The Les Halles Shops of Paris

Ar Vag is the author of this blog post. Her shop is in Brittany, France - BrittanyArmor

Do you know the meaning of the word CLOCHARD ?
CLOCHARD means TRAMP.

This is the name that was used in early France to describe poor people or the neediest.

Paris is well known for le quartier LES HALLES. It is a wonderful place where many bistro and Hall merchants work and play hard! 

The nightlife was very different. With such a life, many friends were made. They had a sense of sharing, close friendships between them  une belle époque ! :) ,
The shops would ring a bell,  sonner la cloche ! This was to announce the beginning and the end of the sales each day !

Thus, Clochard is a derivative of Cloche (bell)  pointing the neediest. They used to come at the end of sales day (at the sound of the bell) to get some leftover food and various unsold goods. 

Antique Brass Bell from the shop TreasureandSuch

Note: The word CLOCHARD was not considered as negative to poor people, the neediest ... Unfortunately, the word clochard has another meaning today ... of a profiteer.

Back then and now, la soupe à l'oignon ; onion soup was very popular, many bistros in Paris are cooking onion soup at 5 am !
Parisian onion soup is cooked with thinly sliced onions :) , and added to pot au feu ( stew) juice of the day before, stale bread rubbed with fresh garlic, at last grated gruyere :) , then, this is poured into an earthenware terrine for baking in the oven,
It is Miammm ! Yummy :),  alors, bon appétit !

                                          French Onion Soup

To try to understand the life and mindset of Clochard in the early time period, there is a famous French movie ARCHIMEDE LE CLOCHARD performed by Gilles Grangier, featuring Jean GABIN, Darry COWL, Bernard BLIER, Jacqueline MAILLAN. The screen writer was Michel Audiard.  He is a famous French satirical poet.

It was shot on location partly in le quartier LES HALLES.
Archimede de Clochard

One of my favorite French movies stars Jean GABIN ! Such a clever script, such an amazing and funny movie ! Ce clochard is a True lovely one ! la belle époque ! ;-) This is because the main character chose the way he was living and he was simply HAPPY in life ...

I hope you'll love it too ! :)

ar vag