I was walking home from my bank and decided to swing by the market at Place Maubert, to my favorite vegetable stand where they call out to passerby in a festive manner.
But oh, how their temper can turn! I order a half kilo of mirabelles, and the vendor waves a short finger in my face saying, "NON! Il n'y a PLUS. FINI pour la saison. Faut prendre CA maintenant."
And I smile a small smile (he wouldn't approve of anything bigger), and take a half kilo of Reine-Claude plums (his suggestion) instead.
Meet Monsieur Le Produce Guy, one of the few people that can bark orders at me (my hairdresser, Valerie, also okay), and it doesn't make me want to headbutt him in the chest.
reminds me of the time i was berated for palming some clementines at the market near st.eustache--the guy saw i had just bought some a few stands away and really didn't appreciate me comparing the goods. it was a year ago so i forgot the exact words that were exchanged, but he definately put me in my place. tempermental fellows they are.
Posted by: dani | 17 October 2006 at 02:41 PM
Mirabelles hey? I can confirm that the season is over-they're from the East of France, just like me before I moved to MintSauceaGogoLand. I'd still suggest making a lovely Confiture de Reine Claude though, it's not too bad as second best!!
I do have a question if it's not too much to ask, I am coming back to la France for a holiday next week, and I have no clue what's in fashion wise so do you have any suggestion so I don't get the "oh my God where is she from" looks again? Merci!
Posted by: B. | 17 October 2006 at 02:50 PM
I quite like being bossed around by the shopkeepers, cook it for THIS long, NO that one isn't ripe, and I love the customers who want to choose between 4 identical looking baguettes.
I do hate the parkie though who wont let you sit on the grass in the summer. It's a park, and it's hot, and I want to sit under a tree!
And Dani, here in Toulouse there is a rather tragic footless tights thing going on. No no no...That and sort of one sholdered tops but with regular bra straps showing, hopefully autumn will put a stop to both these things. Shops are full of chunky long belted cardies.
Posted by: jaunty rakes | 17 October 2006 at 03:22 PM
I can just see it playing out in my head. I love the emphaticalness.
Posted by: Mdx | 17 October 2006 at 03:28 PM
C'est les boulangeres qui me siderent.
Those snappish, shrewish baker's wives running their bakeries like temples to which we come like supplicants begging for a favour... a speciality of my home country.
I miss their bread (and so bake my own) but I don't miss the stores!
Posted by: Mathieu | 17 October 2006 at 04:59 PM
In all of Paris, no one is as scary as the fruit guys.
http://lapetiteamericaine.wordpress.com/2006/10/09/plum-anxiety/
Posted by: amy | 17 October 2006 at 05:23 PM
A friend of mine, his wife expecting a baby, and having one of her unavoidable baby-craves, had to set out on an expedition to find cherries in the smack middle of January. He has suffered an extreme phobia of anything getting close to a fruit stand ever since. Seriously. The guy can't get anywhere near a market. And he lives in PARIS... The word you're looking for is "LIVING HELL".
Posted by: sened | 17 October 2006 at 06:33 PM
hey now-- I KNOW Valerie doesn't not threaten you-- okay, maybe she strongly encourages you, but the results are divine, non?
This totally brought back my first "FINI pour la saison" -- going to my little produce market woman for the avacadoes that she TOTALLY ADDICTED ME TO in the first place only to have her tell me those words we all dread-- and then, later, the same with endive . . helas--- if only I had a photo of my expression at that moment. The American brain ramming itself into the brick wall--food? by season? what is this?
Posted by: Elizabeth | 17 October 2006 at 06:48 PM
I love the food markets but after living in europe for a year I realise I am excitedly aniticipating the clementine season and this worries me somewhat.
Posted by: Rebecca | 17 October 2006 at 06:49 PM
That French finger-waving thing! They have it down pat. Maybe they invented it. It's always side-to-side. Never up and down like stateside. I remember once in Rouen missing by a minute the closing of a boulangerie and getting the finger shake. It wasn't till I worked in a shop myself that I knew the joy of waving the finger to a late-comer..very satisfying. It sounds to me like your fruit monger is quite fond of you in a parental sort of way..
Posted by: ParisBreakfasts | 17 October 2006 at 07:39 PM
Wow, here they TRY TO PUSH the produce that is out-of-season on you.
Posted by: Neil | 17 October 2006 at 10:15 PM
Bonjour! This is my first time posting on this blog, although I love love love reading it. My boyfriend and I are travelling to Paris in November (my first time) and reading all the comments makes me even more excited to go! Note to self: beware the fruit guys. Got it. And I, like B., would appreciate any fashion help just so I don't stick out like a sore American thumb. And, La Coquette, I did manage to find some cute little ballet flats. As you said... "more Parisian." Haha! Merci!
Posted by: monica | 18 October 2006 at 01:25 AM
Coquette - I must congratulate you on your wonderful blog. I am a NYer who dreams of one day living in France and your writing is certainly fueling that dream. I visit often. You are a Blog Goddess! Merci!
Posted by: Absinthe Angel | 18 October 2006 at 02:16 AM
Neil, that is so true. If I wanted to buy a Navel orange now, I could hop over to the local Giant or Safeway and buy one. Or, if I had cravings for strawberries in December, I could certainly indulge.
