It’s been 12 days since I arrived and it seems to have passed by in a flash. I feel like I’ve packed in quite a bit. Once I took possession of my little Paris apartment, I noticed I needed a few things to make it homey, other that the normal food and drink. First, I wasn’t satisfied with just the regular coffee maker and wanted to find a stove top espresso maker. I also wanted a fry pan that was not overused. This led me to go hunting for some stuff at markets and department stores and specialized coffee shops. It was at the Cafes Richard store that I found some pretty good coffee as well as a little Bialetti espresso maker. It’s just enough to make myself a cup of coffee – or at least the size I like to make. It cost me 23 Euros but if you consider that a cup of coffee with milk at a cafe costs between 4 – 6 Euros, (that’s between $5 – $8 US) I’ll be saving a lot of money. I had gone to Cafe Coutume and bought some good coffee but it wasn’t coming out right in the coffee press and it was ok in the coffee maker, so I kept searching and that’s when I ran into a Cafes Richard. As the lady was grinding the coffee for me for the coffee press, I saw the Bialetti. Then I had to have her get me some fine ground coffee for that machine.
It was at a department store called Tati, that I found the cheap fry pan. The store was small by US standards but they have all sorts of household items. I’ve enjoyed going to the supermarket but also to the small shops to buy some of the specialized food items. I’ve yet to go to the boucherie and the fromagerie, but I have been to an epicerie to buy some ready made items for my dinner last night and there’s left overs for tonight.
Things here in Paris seem to be even more expensive than I remember them when I was here about a year and a half ago. Even buying things at the open market, the supermarket or the small shops seems to be pricey. Or, maybe I just have pricey tastes? I have not had good luck with buying red wine, which I have found surprising. I’ve had great luck with the Sauvignon Blank varieties. I might need to find the courage to go into a wine shop and use my French to describe the kinds of reds that I like and have the person guide me. Wish me luck.
Voyage Toujours 
Leave a Reply