A while ago, when my wife Ilka and I were in Paris for a month-long stay, I kept a daily diary. The following is taken from its pages.

As I write this, on the desk beside me is a piece of French pastry au chocolat. I am eating it, and it is delectable. We purchased it at the patisserie to be mentioned below.

This morning we walked a few blocks from our apartment to the street market at Boulevard Edgar Quinet in the 14th arrondissement near Gare Montparnasse.

The street markets of Paris are a phenomenon. Like the restaurants, they abound. They are in every section of the city, and bring the rural nature of the countryside to the heart of the great metropolis. Four street markets were within a ten block area near our apartment.

The bustling one on Edgar Quinet is several blocks long, a...

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