Picnic in the Park

Both Sam and I agree that one of the best things we did while in France was have lunch by the Eiffel Tower.  We cannot take credit to this idea as this came highly recommended. However, what we were not told was where to get our supplies.  It was obvious that we wanted fresh food including baguettes, wines, cheeses and fruits.     

A picnic at the Eiffel Tower is a must when in Paris.

We decided to do this on our full day in Paris where we had nothing planned.  Every other day had something planned from a flight to Nice or a planned tour.  I would highly recommend to do this when you have no time constraints because exploring to find the ingredients to your lunch is half the fun and you do not want to be rushed. 

Samantha and I were finishing up our morning after climbing the Notre Dame and locking a golden lock on the love bridge.   My mother and sister had said they had a picnic by the Eiffel tower and found a market in the area however we had no idea where to go.  We therefore just started to walk.

We had no idea where we were going, we just kept
walking towards the Eiffel Tower.

We started out by the Lourve as that is where the lock bridge is and made our way towards the Eiffel Tower.  The thing was, it was Sunday and many shops are closed on Sunday.  On top of that, it was the start of holiday for the French.  We were slightly concerned that we may not find any food.

We were worried but it was worth the wait.
(Fresh baguette, cherry jam and goat cheese)

As the Eiffel Tower loomed closer and closer we started to worry, but finally we got the intoxicating smell of fresh bread.  We followed our noise into a boulangerie and walked out with a baguette and a few desserts including elephant ears.  However, our quest was not over yet, we needed more. 

Our first stop in our food quest. 

We walked a few more blocks and heard a crowd of noise and turned to our left.  A few blocks away appeared to be a number of awnings and what seemed to be a market.  First there was fresh fruit, then a formagirre, followed by a wine store and then another boulangerie.   The street was Rue Cler and it was exactly what we were looking for.

Our spot in the shade. 

At the end was a Carrefour which had everything you would need for a picnic, forks, knives, cups etc… It was then only a few more blocks and we were able to find some of the minimal shade in the shadows of the Eiffel Tower.  Our menu consisted of a fresh baguette, a brioche, cherry jam, fresh goat cheese, an elephant ear, fresh fruit, and white wine from France of course.  It could not have been a better meal and afterwards we were able to relax and take in the sights of what seemed to be a picturesque background too good to be true. 

Our spread. 

Posing for a pic after our delicious lunch.