Le Marais~ Missing Paris Day

Le Marais in the 4th arrondissement is

THE place to be on Sundays in Paris.

While so many stores and shops are still closed on Sunday,

the Marais, particularly Rue des Rosiers,

fills with crowds of people

looking for a place to eat.

Unfortunately these shots do not even begin

to depict the hordes of people that line the streets,

sometimes shoulder to shoulder.

Filled with Jewish deli's, bookshops, boulangeries and charcuteries,

this area is known as the Jewish Quarter, or Pletzl which means

'Little Place' in Yiddish. The Pletzl has been a Jewish community

here since the Middle Ages.

On every visit here, 'The Chef' must find the best Latke...

...or fried potato pancakes.

Then we pop into Marciano's for

a look at their sweets.

On our last visit, The Chef picked out these plain, doughnut-looking

Old-Fashioned lookalikes.

Since Old Fashioned is my favorite,

I was afraid these would pale in comparison

but let me put that little rumor

to rest!!

These are as rich

and honey-soaked as Baklava.

I wished we'd bought about a dozen!

The Goldenberg Deli, which has stood here since the 1920's,

was opened by Jo Goldenberg and his brother Albert,

both of whom lost their parents and sisters

at Auschwitz.

The famous deli, also the site of a terrorist attack in the 80's,

closed a few years ago. While it keeps the old sign,

it is, alas, now a clothing store.

Rich with history

there is so much to see and do here.

The food is only the beginning!

(Photographs copyright and property of: Kirsten Steen)