Easy like Sunday....

For East Parisian 30-somethings there’s only one place to be seen on a Sunday morning; schlepping around Marche d’Aligre for the week’s groceries in their trendy sandals.

The market is one of the less chi-chi in Paris and the stall holders are pretty aggressive when it comes to marketing their wares. Some will stop you on your way past their stand and try and force feed you melon or cherries or whatever fruit is in season. In the heart of the square the market surrounds is the (slightly more genteel) Marché Couvert Beauvau-St-Antoine (a section of permanent stalls and one of the last covered markets in Paris) - here you’ll find a poultry specialist, tons of cheese stalls and lady selling home-made Mauritian specialities such as real ginger cordial. The area’s North African character means if you want to get cheap products such as henna, rose water or harissa (the fiery paste from the Maghreb made from chili peppers, garlic and cumin) you’ll find them in the permanent shops surrounding the market itself.

There’s also an open air flea market selling second hand clothes, shoes and a pretty cool hat stall.

Next stop - Bar a Vins “Le Baron Rouge” at no. 1, rue Théophile Roussel. They have barrels of wine (it’s a great place to buy wholesale if you’re having a party – ask for Olivier Facon, the Manager) and you can taste a few because they come by the glass – about 12 will be chalked up on the boards for your degustation. Served with a plate of charcuterie and it’ll stave of the hunger pangs before you get home and tuck into your wares from the market. It’s hard to get a seat inside unless you arrive early but you can enjoy people-watching from beside the upturned barrels on the street.