Posted by: Sara | 18 October 2006 at 04:49 AM
Fucking I HAAAAAAATE these finger shaking "Ben Non Madame" types! My tolerance has run out. Off with their heads.
Posted by: GdP | 18 October 2006 at 11:03 AM
Oh no! You're not supposed to smile? I was so overwhelmed by socialism when they refused to sell me peaches and made me buy pears instead that I lost all composure. Maybe that's why they now look at me disapprovingly whenever I walk past...
It's the knowing smirks that get me when I ask which wine would go best with the cheese I'm about to buy. >
Posted by: Huguenot | 19 October 2006 at 01:35 AM
My fruit guy did a funny thing to me last night that I am still trying to decipher- after a bit of hesitating, I asked for some pears. He reached for one, then stopped and said "Is this for your daughter?" I said it was, and... he reached for a different pear. I thought, ???? Was he going to give me gross pears but then changed his mind when he realized an innocent child might have to eat them? Was there some sort of special child-friendly pear that I hadn't heard of? I had no idea and was a bit nervous about asking- I didn't want to get any of the finger-wagging, my day had already been long enough. Funny thing is, I cut it up today for her lunch and its no good. So, was he trying to give me better stuff for the baby and just screwed up or was he giving me less nice produce because she's a baby? A mystery.
Posted by: Nicole | 19 October 2006 at 01:26 PM
So, what is it with the fruit guys? Do they have worries of their own? Is it their mothers automatic making? Do they think it a casual banality? We all have our troubles.
Posted by: j | 20 October 2006 at 05:09 AM
Coucou.
Ca va ??
Tu fais quoi ??
J' ai retrouvé le lien de ton Site.; ;-)
Le Moral va bien ??
Posted by: Petitepoussiere | 20 October 2006 at 09:55 AM
Nicole,
My take on the pear is that babies are supposed to like their fruits ripper... I often feel like people are feeding rotten bananas to their babies because THEY would not eat it, but really it is because they are sweeter and smoother, more baby-firendly... so i would give your fruit-monsieur at least the benefit of the doubt... there is a thin line - or a big gray zone - between rotten and deliciously ripe!
Posted by: Formedable | 20 October 2006 at 11:40 AM
I can remember a waitress in the CZ refusing to serve me dumplings and insisting I have something else instead. I couldn't even argue, I was so shocked.
Posted by: Account Deleted | 20 October 2006 at 08:00 PM
:)
That reminds me of the first time I went to Paris and attempted to order a croissant about 1 min and 37 seconds after breakfast had apparently ended. The waiter's eyebrows shot to the sky and he almost ate my head. I jest not.
Posted by: eurobrat | 20 October 2006 at 08:54 PM
Thinking of it I often feel this way in Italy. Sometimes, i just want a capuccino after 10 am, and sometimes, I dont want to eat gnocchi even if it is Thursday...
Posted by: Formedable | 22 October 2006 at 10:46 AM
I love big, juicy melons.
Posted by: Adrian | 22 October 2006 at 10:20 PM
Why is it that every time someone refers to melons, there's another someone (usually consistently stupid) to make a sad sexual joke about it?
Posted by: sened | 23 October 2006 at 01:22 AM
Yeah, the produce guy is always a tough one. I've tried everything to get mine to like me. I'm thinking of borrowing someone else's kid...
Posted by: Le Meg | 23 October 2006 at 09:10 AM
Okay... I just discovered your blog, and that post has instantly pushed it onto my "must read every day" list :)
Of course next time I am buying produce from a market, I will think about this, and start laughing...
Posted by: Jonathan | 24 October 2006 at 07:57 PM
Hey lady.
Where are you?
Did you know the world is a small small place.
I came across your blog last year and have been perving in on your life ever since (although this is my first time to comment) and this year I met another Aussiegal all the way over here in Papua New Guinea la-la land and it's her sister who you've linked - her sister who is the aussie lass with the frenchman & the burmese.
Anyhew.
Please come back on line.
Ricebag
Posted by: Ricebag | 25 October 2006 at 01:51 AM
Love your blog posts girl.. You rule.
And you're damn funny to boot!
Biz
Riri
Posted by: Rica | 26 October 2006 at 12:38 PM
Where are you? Almost two weeks no posts? We are starting to get worried!!
Posted by: oh la la | 28 October 2006 at 12:18 PM
Anyone know when Bluefly is doing their next sweepstakes? I see that LuxCouture has a sweepstakes for a Giorgio Brato handbag at http://www.luxcouture.com/sweepstakes/
Any other good sweepstakes out there? It helps with the holiday shopping list, so figured I’d start some postings on it so we can share info (sure we’re competing against each other but hey, we all improve chances of winning something when we know about them).
Posted by: Vanessa0012 | 30 October 2006 at 12:23 PM
Hello all, sorry I've been away and thanks as always, for the comments.
Ricebag, that's quite funny indeed that you know Katia's sister!
Nicole, all I can say is: the fruit guys are a mystery.
Posted by: Coquette | 30 October 2006 at 07:37 PM