have figured some things out that Americans are really losing out on. I would love to go to these types of markets regularly in order to buy local and know exactly from where my food is coming.

This afternoon, I went with one of my colleagues on a boat cruise down the canals that connect Caen with the Atlantic Ocean at Ouistreham. It cost thirteen Euros and I think it was the greatest deal that I have received. The weather was gorgeous and the sun was shining. There was a beautiful breeze and the boat cruise was nearly three hours and brought us to the Ocean and back. While going down and coming back, there was a running commentary about the history of various sites and areas. This aspect was an added bonus as I learned a great deal. We even passed by Pegasus Bridge which was a fierce battle of the D-Day invasion. A truly amazing day was had and I was able to soak up some sun too!