So We are Moving to Paris: Community

On Friday, I had a conversation with a former colleague who also happens to be French. He asked me if I thought French weekly markets were different from Farmer's Markets in the US. My opinion (which he generally agreed), was that the variety and quality were the same, but there was a mark up in price in the US. US Farmers markets are showcased as having better quality produce and more homemade (time intensive) items than the grocery store. Here in France, the quality of the vegetables at our bi-weekly market in Garches are definitely better than what I've found in the grocery stores, but the prices don't seem to be higher. Every community has a market, and that is just where people do their weekly shopping. There seems to be no reason to have higher prices in the market.

However, after spending yesterday morning in our town square market I realized the one major difference between open air markets in the two countries -- community. Precisely because every community here in France has a market, and these markets are where people do their weekly shopping, this is the place to see neighbors. Every Saturday morning, you see the same people at this central place. Most folks, including Thomas and myself, make the morning of it. There are three cafés on the square, and they are often filled with Garchois families conversing over coffee (and sometimes beer -despite being only eleven in the morning). Thomas and I often stop by Chez Bad, the crêpe maker I met during my first visit to Garches. Since we don't have our coffee marker yet, we look forward to our regular visits to his crêperie to have a café crème on Saturdays.

Now that we are in the rentré (the moment when everyone comes back from their vacation) Garches has come to life. Thomas arrived just in time to see how active this community is. This weekend was Garches "community day" - at least that is what I'm calling it. They had fireworks on Saturday night. Today there were games and food at the town square. There was a mini conference in the town gymnasium where all the club and associations had tables and people can sign up and join their group. Thomas and I talked to people from the Rotary Club, a running group, a rock climbing group, and even an association that helps people learn to speak French. In thirty minutes we managed to find lots of ways both fun and useful to spend our time here in France -- and all in the community of Garches. It was a delightful way to spend a Sunday.