Market Street

There is something really wonderful about arriving in a new place with the feeling and sensation that you have been there before, that you feel at home. That is the feeling I got when I walked out of the metro stop on St. Michel and walked the few blocks to what would be my home for the following 3 days. Granted, I have been in Paris before, but it feels like more than that. One of the most enticing charcteristics of this city is that it is so “out there” for you to experience. It is truly a walking city and every part of life happens right before you on the “rues” and the “boulevards” of the city.
One of my favorite aspects of Parisienne city life is the marketplace. Markets come in many different forms in Paris and believe me when I tell you that you will be well acquainted with all of them by the time I am done posting all of my pictures. Hope you do not tire of photos of baskets of vegetables becuase I was inspired by dozens of them!

One of the main types of markets in Paris, is the Market Street. It is a permanent, non-seasonal shopping experience where dozens of specialty food shops are clustered on one street. All of the shops have open doors, with most displays coming out onto the cobblestone streets. These market streets have everything that you would need to make a meal, from beginning to end.

No French meal would be complete without some pungent cheese, a good bottle of wine and ofcourse some beautiful flowers as an accompaniment. All of these are available on any Market Street worth visiting.

Somehow, all of the produce and products look so scrumptious, simply becuase they are presented literally overflowing the shops, on stands outside on the streets, organized by type and color of food. I find myself at a loss for words as to why this food looks so enticing. For example, I’m not sure how it is that they can make a butcher look photo worthy but somehow they do.

I was and still am truly in awe of how simple produce can look so artistic, simply presented, fresh and ready to be taken to the kitchen. There is something about the way the store owners and the store displays interact with the customers, that makes you want to cook. And for those of you who know me, this is quite an accomplishment! No wonder the French are such wonderful chefs…

The photos here are all from one of the quintessential Parisienne Market Streets, Rue Mouffetard. The street itself begins with the small fountain shown in the photo above, surrounded by several very well known cafes, including Cafe Delmas where I stopped in for lunch and watched the shoppers go by with their bulging bags of fruits, vegetables, seafood and wine. I sat there only imagining what these things would end up being at the hands of their creative chefs.

You might be asking yourself, how any of this related to fabric…. It all does! Didn’t you know that everything we experience as creative related to the craft that we do, the work that we produce? Its true. I don’t know how many countless fabric lines and quilt patterns were whirling around in my imagination as I strolled down Rue Mouffetard. The colors alone are enough to stop you in your tracks….

I really hope that these photos inspire you in their simpicity, their color and their life! I know I feel a growing desire to cook as I write this post. After I cook, I will design! Who knows where we will end up!

Talk to you soon.