Yesterday, we had no specific plan for the day. So we chose an open-air market we haven't been. We went to Belleville market at mid-morning.

It was definitely different from the many markets we have been to - most of the produce were what I would call "seconds". We have seen fruit and vegetables for sale that I would throw away because they started to go bad. The market is big and there was a lot of hawking. We didn't buy anything.

We then walked up Belleville which reminded us of Chinatown. Interesting.

Then mid afternoon, we took the metro to rue Cler. While walking and checking out some fruit, two elderly French women whispered to us to buy our fruit in the shop at the corner. We ended up talking and they invited us for tea in their apartment around the corner. (How neat was that??)

We accepted their invitation and had tea with them in their very nice apartment of 65 years. They were mother and daughter, 90 and 67 years old. We had a very pleasant visit and they will come for tea to our apatment on Tuesday. Such a surprise and an experience we will treasure.

What an amazing experience! You are very lucky to have met such people in Paris.

And then today, while we were waiting for the bus, another woman (maybe in her late 50s) offered help as I was looking at the posted schedule. I told her that we were waiting for the number 68 to go to Galleries Lafayette.

She got on the same bus, she hit the bell at our stop and told us that that was our stop. We thanked her and bid her "bonne journee". And we went on our merry way.

We appreciate people's kindness even when we have not asked for it nor needed it. We have taken this bus a few times before.