There are a couple different levels of grocery stores in Paris. There are the small markets; there are the discount grocery stores, I think one is called Ed, the others I cannot remember; there's Franprix, which is a medium-priced grocery store; and then there's Monoprix. Owned by the same people as Galleries Lafayette, Monoprix is the most expensive grocery store in Paris. It's also the most expansive. Some neighborhood Monoprixes are akin to a small Target - a grocery store with a small household/clothing essential area. Other Monoprixes are akin to a grocery store, a large Target, a boucherie, a fromagerie, a patisserie, and a Pharmacie all in one. In particular, there is such a Monoprix on Rue de Commerce, walking distance to my work. Now, I am aware that I should not be shopping at the most expensive grocery store in Paris. However, when I walk in and see the walls lined with beauty products, smell the freshly made pastries and croissants, see the mounds and mounds of cheeses and the delicious cuts of meats, I no longer can control myself or my wallet.
Tonight Monoprix even served as French practice - although I think I failed miserably. I was feeling pretty confident, because on the way to Monoprix, I stopped at a camera store to buy extra powerful camera batteries. I had a whole conversation in French with the guy about regular batteries dying quickly in my camera and my need for special ''camera'' batteries. In my Franglish: "J'ai besoin de piles pour mon camera mais les piles regulare, ils meurent trop vite!" I must have been doing well because he didnt even try to speak to me in English. However, things took a turn for the worse when I found myself in the beauty products section of Monoprix looking for a loofah. As I forgot how to say soap (savon) and had no clue how to say loofah or the thing that you pour soap on...I was left only with hand gestures as my form of communication. After a few attempts at pouring pretend soap on my hand and rubbing it all over myself, the guy finally understood that I needed some form of a scrubber. Of course this was the one person in Paris who barely spoke English.
After picking up a few more household items, I returned to my new apartment and had my first dinner on my balcony/sun room overlooking the city. I made a salad and sauteed fresh mushrooms and zucchini - delicious! And I had some of my favorite chocolate bar for dessert. I cannot wait for my first dinner party.
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Nice way to see how you discover the french life in Paris. It is exactly the reality.
ReplyDeleteNot so much french people speak a fluent english.
If you need good adress of cheap restaurant, you may ask to me.
i thought it was really hard shopping for beauty products and for food as well, because you don't know the terms--like "skim" milk, forget it! did you try the french special k with red berries yet??
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