Marche des Enfants Rouges and Bercy Village

 A month or two ago, I took a long (and rather unsuccessful) walk through Paris in search of the much-talked about covered food market, the Marche des Enfants Rouges (the Market of the Red Children, named for the red-cloaked children who used to live in an orphanage on this site). I had arrived on a day when it was mostly shut down, but finally, Peter and I had time for a second attempt, and we were NOT disappointed.

This is a market as well as a lunchtime haven. Not only can you buy your fresh vegetables and meats, you can shop for foreign specialties like Italian cheeses, and snack on freshly made cultural delicacies from all over Europe and Northern Africa. Then, for the hungry, the marketplace is circled by picnic tables where shoppers can order off of simple menus to try the dishes that look so scrumptious in the market.

We started our trip off right, at the Italian food stall, snagging seats at a table enclosed by clear glass and heated from above, since the day was chilly. Minestrone soup and fuscili pasta with truffles warmed us up very quickly!

After filling our bellies, we had time to explore the market.

Satisfied and ready for our next adventure, we hopped on the metro (at this cool stop, Arts et Metiers which is near the Marais) and headed for Bercy Village.

During the reign of Louis XIV, the first wine warehouse in Bercy was opened. From that point on, Bercy was known for its ample store of wine and spirits. In the 19th century, as the wine trade flourished, Bercy became the center of wine and spirits. Today, Bercy Village is a cobblestone pedestrian area filled with shops and cafes. It's a nice place to walk around, and stop for lunch on a nice day, and we hope to go back when the sun comes out and when we're a little more hungry...

Bercy also has a beautiful park, which reminded us a little of the marshes back home in the USA. It was nice to have such a contrast between city and nature, and this park was definitely worth a visit.




After our long afternoon of eating, touring, and walking, we headed home, but not before a stop at Jean-Paul Hevin, an irresistible patisserie near the Eiffel Tower. Tomorrow is National Macaron Day, and since Peter will be working tomorrow, we decided to sample the goods a day early.
We put together a little collection of: coffee, chocolate & praline, mango & coriander, orange & ginger, fig, and creme brulee. For an early celebration of Macaron Day, we were given a 7th one free (classic chocolate), and it was possibly the best macaron we've tasted in the city!
*The creme brulee flavor was the first one we sampled... and after the first bite, it oozed out a thin stream of liquid burned sugar, just like the real dessert. Now we are pretty impressed.*