A recent frosty morning. Can you spot Callie sitting beside the dirt road?But once in a while we venture out to one of the larger hyper-markets in our region. That means a forty minute drive to either Tours (west), Blois (north), Romo (east), or Loches (south). On Thursday we drove down to Loches to the big E. Leclerc store there because they were having a sale on some stuff we wanted (some meats for the freezer, some cleaning products, a windshield wiper for the car's back window, etc.). The bigger stores have more room and therefore have more variety and choices that we don't have in our smaller stores locally, especially in the produce section.
It's a nice drive through the countryside, although on Thursday it was overcast and drizzly. No matter. The store had pretty much everything on our list, so we were happy. And it was nice to get out of the routine for a bit.
The most interesting thing is that you have everything you need almost on your doorstep. What an enviable position to be in.
ReplyDeleteWe did a Hypershop on Wednesday, visiting Carrefour in Chateauroux. what an eye opener, even for people used to using French supermarkets.
ReplyDeleteThere was a pet store in Reims called Hyper Poisson. I just kept imagining the fish swimming crazily in their tanks. Thanks for reminding me.
ReplyDeletem.
Oh, and the wineries. Did I mention the wineries?
ReplyDeleteVisiting E. Leclerc is my guilty pleasure in France. At home I snub the big box stores, but in France we go to Leclerc at least once a week to browse the wall of chocolate, the cheese counter, and the aisle of dairy products. That's where we get our nightly bottle of Chimay. It's where I wind up at the end of our trip looking for last-minute gifts to bring home.
ReplyDeleteI didn't mean to be anonymous, but the word verification took so long I had to repeat it.
ReplyDeleteCarolyn
I think I can top Hyper Poisson. There's a pet shop in Montreal called Twit Palace.
ReplyDeletePS TWO goes at WV, and the second time is "eower otonag". Which is rather what their new system is.
A Saturday market in the town square. That life sounds enviable, although I don't think I could live without being able to walk to the corner market in the middle of the night and getting sushi delivered to my door....Or could I?
ReplyDeleteThose hypermarchés have wonderful selections - don't they! I love do shop for french items to bring home. I've come back with little cake decorations, provence-print paperplates and napkins, salt & pepper shakers in egg-yolk yellow and the other in french blue. Of course, the pastry, cheese and liquor aisles provide lots of eye candy as well.
ReplyDeleteMary in Oregon
Why do you talk about shops and then show a field?
ReplyDeleteAre your hardware stores self-serve like the ones we were used to in the states? Here in Sevilla, most everything is behind the counter, which means our Spanish skills are challenged whenever we shop -- and we both really love to browse hardware stores. It's probably been the biggest challenge of all!
ReplyDeletejean, yes, we're lucky not to have to drive long distances for everyday things.
ReplyDeletesimon, the bigger places have so much... stuff!
mark, I can imagine...
carolyn, it's different when you live here. You browse toilet paper, kleenex, laundry detergent, and window cleaner. lol!
autolycus, what a name! Yes, this new word verification thing is not easy. I guess I should just remove it, but I'm thinking that's exactly what "they" want me to do, whoever "they" are.
bill, I do miss delivered pizza and chinese, but there are compensations. I've learned to make them myself.
mary, lots to choose from!
starman, I didn't take my camera to the store...
mitch, they might be like that in the cities here, too, but out in the country and in the 'burbs, they're like the big-box home-depot type stores in the US.