Old homes along the river Seine and a distant view of the Pantheon, the final resting place of some of France’s most admired men.

Again today I walked five miles, this time from the east side of Paris to the center. Much of the time I was near the Seine. My destination was the English bookstore located near Place de la Concorde, the “centerpiece” of the city that I mentioned on December 31. I needed another who-done-it.

I like to be up before the sun and out taking photographs in the morning light. That’s not a difficult thing to do here in the winter. Today the sun rose at 8:45 a.m. Here are a few places I saw as I wandered.

An old bakery ready for its early morning customers. Do you see all the loaves of bread on the shelves, all freshly baked?

A distant view of Notre Dame cathedral from an island in the river.

Detail of Notre Dame

Boats parked overnight in the Seine at the Pont Neuf. In the distance the dome of the Institute of France and, of course, the Eiffel Tower.

My apartment is in a large apartment building. Luckily for me there’s a supermarket on the ground floor. I prefer to stay in rental apartments when I travel in Europe is because I can shop locally and cook my own meals. I find this is much less expensive than dining in restaurants and more comfortable. This afternoon I shopped for the next three days. As you might expect, the quality of food and the scope of offerings are excellent in France. So are the prices! Here are a few examples:

• A liter of milk is €1.19 and the famous French baguette is usually under €1.
• A large, beautiful avocado was €1.30 and bananas were just 35 euro cents each
• The best yogurt ever is €1.39 and a package of fresh ravioli, large enough for four servings, is just €1.87.

I was really pleased to discover the last jar of peanut butter in the store but it was no bargain: €4.20 for a small jar made from “American peanuts.” The French don’t like peanut butter!

Today a euro costs $1.08. For the amount I paid yesterday for a pizza, ice cream and a beer at an inexpensive restaurant (€30) I purchased all the food I need for the next three days at the market.

Bon appetite!