Maison Larnicol Chocolaterie, Paris

Well worth a visit: EVERYTHING is made of chocolate and there are billions of different scoop-your-own tiny chocolates. Chocolate praline-covered mandarin segments... have a look at their website. 

Swiss supermarket

I really love foreign supermarkets. I just want to SEE what is THERE that is NEW and EXCITING. 

Whether it's true or not, I feel like you can get a real insight into a culture by trawling a supermarket. These are from the local Zurich supermarket (incidentally, the Swiss have already adopted the online shopping system where pictures of items are displayed on external walls, bus shelters, etc: you scan a picture of the item on your phone and it gets delivered to your home. Can't wait for that to happen here.)

Many many breads

Green "Sweetie" grapefuit

Dairy... huge, as always

Instant puddings and cakes

The chocolate section. NEVER have I seen more chocolate in one aisle... and this wasn't even half of it

Ready-made grill packs: smoked ham, sausages, chicken etc

Dried meat chips made from horse and chicken

Frozen whole sardines and mixed seafood

Hotel de Ville markets, Paris

These markets are just behind the Hotel de Ville on the north bank of the river. Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous. I could have watched and explored for hours.  

Chicken pieces and skewers, seafood and vegetarian paella 

Hams and wursts, pizza and savoury pastries

Charcuterie, terrines, brawn, head cheese, rillettes

Mince, rolled roasts, cured ham, bacon, speck

Root vegetables

Beetroot

Lettuce

Goose, guinea-fowl capon (young rooster)

Ready-rolled venison (doe), mushroom sauce, stuffing of mushroom and armagnac

Rabbit galantine

Roast chicken

Whole roast suckling pig, chickens and turkey

Dried fruits, beans and nuts

Stonefruit, lychees, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, cranberries, blackberries

Flavoured honey

Whelks

Deyrolle, Paris

This was the best part of my trip. Deyrolle (a "Cabinet of Curiosities") is a company specialising in taxidermy (they also have a fair bit of botanical and entomological stuff, including posters, gardening equipment, mounting supplies, etc.) Their store is on the Rue du Bac on Paris's Left Bank, and has become a beloved local icon, rescued from fire, a tourist favourite and a museum/shop where you can marvel at the expertly preserved creatures... and buy one, if you can smuggle it home through quarantine. Deyrolle sells and exports to buyers all over the world, so if you're looking for a life-size bison, a segmented lobster or a glass-eyed woodland menagerie to grace your coffee table, they can help. I realized that what I really want in my dream home is a boudoir-retreat full of tropical plants and with a stuffed squirrel, forest mouse or a little brown bunny on my dressing table.