Random Sights, East of Paris, Île-de-France, France

What could be more French than renting a Peugeot automobile during our stay in France. Location: Charles de Gaulle airport, Paris.

Lots of swans, geese, gulls, and pigeons - they've gotten used to humans as a food source and come running when they think a handout is imminent. Location: Lagny-sur-Marne.

The French do love their small dogs. Location: Magny-le-Hongre.

The advantage of a stormy and rainy day is that sometimes, when the timing is right and the sun comes out for sunset, the clouds explode in color. Location: Bailly-Romainvilliers.

Produce Market, Bailly-Romainvilliers, Île-de-France, France

I'm a simple man (some might say simpleton) who never left my home country until I was in my twenties. I never flew in an airplane until that first out-of-country trip. In the forty years since then, I have been fortunate to travel to a few other parts of this big world but, until now, I've never been to France. Leaving Boston on a cold winter's night between snowstorms, we landed six hours and 3,500 miles later in Paris.

The first outing after settling in was to the local produce market to stock up on vegan food. Counterclockwise from upper left, I am familiar with potatoes, pears, tomatoes, blueberries, and onions but, WHAT IN THE HECK IS THAT GREEN THING! I thought I was hallucinating from jet lag and sleep deprivation.

Turns out it is a Choux Romanesco, a member of the broccoli/cauliflower family. Of course, we took it home to try out.