Saturday morning at Capucins

There’s a little place in Bordeaux not too far from Place de la Victoire, called Marché des Capucins. Locals like to come here as an alternative to the supermarket, because it offers a variety of fresh goodies at a cheaper price. Produce, meat, seafood, dairy products, pastry, flowers, wine…you name it!

I don’t come here as often as I should, but when I still had Mr.Nikon last year, I took him to Capucins for a visit. It wasn’t so much the prospect of buying anything as the sheer number of vendors row after row, the variety of goods on sale, and the vivid spectrum of (almost kaleidoscopic) colours that could be seen from end to end that attracted me to drop by.

Oh, and if I remember correctly, I had Mr.LS-san as my company. What better place to take a friend going to Bordeaux for the first time than its characteristic morning market?

We start out in the Saint-Michel district (which I had partly written about here) where another big outdoor market is taking place. Here you can find lots of vendors selling clothing and random accessories of all sorts.

The pyramid of vegetables

The French people amaze me sometimes. During rush hour, it is understandable that the trams are jam packed with passengers. Just when you think that the tram is so full that you can’t even turn your head, 20 more people somehow manage to squeeze in one door at the next stop while the number of people exiting is…3. It seems like an everlasting positive feedback cycle where the net change in passengers is always positive – people get on, yet no one gets off…until Victoire. I also get quite pissed off when at a busy stop like Victoire, people getting on don’t wait till everyone has finished exiting before rushing onto the tram. It would be so much less chaotic if some common sense could be knocked into some of them, but I suppose during rush hour, nobody really cares about order. Even in a country as laid-back as France, rush hour is still rush hour. Yes, even in Bordeaux.

I am moving next week, for real this time. I originally should have moved on November 1st, but due to unforeseen circumstances, the move-in date to my permanent apartment has been delayed again and and again. I have stayed in this temporary residence for so long that they finally decided to kick me out…or well, I think they are indirectly doing so by stating that the reservation will only be booked till December 3rd. The best part of moving is the new location. I think I am going to love living in downtown Bordeaux, right by all the fun and convenience. Moreover, I can take so many more night photos. Those shown two posts ago are just the tip of the iceberg. I anticipate a lot of night walks and photo sessions once I re-settle down!

Once again I had not been actively taking photos this week, but on Sunday (today), I dropped by the city hall area and saw that Christmas festivities have begun! In addition, our very own Pyramid of Vegetables was on display this weekend. Let’s see whether it stands a chance against the pyramid at the Louvre.

We start out with the third cat around the neighbourhood, a black cat. This one was tricky to capture. As soon as I stepped closer, it scampered and hid behind the tree. That was why I was only able to take a picture of it from a distance…