Thanks Mitch. Without knowing it, you got us to walk over to The Latin Quarter, and we enjoyed today's outing very much! An article you gave us from Bottom Line, "The Best Outdoor Markets in Europe", touted the market on Rue Mouffetard in The Latin Quarter as one of the 5 best in Paris. It has the best atmosphere and is "the perfect place to soak up Parisian ambiance," and is open Tuesday to Sunday. So, with our trusty maps in hand, we ventured out on this cool September day. Along the way we stopped at a cafe on Rue Monge for decaf (Renee) and espresso (Steve) and a delicious brioche with pistachio and chocolate from a nearby patisserie.

Now, The Latin Quarter is the home of The Sorbonne and The University of Paris, and there were lots of academic types to be seen. In fact, it's name, "Latin Quarter", comes from the Latin that was spoken by all of the academics and priests that inhabited the area back in the 14th Century. We saw lots of unique boutiques, interesting streets, and pastry and chocolate shops. (We really do wonder how Paris can support so many of these pastry/chocolate shops-- you can't walk a block without passing one or two of them.)

Gradually we found our way to Rue Mouffetard, enjoying every step and turn. Finally, we found it and saw lots of cafes, pastry shops, boutiques, produce stands, and butcher shops on this narrow, quaint street. But, no outdoor market! Stepping into a shop, we asked where the outdoor market is, and we were told that there may be a few booths down the street, but really there isn't much to see until the weekend. So, we walked down the street, taking in all the local color, stopping for a chocolat chaud to-go, stopping to buy a souvenier T-shirt, and eventually found one or two little fruit and vegetable stands-- hardly a great outdoor market. We didn't get to see the outdoor market today, but we loved strolling through The Latin Quarter and down Rue Mouffetard. So, a big thank you to Mitch!