Tucked away between tiny Parisian streets, surrounded by apartments and crowded cafes is Marché d'Aligre. This street market is not completely off the beaten path but is far enough away from any major attractions and wandering tourists. Marché d'Aligre is where the true locals shop for all things French, baked, freshly butchered, and just picked.
The majority of the market is on the street with pop-up vendors lined up, side-by-side, selling fresh produce. There is also an indoor component to the market which looks more like little storefronts, carrying all of the refrigerated, preserved, or packaged items.
We started first with the indoor market, ducking through the door's plastic flaps. The indoor market was quiet and cool with a low humming of casual shoppers. We walked past several cheese vendors, butchers, and charcuterie stands, all with gorgeous and tempting displays.
And no French market is complete without some organ meat, also known as Offal meat. Offal meat refers to the non-muscular things that would 'off fall' from the animal when being butchered. Yes, eating things like tail, lung, heart, brain, and tongue (all pictured below) are common throughout Europe. Personally, I am not the first one to jump up and try some tongue or kidney, however, I am head over heels for pâté and foie gras. And this would be the place to get some, for sure!
Although I am not a fan of all offal meat, I absolutely love that organs are embraced in the French culture. The idea of using every part of the animal is so humbling, letting nothing go to waste. And maybe, someday, we can all warm up to the idea of having a little organ meat for dinner. Maybe.
Walking through the flapped doors to the outdoor market took my breath away. Under the tented roofs and vendor stands were beautiful, ripe produce of all different colors, shapes, and varieties. Some produce was familiar, some were specialty items in the US, and others were absolutely unique and completely new to me.
The market was quietly buzzing with locals walking from vendor to vendor, picking up their produce for the week. The market was full of different tomato varieties and countless bunches of white asparagus - I was in produce heaven, knee deep in French favorites.
I saw a few families and casually dressed Parisians shopping, however, I also saw a couple of ladies wearing dresses, sky-high heels and fur coats, all picking up their produce, just like everyone else. It made me laugh just thinking 'there are no excuses for not wearing and looking your finest' - even when picking up groceries.
Mostly the vendors kept to themselves, not heckling the shoppers, letting them casually peruse their produce.
However, there was one vendor who was shouting, exciting the crowds, handing out samples and claiming he had 'the best strawberries in France' he told me in broken English. And honestly, they were so delicious! He then got so excited when I brought out my camera that he told me he wanted me to take his picture so he could 'be the next Hugo Boss'. He was putting on quite a show.
The last, unexplored part of the market was the thrift store-style market where you could buy handmade jewelry, used books and old shoes. I was reminded of my time rummaging through Goodwill Stores, looking for unique plates, silverware or table sets. There seemed to be a lot of unwanted items on display but who knows, maybe someone will find a hidden gem!
Making our way back through the market, we stopped for one last look at the beautiful flower stand. The eye-catching colors and delicate petals were just stunning, capturing every essence of Paris in the spring!
I felt so lucky to be able to take a peek into the daily life of a Parisian. Food is so humbling and to even, for a second, get a glimpse into what the locals are picking out for dinner that night, almost half way across the world is what fuels my soul and is one of the main reasons why I travel. For me, this market was more exciting than any tourist attraction in Paris!
Tip: The market is closed on Mondays - which we found out the hard way. Avoid a second trip to the market and check out this site for the market's opening and closing times.
Also, there are tons of little restaurants and cafes in the area, so I recommend grabbing a croissant and hanging out in the nearby park. My French family also recommended going to Table - which was closed when we were in the area. They described the restaurant as one of the best French restaurants around! Definitely a must-try if you have the time.
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The hot buffet was stunning, with shiny little hot holders all lined up and filled with breakfast goodies. I was impressed with the broccolini and roasted cherry tomatoes, it was such a unique and delicious addition to the buffet.
On our long drive to the 
Our first stop was to the Monument's welcome center, where we picked up a rented disk sled, some wax for speeding down the dunes, and a guide map for exploring. It was amazing to learn that the sand dunes are always moving with the wind pushing them around, causing them to constantly change their curve and shape. Which also means there is no ‘magic picture’ spot because one day a gorgeous dune is there, then gone the next! That also means that no two dunes are alike, kind of like snowflakes! But the desert, sandy kind of snowflake..
The foliage was quite unique, seemingly planting itself wherever it wanted. Looking around there were random patches of small brush plants, a lone mini palm tree, and twiggy branched bushes almost anchored onto the sand. I stared at the plants, which were deeply rooted in the sand, and wondered if they had access to nutrients and water? Must be the secrets of the surviving desert plants!
The store was overflowing with local produce, from gourds to onions and apples! You essentially have everything you could ever need in this store, from dried, fresh, and canning vegetables to spices and snacks. For such a small store thriving on seasonal produce, they essentially have it all and then some.
One of the most impressive things about the Snake Ranch Farm Store was that the market was full of chillies! Chillies are one of the most popular and iconic crops of New Mexico and these chillies were fresh, vibrant, and perfectly labeled for their spice intensity. Gorgeous bundles of chillies were even hanging from the ceiling, draping like decoration from almost all corners of the room.
Our trip started by flying into Albuquerque late on Friday with an early 4am wake up call for the next day. While we did anticipate an extra groggy morning, we didn't predict the pre-dawn traffic! With coffee in hand, we navigated down the dark roads from our hotel to the highway, with not a person in sight.
We walked between the balloons as they spontaneously rose into the sky. Looking up, there were balloons everywhere with crazy colors, funny logos, and yes, even a Darth Vader hot air balloon. The most amazing part of the festival was that the crowd could walk amongst the balloons, getting a front row view, as they prepared for launch. The balloons were carefully unpacked and inflated. Once the balloons were full, the baskets were loaded and the balloons were ready for launch. It was so incredible to see up close!
After checking out the balloons, we grabbed some breakfast burritos (with green chili), coffee, and ogled over the glazed doughnuts. The crazy festival food was pretty unique. We even spotted a breakfast burger where doughnuts were the top and bottom bun!
The first balloon rose from the line, with the rest following right behind, almost like a torch leading the others into the darkness.
Balloons continued to inflate as the sun kept rising. The balloon launches were perfectly orchestrated with the glowing flames illuminating the balloon colors, complimenting the amazing sun rise.
We stood around one balloon and watched it inflate from start to finish. The pilot held the mouth of the balloon open while an industrial sized fan filled it with air. Bit by bit, the balloon inflated enough for launch and away it went!
So, I convinced my small gang of three (myself, my boyfriend Mark and my sister Maurisa) to wake up at 3am, watch the sunrise at the volcano's summit and then hike down into the crater. After driving up a windy road in the predawn darkness, we arrived at the summit parking lot just before sunrise. Hawaii is obviously known for warm weather but at the top of the volcano, it is absolutely freezing! Luckily, we brought blankets from our room and layered on our socks so we didn't turn into popsicles.
Then, we started our hike!
After gazing at the view a few more times, we decided to head back up and save the full hike down into the crater for another trip. I was so impressed we made it halfway down the trail, but knowing that we had a heavy incline getting back out of the volcano was always something we were planning for. The hike up and out wasn't too bad but I highly recommend taking small breaks to catch your breath .. and gives you an excuse to snap more photos!
