Lyon

Check out this wisteria would you?!! We’re seeing gorgeous flowers out and about but that’s not what I’m here to talk about right now.

This may sound a bit odd to many of you but, one of the things we enjoy when traveling in Europe, France in particular, is going grocery shopping. It’s fun to check out the shelves for interesting new foods or versions of some of our household favorites, presented not only in French but in slightly different packaging.

Granted, if one is visiting a place for a very short time, it’s unlikely that you’ll be pursuing that particular endeavor. But since we typically book AirBnBs with decent kitchens, it’s nice to be able to do some food preparation on our own rather than eating out all the time. Particularly stocking things like fruit, yogurt, eggs, nuts (roasted Marcona almonds!), bread, cheese and perhaps the occasional morning pastry treat allows us to enjoy the simple pleasures like morning coffee and a light breakfast without having to hit the streets first thing. And we’ve been enjoying “at home” evening meals of veggies, rice, chicken, pasta and fish in various combinations.

It’s also interesting, and at times eye opening, to compare prices, especially as some in our American groceries have sky rocketed. As an aside, some of you know how I tend to be detail oriented thus . . . . . . fair warning - perhaps boring calculations coming up!

Five pounds of my go-to all purpose/bread/white whole wheat flours from King Arthur were typically $3.99 per bag ($0.80/lb) at our local Meijer not that long ago. Now they’re running around $7 ($1.40/lb) unless you snag ‘em on sale. The best deal I find in Grand Rapids is at Costco where I can buy 12 pound bags of King Arthur all purpose and bread flours at $8.99 ($0.75/pound). I’ll take it!

Here in Lyon I’ve been checking out some grocery store flour brands at U Express and Monoprix, as well as the Francine line of flours, pretty standard in French markets. I must note here that the exchange rate keeps changing and not in our favor mind you. So price quotes may be off a bit.

Right across the street from our AirBnB, the “U Express” store brand farine de blé (blé = wheat) is sold in 1 kilo (2.2 lbs) packages. T45 is the quasi-equivalent of our all purpose flour. There’s a fluide version for 1,02 euro ($0.53 per lb) that’s more finely milled and recommended for liquid batters like crepes. Then there’s one pour cuisine et pâtisserie for 1,12 euro ($0.58 per lb). Not bad at all.

We also stopped at a nearby Monoprix to check out the Francine price for T45 - 1,49 euro for a kilo or $0.77/lb. Not bad either - along the lines of the Costco King Arthur prices.

On a non flour note, I’m throwing Bonne Maman into the ring, since it’s our at home go-to store brand for jam. That price has gone up considerably in the US - anywhere from $7 to $8 a jar at our local Meijer (I also found some flavors for $6.79 on Amazon). Of course there is the issue of tariffs and France having to ship it to the USA so I know it’s not a fair comparison.

Here in Lyon the Bonne Maman prices run 1,85 euros ($2.10) for Fraises (strawberry always seems to be the most cost effective, even in the US) up to 3,24 euros ($3.69) for Fraises et Fraises des bois OR 3,19 euros ($3.63) for Myrtille et Cassis OR 3,00 euros ($3.42) for Abricots et Peches , combos which we don’t typically even see in the US.

OK - that’s it for now. Enough already.

Enjoy spring - we certainly are.

On the grounds of Musée des Beaux-arts in Lyon

Until next time! Ciao.