A shopping center in a foreign country gives you a fascinating view into another nation's standards…read moreand what they consider valuable. The escalators here aren't your standard model, they're tilted moving sidewalks so that you can get your shopping cart onto 'em. And they have this groovy feature that locks your cart into place so you don't let go and kill all the people below you. There isn't enough seating in this place but the chairs they've got look like they're covered in leather. But one of the most remarkable things are the restrooms. French are pretty open about bodily functions so the restroom doors to both the men's and women's are never closed. This used to give you a straight-on view of guys using the urinals which I thought was just a little much. So on the way out I closed the door. The reaction was hilarious. A guy walks up looking concerned, stops in front of the door and looks it over. Like it's going to explode. He grabs the handle but stands there unsure if he should open it. He opens the door....... slowly peeks around and when he realizes that it's only a bathroom walks on in. The next guy out props the door open. Sometimes I wonder why these people even bother with doors. What's the point? Oh and the condom machine!! It's not inside the restrooms it's in the waiting area, near the emergency exit. You gotta love the French!!

If you read about Les Halles in Le Ventre de Paris (1873) by Emile Zola you would know of the place…read morewhere fresh food was wholesaled. Perhaps I was crazy to imagine a spectacular view of halls after halls of the fresh seafoods, meats or poultrys. It inspired me so much it sent us on a roadtrip from Belgium at 11 PM, we were running behind for Rungis that opened from 1-5 AM. We reached Rungis Marche International a city on its own at 2 AM. The market was just slowing awakening and alive with fresh food. We drove around these enormous buildings the size of convention centers, it was so confusing we had to consult the site map. The halls opened in cascading fashion 1 hall per hour we were told by the Chefs the seafood hall would open first. When we arrived I was literally speechless at the sheer number of wholesalers proudly displaying their seafood: fresh boxes of sea urchins, scallops on shells, trouts so fresh they were shining and live shrimps still jumping. At the poultry and game hall, fresh chickens/squab/ ducks/ pheasants/ rabbits/ were displayed. The poultry all cleaned except retaining the head and feather around the neck to show its freshness. The cases of foie gras, pates and charcuterie were just mouth wateringly attractive. We ventured into the Triperie where the organs, trotters and other stuff were sold. It was quite amazing to see the standard of hygiene and lack of foul smell you would imagine from a place as such. The same was for the meat hall it was clean and odorless - I never saw more beef, lamb or pork in my life!! I was glad to have made this trip.

EXPENSIVE mall but amazing "window" shopping. I loved the bookstore upstairs as well. We went to…read moreEATALY on the top floor too but were pretty disappointed that it wasn't a true restaurant.